Leisure Kicks - The essencial sport and leisure guide

The history of handball stretches all the way back to ancient Greece and Rome! It is believed to be one of the oldest games ever played.  The early Greek version of the game was called urania, played with a wool ball, and was written about in Homer’s Odyssey. The Romans would later play a game called harpaston, which was based on competitors attempting to throw a ball over a line. There is even evidence that even the Inuit played a version of the game!

Modern handball was developed in the late 1800s in northern Europe, the basic rules being developed by a Danish former Olympic fencing and shooting medallist and a German PE teacher in 1896. The International Amateur Handball Federation was established later on in 1928before being replaced in 1946 by the International Handball Federation, which is the current sport's world governing body. It began as an outdoor sport, but eventually moved indoors and the original 11-player teams were eventually reduced to seven members – this is the version of the sport that is played at the Olympic Games today. The sport has been an official part of the Olympic programme since 1972 and has spread across the whole world – with particular success in Asia. 

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A Kuwaiti player shoots on the USSR at the 1980 Olympics
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