The president of the International World Games Association -IWGA-, José Perurena López, emphasized the importance of beach handball consolidating its presence across several continents in order to aspire to a place in the Olympic program. He made these remarks during the final day of the discipline at The World Games Chengdu 2025.

The Spanish official highlighted the quality of the medal matches, describing them as played at a “high, high level. It is incredible,” while also pointing out another key factor for the sport’s growth and visibility: its appeal to new audiences. “I love it because when people come to watch it for the first time, they say: ‘Oh, it’s dynamic, it changes’, and that is important.” Audience engagement, he noted, is another crucial element for Olympic inclusion.

Internationalization as an Olympic requirement

“When the medals are spread across different continents, that is the key. If beach handball wants to enter the Olympic Games, it needs minimum representation on three continents,” said Perurena. He stressed that balanced results across regions strengthen the discipline’s profile and bring it closer to meeting the criteria set by the Olympic movement.

The IWGA president, who is also a member of the General Assembly of the Spanish Olympic Committee -COE-, celebrated the bronze medal won by Spain’s women’s team and recalled the strong handball tradition in his country, where both national teams have claimed medals in major competitions and FC Barcelona is considered one of Europe’s top clubs.

Philosophy and atmosphere at The World Games

Beyond the results, Perurena underlined the philosophy of respect that defines beach handball. “We grow and raise the level of the athletes, similar to the Olympic Games, but without giving up our Fair Play,” he stated.

He also relayed the positive feedback received about Chengdu 2025 from athletes and delegations: “From the opening ceremony to the quality of the venues, the volunteers were always ready, and the athletes’ village has been at a very high level.”

The complementary vision of Joachim Gossow

The IWGA Chief Executive Officer, Joachim Gossow, agreed that the growth of beach handball must be supported by strong organizational standards. “The organizer really did a fabulous job. For us it is important to see how the sports perform and what improvements can be applied for the next edition,” he explained.

Gossow, a former handball player and coach, recalled the evolution of the discipline within The World Games, where it started as a demonstration sport before becoming part of the official program, marking a significant path toward its current international recognition.