Norwegian Handball Federation Faces Harsh Criticism Over 250,000-Krone Alcohol Bill
Norwegian Handball Federation Faces Harsh Criticism Over 250,000-Krone Alcohol Bill
The Norwegian Handball Federation (NHF) is under fire after spending 2.3 million kroner – including 250,000 kroner on alcohol – during a three-day conference, while many Norwegian handball clubs are struggling financially. The backlash from club officials has prompted newly elected NHF President Randi Gustad to promise a thorough review of future events.
At a time when several Norwegian clubs are teetering on the brink of bankruptcy – with top club Vipers even going bankrupt last season – the Federation’s lavish event in May at the Holmenkollen Hotel has sparked outrage. The Hungarian media outlet Nemzeti Sport reports that the NHF spent approximately 250,000 NOK solely on alcohol, with the total cost of the conference reaching a staggering 2.3 million NOK.
Club leaders have called the spending provocative. Kolstad’s director, Jostein Sivertsen, stated that such funds should be used to strengthen handball as a product, while Bjarne Lervang from Vikhammer believes that the expensive entertainment and heavy alcohol consumption undermine the credibility of the sport.
The conference was held, among other reasons, to elect new federation representatives and leadership. Former national team player Randi Gustad replaced Kaare Geir Lio as president, and legendary women’s coach Thorir Hergeirsson was honored for his decade-long career, which included two Olympic gold medals and six European Championship titles.
Gustad has since labeled the party budget as “too high” and announced a thorough review of federation events to be conducted this autumn. Speaking to TV2 Norway, she said:
“I understand the criticism, especially the amount of alcohol. We need to discuss how such events should be structured in the future.”
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