Polish Handball Federation is also unhappy with the EHF decision to cancel Play-Off for the IHF World Championship 2021 in Egypt. Federation’s president Andrzej Kraśnicki in letter sent to EHF criticized decision which put Poles out of the competition before pre-Play Off against Lithuania. Absence from World Championship 2021 will endanger promotion of the upcoming IHF World Championship 2023 which will be organized by Poland and Sweden:
- We are aware that the COVID 19 pandemic forces changes in the calendar of sporting events, nevertheless the decision of EHF is surprising for several reasons: it was made arbitrarily, it was not consulted with the National Handball Federation, it does not take into account risks and losses – also financial, development and image-related – which it determines in a given country, generates negative effects in the future, is unfair and takes equal opportunities for all. The ZPRP drew attention to one more aspect. In 2023, Poland and Sweden will host the 2023 World Championships. Depriving Poland of the opportunity to participate in the 2021 World Championships significantly prevents the promotion of handball and the 2023 World Championships in Poland right now – wrote Krasnicki.
Poland ended at 21st place at the last Men’s EHF EURO 2020 in Norway, Sweden and Austria.
