Denmark and Germany have been chosen as the co-hosts for the 2019 World Men’s Handball Championship, the International Handball Federation (IHF) announced. The IHF made its announcement following a meeting in Doha last Monday.
They also revealed that the opening game will be staged in Berlin and the final will be played in Copenhagen. Meanwhile, the women’s world championship will be hosted by Japan.
It is the first time countries have shared the hosting of the main tournament on the handball calendar. The sport is played in 183 countries, but is most popular in the Middle East and on continental Europe. There are approximately 800,000 teams worldwide.
Danish handball executive Per Bertelssen said they gave their presentation after just three weeks preparation time, adding that they worked hard and that he is extremely moved.
German Handball Federation President Bernhard Bauer said that they plan to start the Germany-based matches in the south before moving up north. It is the sixth time the country has hosted a men’s international handball competition. Its national team won the 2007 World Men’s Handball Championship in Germany.
The Danish venues will be Copenhagen and Herning, while the German venues will be Berlin, Hamburg, Kiel, Mannheim, Cologne and Munich.