Issue date: 11 Jan, 2013
For the first time Spain hosts the Men’s Handball World Championship, a top level competition to which this stamp, belonging to the Sports Series is dedicated.
The Men's World Handball Championship in its XXIII edition is organized by the International Handball Federation (IHF) and the Royal Spanish Handball Federation. The championship is held from 11 and 27 January 2013, in six Spanish cities with more than 24 teams from around the world participating.
The first Men's Handball World Championship took place in Germany in 1938. In this first edition only the national teams of Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and Austria participated with Germany obtaining victory.
The championship was suspended during the World War II period and resumed again in 1954 with Sweden hosting the 2nd Men’s World Handball Championship. This time six teams reached the finals, and Sweden became the champion.
In the IX World Championship held in Denmark in 1978 Spain played in the finals for the first time.
Since 1993 the tournament is held every two years, always in odd number years. Spain won its first gold medal in Tunisia in 2005 and the bronze medal in the world championship of Sweden in 2011.
The Handball World Championship is the most important competition between national teams. The men's tournament began in 1938 but the women’s had to wait until 1957.
Handball became popular in Germany and the Nordic countries in the early 20th century. At the beginning the rules and the game were very different from the current ones. Matches were played outdoors on the football field with teams of eleven. Years later it began to be played indoors, in smaller courts as a 7aside game and thus it has remained, the indoor version being the more popular of the two types of handball..
The stamp is illustrated with two players and the inscription: Spain venue for the 23 Men’s Handball World Championship.
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