Meet the candidates: Chairman Beach Handball Commission

With EHF elections taking place in St. Wolfgang on Thursday, 17 November 2016, the candidates for the EHF Executive Committee have been given the opportunity to present themselves on the official website.

The two candidates for the chairmanship of the Beach Handball Commission are Sinisa Ostoic from Croatia and Ole R. Jorstad from Norway. Here they explain why they should be elected:

Sinisa Ostoic (CRO)

Question 1: Tell us about yourself, your professional background and experience in handball.

I was born in 1967 in Zagreb. I am married and have two children. Regarding handball, I’m proud of the medals from the European and World beach handball championships, which I won both as a coach and team manager. After my coaching career, it was time for another challenge.

In 2008 I started working on the project ‘IHF Men’s World Championship 2009’ in Croatia as a head of competition and protocol, which was followed by another great project: the ‘Women’s EHF EURO 2014 in Croatia and Hungary in the same position. 

In 2012, I became a member of the Beach Handball Commission, which was followed with the SEHA – Gazprom League’s Managing Director role in 2013. 

Question 2: What motivated you stand for this position within the EHF Executive and why do you think you should be elected?

The possibility of an improvement and new challenges motivated me to stand for this position. I think that handball can improve, and together with my knowledge, experience and inexhaustible energy at all the projects on which I worked on and those I’m still working on, can help to reach this goal. I consider that I, as a part of the EHF Executive Committee, could give maximum in the development of whole handball community in general. 

Question 3. If elected, what will you seek to achieve in your position, as part of the EHF Executive Committee and for handball?

If elected, I will stand for the development of handball in general. 

As a team player, with the help from my colleagues, handball federations, clubs, players, coaches, fans, and all others involved in handball, together we can achieve further development and increase the position of handball in Europe and worldwide as a top sport.

Handball is a team sport and team spirit is the one who wins in the end! 

Ole R. Jorstad (NOR)

Question 1: Tell us about yourself, your professional background and experience in handball.

My name is Ole R. Jorstad. I am married to my wife, Sissel, and we have three children; Thea, Jørgen and Marius.

My private profession is as a real estate developer (apartments & commercial buildings), my company is called K4 AS which consists of 11 totally and partly owned companies.  Additionally I'm a professional chairman of eight external companies in the electrical installation business.

I've been in handball since I was eight years old, as a player, coach, referee, observer, delegate, lecturer, chairman in an elite handball club.

I was an international referee for the EHF/IHF from 1994 to 2003. I have been an EHF Beach Handball Delegate since 2003, EHF Beach Handball Lecturer since 2006 and was an EHF Delegate 2007 to 2012. I was an EHF Beach Handball Member (officiating) 2008 - 2012. I have been the EHF Beach Handball Commission Chairman and member of the Executive Committee 2012-2016. Additionally I am also a member of the Norwegian Executive Committee and was elected Vice President 2011 - 2017.

Question 2: What motivated you stand for this position within the EHF Executive and why do you think you should be elected?

Before this congress, I considered for a while to go for an new position. But I decided early to focus on re-election as the Chairman of the Beach Handball Commission.

And I dis this because this sport is great. And we are developing. More and more federations are joining us. We have top level competitions as EBT, BH EUROs and Champions Cup.

All those around us seem motivated. And both four-year mandates of the Beach Handball Commission (2008-2012, 2012-2016) has consisted of hard-working people. Together with the professionals in the EHF office we have achieved a lot. And YES, I'm very motived to continue this work with those people and bodies. Very!

Question 3: If elected, what will you seek to achieve in your position, as part of the EHF Executive Committee and for handball?

We're moving in a very good direction. The focus in the period of 2016 - 2020 will be on improving our own competitions and their profile as well as marketing.

This will of course help us to be more attractive for the Olympics, hopefully not too far in the future.

We need more regional official tournaments, e.g. such as the ‘Black Sea Beach Handball Open’, Beach Handball Baltic Open, Scandinavian Open. On those occasions we will offer EHF beach handball lecturers to educate the beach handball people in the federations and regions.

I will work in favour of bringing beach handball to the European Games, to increasing the number of federations joining this movement, producing more and better educational materials and increasing the interest in beach handball in the media, such as TV, live-streaming and all kind of social media.

And we also need our own sponsors so we can become a self financing sport in the 2020s. We have a lot of work to do!

As an EXEC member it's important for me that handball stays as a clean sport in the field of anti-doping and betting. The EHF and EHF Marketing economic situations must continue to be stable and if possible improve. The development of our main products EURO and Champions league shall continue. And it's important to continue to have the strong relationships between the EHF and all of our stakeholders.

I will not be somebody who 'knows better' but a constructive 'pusher' to continue the great work of the EHF.