Meet the candidates: Executive Committee Members

Just a few days before the Congress in St. Wolfgang, the candidates for all positions within the EHF Executive Committee have been asked to present themselves, their background in handball and the reasons why they feel they should be elected.

For the three ‘member’ positions within the EHF Executive a total of 13 people originally put themselves forward.

This long list has been reduced to just 10 candidates with the withdrawal of Damir Poljak (CRO) and Sergey Shishkarev (RUS). 

Henrik La Cour (DEN), who originally put himself forward is the only candidate for the EHF Treasurer position and his answers will be dealt with separately.

Additionally Anrijs Brencans (LAT) is a candidate for the vice president position and Ernö Kelecsenyi (SVK) is a candidate for the chair of the Competitions Commission. Their answers will also be presented separately.

The candidates for the three EHF Executive Committee Member positions are:

Stephen Neilson (GBR)
Gabriella Horvarth (HUN)
Knutur Hauksson (ISL)
Eugen Saracini (KOS)
Anrijs Brencans (LAT) * also candidate for vice president 
Anneke va Zanen-Nieberg (NED)
Alexandru Dedu (ROU)
Marta Bon (SLO)
Ernö Kelecsenyi (SVK) * also candidate for Chairman of Competitions Commission 
Stefan Lövgren (SWE)

All the candidates were asked the same three questions:

1. Tell us about yourself, your professional background and experience in handball.
2. What motivated you to stand for this position within the EHF Executive and why do you think you should be elected?
3. If elected, what will you seek to achieve in your position, as part of the EHF Executive Committee and for handball?

The answers from those remaining in the running and not candidating for an additional position are shown below:

Stephen Neilsen (GBR)

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

I have been involved in handball since 1981 starting off as player with Tryst 77 Handball Club in Scotland where I also became a coach.  I have been involved as a coach at various levels for both Scotland and Great Britain.  

I was President of the Scottish Handball from 1999-2012 and President of the British Handball Association from 2004 - 2008.  I'm a director of both the Scottish and British Handball Associations.  

In my professional life I have always worked in the IT industry and was employed by Microsoft up until 2012 before I took a job with the federation.  I continue to work in the IT industry with my own consultancy.

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

I decided to stand for the Executive because I feel that it needs a broader level of knowledge and experience from all 50 countries.  

Since it's inception it has been predominantly made up of members from the stronger handball countries.I feel that coming from a non-traditional handball nation will bring a new perspective to the Executive.

I have very strong values of honesty and integrity and I am always prepared to challenge but I can do so while respecting the position of others. We need to have an Executive with a broad range of types of nations represented and I think I can bring this additional dimension to the position.

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

While I will fight for the smaller nations, I will do so while looking after the interests of all member nations.  I feel I can bring a large amount of knowledge on how we can develop handball in the smaller and medium sized nations.  

Handball is going through very exciting times with great growth in the club and national products but we need to bring all 50 full member countries with us.  Handball must become strong in all countries and this can only benefit all member countries. 

Specifically I would want to ensure we have more countries taking part in club and international competitions especially in the women's game.

Gabriella Horváth (HUN)

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

I have been involved in handball for more than 25 years and with beach handball for almost 15. As a player and as a youth coach I have participated in handball championships on various levels and in several countries, including the top competitions. This has allowed me to learn a great deal about people in different cultures and languages. 

Later in my career I grew very interested in officiating and sports management. With the encouragement of my handball friends, I attended EHF courses.  These courses opened up a new world for me, a world full of opportunities to stay involved in the greatest sport in the world. These new opportunities on the horizon were very important to me. It was very painful, as my playing career was winding down, to feel that handball was slowly drifting away, out of my life. 

In this new world at the EHF I got to know many interesting and handball-loving people, of whom many became my friends. I think that the strength of the handball community, so powerful in my life and future, is also the power and future of European handball’s future. 

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

Since 2005, I have been an EHF delegate in beach handball. This wonderful experience has only increased my determination to continue to be involved with and serve our sport in any way I can. Since 2012, I have had the opportunity to participate in the development of handball as a member of the Beach Handball Commission and as indoor delegate, officiating top matches in Europe.

At the same time in the Hungarian Handball Federation, I have had the opportunity to work on and be deeply engaged with top international handball events, and develop my skills in sports management. This has been one of the most exciting periods in my life.

The new opportunities have allowed me to try many new things, to face new challenges, meet a lot of people, and see the many faces of handball. In other words, to be engaged ever more deeply with handball. In these years I have learned that I very much enjoy strategic planning, and I am very interested in working with handball in its many different aspects. 

I believe that I should be elected because I am someone who takes great pride in a job well done; and because I always strive for for a result that is best for the most number of people.   

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

Beach handball brought me back to the sport and it has a lot to do with who I now am as a person. So I will always support and work towards its development.  And I will always be one of the “beach girls/guys”. 

Women’s handball is also an issue very close to my heart.  In the past several years there has been rapid development, especially in the field of competitions.  However, I think that there is still a lot of room for more development.

In my many travels throughout Europe, I have seen how various countries must address very different difficulties and challenges.  This has allowed me to have a better overview of the many issues that come up in the various fields. This has taught me to think more broadly in exploring ways to solve seemingly intransigent problems. 

The gender equality movement has given me and my colleagues the opportunity to learn and work for handball.  I think we have been blessed, and we owe a debt for the trust and encouragement that we have gotten in our first steps.  We can repay that debt with our own contributions. 

To summarise, my personal overall goal is to contribute in all fields of handball. 

Knútur G Hauksson (ISL)

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

I am 59 years old, married and we have three children and four grandchildren. I have a B.Sc. and M.Sc. in engineering from the University of Kansas in USA. All my personal life I have worked  in the business sector. Since 1985 I have been a manager and CEO for several companies, both for local companies in Iceland as well as worldwide companies. Therefore, I have a good experience in working with people from different countries and with different background. Currently I run my own company with 80 people selling and servicing light and heavy equipment.

I have a broad experience within handball. I played handball as youngster, I have three children all of whom have played handball at a top level and my youngest daughter is the captain of the Icelandic national team. She is currently a professional player in France and previously played in Germany and Denmark.

I have been chairman of the handball club FRAM in Iceland and I have been on the board of the Icelandic Handball Federation for eight years. I was the President of the Handball Federation from May 2009 until May 2013.

For the last 20 years my companies have been sponsors both for handball clubs as well as the Icelandic Handball Federation. This has given me the opportunity to get experience from all aspects of the handball world. I have worked with youngsters, professionals, national teams, sponsors, coaches and governments on developing the handball in Iceland.

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

With my experience working within a small federation, small clubs but also with national handball teams at the highest level I have very good insight into the different environment that national federations as well as European clubs are working in. Combined with my working experience, being a sponsor of clubs and national federation as well as being a father of a professional handball player I am convinced that I have a lot to contribute to help handball as well as EHF to develop to the next level.

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

First and foremost I want to see EHF work more closely with the national federations, I want to see more professionalism in some area of the handball world and I want to help increase the revenues for EHF as well as for the national federations and the European clubs. And finally I would like to see more gender equality throughout the handball world.

Eugen Saracini (KOS)

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

Since 1979, I have been engaged in journalism, mostly covering political issues in region and abroad. Today I work for RTV21 which is largest and most viewed TV station in Kosovo and among Albanian speaking population around the world.

Handball was always my most loved sport since I was a kid. Just as all kids, I started to play handball for fun, aiming to reach the qualities of best European handball players at that time.

My handball life took other directions. For the past 20 years I was engaged in handball as manager of handball clubs and later, in the Kosovo Handball Federation. The Kosovo handball has long tradition. Handball in Kosovo was founded more than 60 years as part of former Yugoslavia . Because of the break-up of this country and the Kosovo war, handball suffered and my best experience was to help to recover and promote handball in my country.

It was great experience to promote Kosovo handball in Europe and other continents too. Finally we managed to become a full member federation in the European and international handball family. This gives to younger generation’s opportunity to compete and to fill equal with others. Being Chef of the mission of Kosovo team in Rio Olympic games, was a wonderful experience which should be passed directly to handball activities.

Anneke van Zanen-Nieberg (NED)

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

I live and work in The Hague with my husband Ron and our four kids (Tim, 21; Saskia, 20; Rianne, 17; Maaike, 15), and I am currently the first female president of our handball club, Hellas, which will celebrate its 90-year anniversary next year. 

As a teenager I was very ambitious in handball and was selected for two youth world championships (Canada and France) and also played several European games with Hellas. When I grew older I valued my education and professional career more than my career as a handball player but I never lost my connection with Hellas and handball. 

People describe me as a spontaneous and no nonsense and the combination of my professional career, busy private - and social life in sport gives me energy. For me it is all about following passion, keeping focus and enjoying the energy that those activities give me and to inspire my children, my colleagues and my fellow board members at Hellas and formerly at the Dutch Olympic Committee to get the best out of themselves. Everything I do is in cooperation with my teams and with respect to their ideas, warm, sharp, precise but also decisive when necessary.

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

Handball is my passion and I have played our beautiful sport from the age of eight. Handball gave me beautiful experiences and made me the person I am today. But handball is also a serious European and worldwide business and needs strong people from our European countries with experience to think, act and speak in many communities and on many different levels because there is a lot of work to be done for the handball community in Europe and I would feel very honored if the handball community allows me to be a part of building that future of European handball.

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

For me it is is all about handball and taking European handball to the next level, with all the challanges we face today in the international sports environment. This goes from development of handball where the sport is relatively small to positioning, expanding and growing it in the countries where handball is a respectable professional sport.

 As a member of the Executive Committee I will be fully dedicated to connecting every European country and European club to the development of our sport, together with a strong team of European handball professionals we must and we will be able to guide our sport to the next level.

Transparent, not only in communication but also in policy making, my interest is to start every discussion with the interest to develop our sport handball. I am very much looking forward to this task and I will sure I will bring enough energy, time, experience and knowledge to give a strong contribution to the Executive team. I do hope it does not need explanation that I will have a strong pledge for developing women’s handball!

Alexandru Dedu (ROU)

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

• President of the Romanian Handball Federation since 2014
• President of the National Handball League between 2012 and 2014
• Three-times winner of EHF Champion League (as a player for F.C. Barcelona)
• Nine times winner of national championship (3 times for Romania, 3 times for Spain and 3 times in Portugal)
• 232 games for Romanian national team
• 35 years in Handball, reaching all levels

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

Handball is my life. Considering the international experience gained during my participation in the Romanian, French, Spanish, German and Portuguese championships, I believe I can contribute to the development of handball in Europe. At the same time, as President of the Romanian Handball Federation, I implemented a set of measures to promote handball to a higher level, proven by the great accomplishments our national teams recently. At the same time, the measures implemented by our federation, in regards to the national teams and sport clubs affiliated proved to be successful, considering the recent European performance of the Romanian clubs.

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

The strategy I implemented in Romania is focused on the spectators. Why? They represent the main goal of our partners and sponsors. As a consequence, my own goal is to attract more funds for the development and promotion of the sport I love.

Considering the sport itself, I stand for:

• similar rights for all the EHF members, correctness and fair-play
• attracting more countries in the field represented by handball
• more and more handball competitions, professionally organised according to the European standards, which will benefit from the best promotion with the aim of generating the best possible profit.

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

I can contribute to the further expansion of handball, creating better conditions for players, particularly in states where handball is not in a good shape.

Furthermore, handball should become more attractive and more profitable. Most of the clubs are facing huge financial problems. This should be changed by finding solutions for better financial perspective from the top, from the EHF.

One thing that I can contribute to is to see this changed. EHF policies have to change and to create better possibilities, particularly for clubs and handball players from the developing countries in handball. Handball itself should be equal with other sports.

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

I think I will motivate everybody in the Executive Committee to look wider for the benefits of handball in general. To promote handball in schools, to give more help to the member countries. The countries in which handball is already very well established, should take more responsibilities for promoting handball in less developed countries. European handball should have higher role in sports and in the Olympic movement. 

Marta Bon (SLO)

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

I am Dr Marta Bon from Slovenia. I have been involved in handball for more than 30 years; first as a player, then as a coach at the top level, all the while holding different positions in sport organisations.   

Some further information about me:  

Head coach positions:

• Slovenia national team  (WCh, Germany, 1997) 
• Slovenia junior national team  (Junior WCh, Macedonia, 2008) 
• HC Krim Mercator: EHF W Champions League
• HC Olimpija Ljubljana 
• Switzerland national team

Also:

• EHF lecturer 
• coaching education  
• member of the Women’s Handball Board 
• Handball Federation of Slovenia: Methods Commission, Executive Board member (until 2008), lecturer for coaching education programmes
• EHF Master Coach 
• Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Sport – subjects: Handball and PR in Sport
• most important areas of study: HB tactics, kinematics, migration in handball, strategic management, leadership and HB coaches, beach handball, methodical teaching, mini handball, school handball, planning a handball career – dual career etc. 
• Bloudek Award (Slovenia's top honour in sports) 
• author or co-author of more than 100 articles and books 
• vice president of the Council of Sport Experts within the Government of Slovenia  
• Olympic Committee of Slovenia – Women’s Sport Commission; Top Level Sport Commission 

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

I have a strong will and wish to cooperate. I can bring new ideas, maybe a different point of view. I believe in my experience, education and in my extensive knowledge gained from different functions and positions. I would like to share this experience with the handball family - for further development of handball in Europe.  

Question 3: If elected, what will you seek to achieve in your position, as part of the EHF Executive Committee and for handball?
I would like to actively cooperate in creating conditions for strengthening the position of handball as a modern, well-organised and attractive sport. 

I would seek cooperation with experts and competent people from different fields. I would like to focus on encouraging synergy among different branches of handball (as a game, PR, management, marketing …).  One of my priorities would also be promoting and developing women’s handball in Europe. I’ll spread the idea that “Handball teaches us for life”.

Stefan Lövgren (SWE)

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

Former player with a long international career. Economic and sales education, working as a managing director for commercial and event related development. Private, married with two children.

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

EHF is a rather young organisation, although it has achieved a lot. With this election I see a kind of re-start in which I would like to contribute. As an former player I do think that I can give input and be a team builder for the future
 
Question 3: If elected, what will you seek to achieve in your position, as part of the EHF Executive Committee and for handball?

If I am elected and, as a new member within the Exec, my opinion in respect to the complexity in its tasks is to have big ears and a small mouth, to listen and learn. And after the initial learning phase, contribute with fairness, democratically in an open minded way for a further development across the whole of European handball.