NEW DELHI : Putting an end to the ongoing administrative ambiguity and factional disputes surrounding the sport of handball, the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) has officially recognized the Handball Federation of India (HFI) as the absolute and singular national governing body for the sport.
In an official communication (Ref: IOA/HFI/I-14/2025/2665), IOA President Dr. P.T. Usha formally validated the legitimate status of the HFI. The letter explicitly confirms the recognition of the newly elected office-bearers for the 2025–2028 tenure, officially acknowledging Shri Mahesh Kumar as the President and Dr. Pritpal Singh Saluja as the Secretary General.
This decisive recognition was granted following the official IOA Observer’s report, which noted that the elections for all posts of the Handball Federation of India were held unopposed on July 27, 2025, at the Constitution Club of India, New Delhi.
Furthermore, cementing the HFI’s status, the Indian Olympic Association has officially updated its member directory on its public website. The directory actively lists the Handball Federation of India, headquartered in Indore, as its recognized affiliate for the sport, putting to rest any claims by rival parallel factions.
For local state associations and sports departments, this official clean chit from the IOA serves as a definitive directive. It clarifies that players participating under the HFI and its affiliated state bodies hold legitimate, IOA-backed credentials.
Sports administrators and educational institutions are expected to strictly adhere to the IOA’s official affiliation hierarchy to ensure that genuine athletes are not subjected to targeted harassment or denied their rightful sports gradation and academic weightage due to baseless disputes.
