By Duncan Mackay

Hassan Moustafa was re-elected for a fourth term as President of the International Handball Federations at its Congress in DohaOctober 26 - Egypt's Hassan Moustafa has been re-elected unopposed as President of the International Handball Federation (IHF) at its Congress in Doha, extending his reign as the sport's leader which started in 2000.


Moustafa, 69, was elected for a fourth time with more than 90 per cent of the vote despite his most recent mandate being overshadowed by allegations in Germany that he improperly received €602,000 (£515,000/$830,000) in consulting fees in 2007 for the awarding of television contracts.

Moustafa claimed that his main target during his next four-year term would be to continue the globalisation of the sport.

"I want to develop the game in the big countries like India and China," he told the Congress.

"My aim is to promote and spread handball and to groom more talent.

"It's a big challenge and need full support of the community,"

Spain's Miguel Roca Mas retained his first as first vice-president, while and Croatian Sandi Sola will remain as treasurer.

The only new member on the IHF Executive Committee was the Czech Republic's Frantisek Taborsky.

Puerto Rico's Rafael Sepulveda will head the IHF's Commission of Development after beating Alexander Tutschkin, the Russian who was a member of their team team that won an Olympic bronze medal at Athens 2004. 

Several new countries were elected as members of the International Handball FederationSeveral new countries were elected as members of the International Handball Federation

Several new countries were elected as full members of the IHF.

Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Federated States of Micronesia, Guam, Kiribati, Saint Lucia, Marshall Islands, Papua New Guinea, Swaziland and Tuvalu were all successful, taking the IHF's total membership to 199 countries.

But Kosovo were denied the opportunity of becoming the 200th following objections from several countries, led by Serbia. 

The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, South Sudan and Tahiti were granted associated IHF membership while French Guiana, Guadeloupe, Martinique and New Caledonia were awarded regional IHF membership.

Tomorrow the Congress will award the Youth and Junior World Championships and decide where to host the 2015 IHF Ordinary Congress.

The highlight of the Congress, however, will be on Monday (October 28) when the host countries are chosen for the 2019 World Championships.

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