The International Handball Federation (IHF) is discussing the potential reinstatement of Russia and Belarus, with IHF President Hassan Moustafa reportedly assuring Russian officials of a return to international competitions from July 2026, potentially with the agreement of IOC President Kirsty Coventry. While no official decision has been made, this follows World Aquatics' recent reintegration of Russian and Belarusian water polo players as Individual Neutral Athletes (AINs). The move comes amidst ongoing discussions about political neutrality in sport, as reaffirmed by the Olympic Summit.

The EHF Beach Handball Champions Cup 2025 in Porto Santo highlights beach handball's pursuit of Olympic inclusion through global expansion. While the IHF Beach Handball Global Tour 2025 includes events in Tunisia, Spain, and Brazil to broaden its reach beyond Europe, participation remains largely European and African, with limited representation from the Americas. Digital viewership is growing, with EHF events reaching 180,000 daily users and high engagement among younger audiences. Challenges include achieving active representation across all continents, consolidating a calendar that complements indoor handball, and securing consistent audience metrics and global sponsors to meet IOC requirements for Olympic recognition.

Malawi hosted its first Olympic Solidarity beach handball coaching course from August 8-11, 2025, in Salima. Organized by the IHF, the course trained 20 participants (5 women, 15 men) under the guidance of IHF lecturer Wael Aly. The course included theory and practical sessions, emphasizing inclusion and gender equity, and aimed to develop beach handball and strengthen local sports structures in Malawi.

The International Handball Federation (IHF) has confirmed 19 squads for the 2026 Beach Handball World Championships in Croatia following the European and Asian championships. The European championship saw the French men's team qualify for their first Worlds, Spain women's and Germany men's teams crowned European champions for the first time. Italy's men's team will make its World debut. Croatia will host the Worlds for the first time in 2026.

The International Handball Federation (IHF) has implemented four main rule changes, effective July 1, 2025. These include changing headshot penalties to two-minute suspensions instead of red cards, requiring the thrower to be entirely inside the throw-off area for restarts, clarifying the steps rule where the first foot contact after receiving the ball while airborne doesn't count as a step, and specifying that touching the ball while any body part is touching the floor outside the court results in a free throw for the opposing team.