11-MAN TEAM HANDBALL IN FINLAND =============================== This sport was played in the 20th century outdoors on soccerfields and was also called fieldball. It co-existed for decades alongside the 7-man team handball, but finally ran out of steam in the 1960's and was dropped altogether. When handball made its olympic comeback in 1972 in West Germany, it was the 7-man version played indoors.Finland's page for 7-man team handball
SEARCH ROOM ===========1928
1928
4 August (Cologne)
During the Olympic Games in Amsterdam, the
International Amateur Handball Federation (IAHF)
is formed. Finland is represented by Lauri
"Tahko" Pihkala.
1931
Oskari Väänänen's book "Käsipallo" is
published. This is the very first finnish publication
on team handball.
1934
31 August (Stockholm, Stockholms Stadion)
Sweden-Germany 7-18
The very first international in any kind of team
handball.
The first 7-man international was later
played in 1935 indoors in Copenhagen.
1936
(Berlin) Olympic Games
On the 14th of August, Germany wins at Olympia-Stadion
Austria in the final game with 10-6 in front of
80,000 people. The audience remains the
biggest ever for any team handball game.
1938
7-10 July (Germany)
First world championships. Germany wins the
final in Berlin against Switzerland with 23-0.
1940
7-man team handball games are played (outdoors)
for the first time in Finland. Within the next
years, this form is growing rapidly with many
indoor games in Helsinki and Turku.
1941
23 May (Helsinki)
The finnish handball association is formed.
1946
11 July (Copenhagen)
The International Handball Federation (IHF)
is formed. Finland is one of the founding
members.
1948
17 May (Stockholm)
Sweden-Finland 26-0
Following a few internationals in 7-man
handball, this is a shaky debut in 11-man
handball for our unexperienced team. It is still
the biggest defeat (indoors or outdoors) for any
male national handball team of Finland. Part of
the qualification round for the World Championships
3-6 June.
Semifinals are played in Paris and in
Saarbrücken. Sweden is the final
champion, beating Denmark in Paris with 11-4.
1949
25-28 September (Hungary)
Women's first World Championships are staged,
with Romania as the winner.
1951
(West Germany in the late summer)
Finland's under-22 team plays at least in
Flensburg in a tournament, ending up on
third place.
Jukka Hakola also participates in the game
Germany vs Rest-of-Europe.
1952
8-15 June (Switzerland)
German combined team is the winner in the
championships. In the final in Zürich Sweden
takes a defeat with 19-8.
Saarland also take part, but cannot make it to
the top six.
Athletic games at Olympiastadion
31 July (Helsinki, Olympiastadion)
Olympic Games. Sweden beats Denmark in a friendly
before 13,175 people. The audience remains the
biggest ever for any team handball game in
Finland.
1953
(Ekenäs)
Arsenal wins the first unofficial finnish
championship.
1954
Official finnish championships are staged for the
first time. Karhun Pojat wins the title, beating
BK-46 in the cup final with 13-8.
1955
29 June-10 July (West Germany)
Finland plays two games in the World Championships, group 3:
29 June (Lörrach) Switzerland-Finland 13-7
30 June (Offenburg) Spain-Finland 10-11. Aarre Klinga scores seven times for Finland
The home team reaches the gold medals, securing it
against Switzerland in the last game with 25-13
in Dortmund.
The last big competition for Saarland,
finishing at place six.
Outdoors finnish championships are held for the
second time. Karhun Pojat wins the title, beating
Arsenal in the cup final with 14-10.
1956
Karhun Pojat wins the champion title for the third
time in a row, beating BK-46 in the cup final with
10-8.
1-8 July (Germany)
Romania defends succesfully its title in the women's
World Championships, with only a narrow 6-5 win
against West Germany.
1957
Outdoors finnish championships are played for the
forth time. BK-46 brings the gold outside of
Helsinki, with KaPo finishing second and Haukat
third.
(Moscow, 3. friendly tournament)
2 August Soviet Union-Finland 19-2
4 August East Germany-Finland 19-5
6 August Romania-Finland 17-4
8 August Czechoslovakia-Finland 25-10
These were the last ones for any finnish national
team in 11-man handball. East Germany is the
winner in the tournament.
In his first internationals, young referee Jaakko
Tuominen takes the whistle in two games in
the women's competetion:
2 August Romania-Soviet Union
6 August Soviet Union-East Germany
1958
Outdoors finnish championships are played for the
fifth time. BK-46 plays against Haukat in the cup
finals. Following a 11-14 defeat in the first one,
the Karis team turns with a 21-13 victory in the
second game.
1959
The last finnish championship with 11 men on the
field. BK-46 takes with a 16-14 final win its
third consecutive gold before KaPo.
13-21 June (Austria)
Germany is again the world champion at the
competitions. Romania takes a 11-14 defeat
in the final.
1960
12-19 June (Netherlands)
Romania is the last women's world champion
in 11-man team handball with a 10-2 win in
the final against Austria.
1963
3-9 June (Switzerland)
World Championships now with
East Germany at the top, beating
West Germany with 14-7 in the climax.
The only participation for Israel
and the USA in 11-man world championships.
1966
25 June-3 July (Austria)
The very last World Championship with 11 man
with West Germany winning on better goal
difference, as a draw 15-15 in the last game
versus East Germany is enough.
1968-1970
European Cup for men is played for
three consecutive summers.
1-2 June 1968 (Linz)
24-26 May 1969 (North Rhine-Westphalia)
16-18 May 1970 (West Germany)
The teams came from West Germany, Austria,
Switzerland and the Netherlands.
TSV Grün-Weiss Dankersen-Minden from
West Germany took the title every year.
World Championships history page, men
World Championships history page, women
Finland's page for 7-man team handball