Korfball is a ball sport, with similarities to netball and basketball. It is played by two teams of eight players with four female players and four male players in each team. The objective is to throw a ball into a netless basket that is mounted on a 3.5 m high pole.
European Korfball Championship or European Korfball A-Championship is a korfball competition for European national teams organized by the International Korfball Federation. It was played every four years from 1998 until 2014 and then moved to a tournament every two years, starting from 2016. The number of participated teams has varied between 8 and 16. The Netherlands national korfball team has won each edition.
The England national korfball team is managed by the English Korfball Association (EKA), representing England in korfball international competitions. In 2007 the Great Britain national korfball team was split into 3 national teams: England, Wales and Scotland, that compete in all international competitions except the World Games, where they compete as a unified Great Britain national korfball team.
The International Korfball Federation (IKF) was founded in Antwerp (Belgium) on 11 June 1933 as a continuation of the International Korfball Bureau established in 1924 by the Dutch and Belgian Associations. The IKF was officially recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1993 and is affiliated to Sportaccord (Sportaccord), the Association of the IOC Recognized International Sports Federations (ARISF) and the International World Games Association (IWGA).The IKF aims to spread korfball around the globe. It provides close to sixty (60) affiliated member countries with financial, material, and structural support to achieve this goal. It has established a network of contacts in many countries and actively promotes the game by transferring knowledge internationally by exchange programmes and inviting selected korfball players, coaches, and administrators to its training courses to create a stable local structure in all the affiliated countries on which a flourishing korfball organisation can be built. The IKF is organised in five Continental Confederations – IKF Africa, IKF Americas, IKF Asia, IKF Europe and IKF Oceania – since 2011. The IKF General Meeting is the highest authority in the IKF. The IKF is managed on a daily base by the IKF Executive Committee – 8 members – and the IKF Council – 12 members. The IKF stimulates the global awareness that korfball is a spectator and media oriented mixed gender teamsport.
The Hong Kong national korfball team is managed by the Hong Kong China Korfball Association (HKCKA), representing Hong Kong in Korfball international competitions.
The Wales National Korfball Team often referred to as the Welsh Korfball Squad (WKS) is managed by the Welsh Korfball Association/Cymdeithas Pêl-Corff Cymru, and represents Wales in international korfball competition. The Welsh Korfball Squad entered its first IKF ranking competition in 2007, after the Great Britain national korfball team was disbanded to produce three teams: England, Wales and Scotland. Wales is a fully recognised member of the International Korfball Federation and is currently ranked 18th in the world.
The Great Britain korfball team is managed by the British Korfball Association (BKA), representing Great Britain in korfball international competitions. In 2007 it was split in 3 national teams: England, Wales and Scotland, that compete in all international competitions except the World Games, where they compete as a unified Great Britain and Northern Ireland korfball team. A unified Ireland team is represented separately.
The Scotland National Korfball Team is managed by the Scottish Korfball Association (SKA), representing Scotland in korfball international competitions. It entered in competition in 2007, when the Great Britain National Korfball Team was split in 3 teams: England, Wales and Scotland.
Sport has an important incidence in Catalan life since the beginning of the 20th century. The main sports in Catalonia are football, basketball, handball, rink hockey, tennis and motorsport.
Pauline Cope, whose married name is Pauline Cope-Boanas, is an English former football goalkeeper. She won 60 caps for the England women's national football team between her debut in 1995 and retirement from international football in 2004. Cope was England's first choice goalkeeper at the 1995 FIFA Women's World Cup and UEFA Women's Euro 2001. Ted Copeland, England's coach at the former competition, described Cope as the best female goalkeeper in the world.
Established in 1972, Trojans Korfball Club is based in Croydon, Surrey, England. They participate in the Dutch sport Korfball and are a member of the England Korfball Association. They are 11 time National League Champions, 4 time EKA Cup Champions and have also won the Europa Shield in 2007 in Vilanova i la Geltrú and a bronze medal at the Europa Cup 2012 in Warsawa, bronze medal at the Europa Cup 2017 in Sassenheim and bronze medal at the Europa Cup in 2019 in Kortrijk.
Established in August 2003, Highbury Korfball Club (HKC) is based in North London, England and is a member of the England Korfball Association. Highbury Korfball Club succeeded Arsenal Korfball Club, which was established by Hugh Barker in 1998. Rebranding occurred to avoid unwanted attention from curious football fans.
The IKF World Korfball Championship is an international korfball competition contested by the national teams of the members of International Korfball Federation (IKF), the sport's global governing body. The championship has been awarded roughly every four years since the inaugural tournament in 1978. The current champions are the Netherlands, who won the 2019 IKF World Korfball Championship.
The 10th IKF World Korfball Championship were held in the Belgian cities of Ghent, Tielen and Antwerp in 2015. Ghent and Tielen hosted the first and second round matches, whilst the placing matches and finals were all held in the Lotto Arena in Antwerp.
India is the oldest korfball playing country in Asia. In 1979, when the game was first introduced in India, korfball popularity has continued to rise and now the game is being played in 27 States with each state having its own association to promote and organize events. Korfball is recognized by the Union Ministry for Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India and national championships in senior, junior and sub-junior categories and the inter-University and inter-school championships are being held regularly.
Korfball in Wales has been played since 1991 and is managed by the Welsh Korfball Association/Cymdeithas Pêl-Corff Cymru. The association was established in 2002 and the Welsh Korfball Squad was formed in 2005. In 2007, the International Korfball Federation admitted Wales as an associate member.
England Korfball Association, also simply known as the EKA, is the governing body for the sport of Korfball in England. Before 2006 known as the British Korfball Association (BKA), it is the Korfball association responsible for overseeing all aspects of the game in its territory.
The korfball event at the World Games 2017 took place in Wrocław, Poland.
The 11th IKF World Korfball Championship was held in August 2019 in Durban, South Africa and won by the Netherlands. The International Korfball Federation awarded the hosting rights for the tournament to South Africa on 7 November 2015, ahead of the bid by New Zealand.
The England Korfball League is the highest echelon of korfball in England. The winner of the England Korfball League qualifies for the IKF Korfball Europa Cup. The number 10 relegates direct and the number 9 can try to remain in the top division by ending up in the top two of promotion/relegation play-off. The English Korfball Association is the administrator of the league.
