What is Generation Handball?

Generation Handball is an international handball tournament – and much more. That’s why we call Generation Handball a handball festival, and we aim to be the friendliest handball festival in the world. Each year, the festival takes place in Viborg, Denmark in week 31 from Monday to Saturday. The international handball tournament is based on three important pillars: FUN, FIGHT, FRIENDSHIP.

The handball festival is a cooperation between Viborg municipality, Viborg Sports Council, and the local handball clubs Bjerringbro FH, Viborg HK, and Søndermarkens IK. Generation Handball was in 2014 developed and established as part of Viborg municipality’s event strategic plan, which in addition to the handball festival encompasses three other lighthouses: The Snapsting with Viborg Hærvejsfestival, Viborg Animation Festival, and races with both national and international perspective including Hærvejsløbet.

INTERNATIONAL

Every year, lots of both youth and senior teams from many different countries participate. In 2018, 185 youth teams and 23 senior teams from 20 different countries participated. We think it’s amazing to meet new people from different cultures, and it’s a big part of Generation Handball that especially youth teams get to make acquaintances with handball players and handball cultures from other countries.

FUN

It has to be fun to participate in Generation Handball! The festival week offers a large numbers of activities and events. Whenever the handball players don’t play handball, there are plenty of things to do and discover. The programme for the week is fully packed with activities from early morning to late evening – e.g. bowling, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, team activities, show matches with professional senior teams, game zone, shopping both at the festival site and in downtown Viborg city, trip to Djurs Sommerland etc.

FIGHT

The strong handball tournament forms the basis of the festival. The handball tournament takes place from Tuesday to Saturday, and all youth classes are represented from U-11 to U-20 in both girls’ and boys’ groups. All teams are ensured equal and exciting games. Generation Handball brings focus on fair play and friendship, but FIGHT is also an important part of Generation Handball. From Thursday in the tournament, the teams advance to either A or B playoff, which ensures that all teams throughout to tournament meet suitable opponents. All teams are guaranteed a minimum of six matches regardless of the results of the week’s first matches. Read more about the tournament here.

In addition to the Generation Handball tournament itself, there will also be a beach handball tournament which all teams get the chance of participate in for free. There will be partying and summer atmosphere at the beach courts when the beach handball tournament takes place every evening during the festival.

FRIENDSHIP

Your team will definitely get six amazing days where the strong handball tournament forms the basis of a week filled with activities, and it all strengthens the team spirit! During six intense days of being together, friendship is a key item on the agenda. We focus on activities that will increase the sense of community, tolerance, and team spirit on the teams. Try out e.g. the team activities with team instructor Niels Christian Pedersen – or some of the other activities.

Generation Handball cooperates with MH24 – Mikkel Hansen’s association against bullying as we take part in fight against bullying. We want to strengthen friendship among young handball players, and we believe that all kids and young people have a right to have a good and healthy leisure life. We prioritise to bring this important matter into focus so that we increase social awareness both among the young people but also among adults and role models in their social circles. That’s why Generation Handball is the friendliest handball festival in the world.

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