IHF Athletes’ Commission: Time to Amplify Athletes’ Voices!

Dika Mem Elected to IHF Athletes’ Commission at Paris 2024

Paris 2024 Olympic Games marked another significant milestone in the career of French handball star Dika Mem. Despite the French handball team’s unfortunate elimination in the quarterfinals, Mem secured a pivotal role off the court by being elected to the IHF (International Handball Federation) Athletes’ Commission.

This election took place as the term of the IHF Interim Athletes’ Commission, which had been appointed in September 2021, came to an end during the Paris 2024 Olympics, held from July 26 to August 11, 2024. To renew the composition of the Athletes’ Commission for the 2024-2028 term, an election was organized among the athletes participating in the Games.

Before the start of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, six candidacies were approved by the IHF Executive Committee. The athletes competing in the Men’s and Women’s Olympic Handball Tournaments were eligible to vote during the preliminary rounds through a paper ballot system. A total of 406 athletes were eligible to vote, with 327 casting their ballots, 326 of which were deemed valid.

The Election Committee, consisting of IHF Executive Committee Member Narcisa Lecusanu, IHF Africa Vice President Mansourou Aremou, and IHF Asia Representative Bader Al-Theyab, oversaw the election process and the counting of votes.

In the final tally, Gonzalo Pérez de Vargas Moreno of Spain received the highest number of votes, with 203, earning him the position of Chairman of the Athletes’ Commission. Dika Mem came in second with 178 votes, securing his place as a member of the commission for a four-year term. Joining them on the commission are Slovenian Ana Gros (173 votes), German Xenia Smits (165 votes), and Egyptian Mohammad Sanad (69 votes). Mohammad Sanad was confirmed as a member after Pedro Martinez Cami, who received the same number of votes, withdrew his candidacy on August 4, 2024.

Gonzalo Pérez de Vargas Moreno has been provisionally confirmed as Chairman of the IHF Athletes’ Commission, with his formal appointment set to be ratified at the 2025 IHF Ordinary Congress.

Dika Mem’s election to the commission is a significant achievement for both French handball and his own career. Although the French team did not reach the semifinals in Paris 2024, Mem’s involvement in the governance of global handball brings him new prestige. Over the next four years, Mem is expected to contribute to the development of the sport on an international scale, leading up to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. This role marks the beginning of an important new chapter for both Mem and the global handball community.