Belgium's Master Plan: “The overall impact has been greater than expected”

While the RBHF’s Master Plan project has and continues to encompass many different elements, the creation of handball academies was the standout goal, with the successful launch of one so far. The federation is committed to a sustainable model for talent development, and aimed to provide young players with the ideal environment to reach the highest level by combining expert coaching staff, structured training programmes and strong partnerships with clubs and educational institutions to create the academies.

Key facts

• Belgium are in phase two of their Master Plan project, with the agreement signed in July 2023. The partnership with the EHF will end in July 2026
• the highlight of the first year was its culmination, when the first academy was launched, in Antwerp; a second is expected to follow this year
• phase two of the RBHF project has encompassed a variety of different areas with a concentration on consolidating initiatives put in place in phase one
• in terms of raising the on-court level of the game, this current stage includes increased attention on the development pathways for talented players aged 12 to 16 and further upgrading the work with referees and delegates
• away from the court, the key areas of raising visibility of the sport and initiating business opportunities for partners and sponsors are core areas of concentration in the current phase

Creation of the concept

For Belgium, the Master Plan project was a big step in a journey on which the federation had already embarked. The project presented an opportunity for the RBHF to move meaningfully forward with its development work.

“The Covid-19 crisis was a low point for Belgian handball. As a fully amateur sport, we had to stop all activities — even our national team couldn’t train or take part in the European championship qualifiers. It was a difficult time, but also a turning point. We decided it was time to take a new approach,” says RBHF General Secretary Dries Boulet.

“Belgium is politically divided, and sports are managed by regional governments rather than at the national level. But we made a deliberate choice to strengthen connections across language borders. The EHF Master Plan arrived at exactly the right moment, supporting our shift toward national development.

“Together with the EHF, we identified the most urgent needs. For us, long-term investment was key — especially in talent development. The handball academies we launched through the Master Plan are now the core of our strategy.”

Identification of objectives

The RBHF project began with identification of short- and middle- to long-term objectives concerning the development of both the federation itself and handball across the country.

The identified objectives were to:

• be a top handball nation with an ongoing presence in major competitions, across men’s, women’s and Younger Age Category (YAC) events
• professionalise all aspects of handball in Belgium, on a national and international level
• increase the territorial development of handball activity in Belgium, including media visibility and appeal for spectators
• motivate and support top clubs regarding semi-professional contracts
• prepare the performance pathway for the women’s game
• develop local officials and representatives for international roles
• To achieve those objectives, a number of smaller steps were outlined. Those were to:
• increase the number of players and clubs
• ensure a pathway to excellence for players with potential
• increase the number of players undertaking more than 10 hours of training per week
• strengthen the national teams
• develop a marketing and commercial strategy

Several elements formed part of the strategic objective of strengthening the national teams. The focus there was on the YAC level, where the RBHF’s aims included undertaking standardised talent scouting via regional tournaments leading to the ongoing playing of international YAC competitions. In addition, the RBHF targeted the creation of a long-term national team programme that includes regular training sessions and 10 international games per year.

Development and challenges in year one

In phase one, the project’s first year, the RBHF took several important steps. Talent development programmes were established, youth programmes strengthened, and professional support for players, coaches and referees was enhanced. The most significant milestone was the establishment of the first handball academy, in Antwerp.

The Flemish Handball Academy, based at Het Gymnasion Antwerpen, is now in its first academic year. After a successful first semester, it was decided that the programme would be expanded to include more age groups.

However, there were also challenges encountered, which are in the process of being overcome. The planned launch of the second academy, in Wallonia, was delayed due largely to misalignment of regulations for school sports programmes between the northern and southern regions of the country. 

“We set ourselves a very ambitious goal: To launch two handball academies in Belgium, supported by clubs, schools, and local authorities. In the first year, we managed to start just one academy with 21 young talents. A second academy is now planned for 2025, and the first will soon grow to over 30 players,” says Boulet.

The work in the academies follows five key performance indicators, which form steps towards the ultimate achievement of the goals:

1. Growth of enrolment
2. Enhancing players’ international experience and progression to higher training levels
3. Strengthening coaching capacity and talent detection
4. Club involvement and long-term support
5. Long-term goal: Producing national team players

Achievement of ambitious goals in sight

With just over 12 months left before the Master Plan project concludes, the RBHF has a clear idea of what will be achieved by the end and what it still has to work on up to that point.

“Although the timeline didn’t go exactly as planned, we see the results as a big achievement. Without the EHF Master Plan, we would not have been able to invest in this way,” says Boulet, summarising how he sees the achieving of the goals initially set out.

“Even more encouraging is the new energy we see among major clubs — several are now developing their own projects inspired by our academy model. So, while we had to adjust our initial plans, the overall impact has been greater than expected.

“In the next few years, we’ll focus on refining the structure to help talented players move more quickly from academy level to the top of the sport,” concludes Boulet. 

Photos © kolektiff, Kosovo Handball Federation, Royal Belgian Handball Federation