Mexican Handball History

When it comes to Handball, Mexico is where some believe it all began. An archeological dig in Paso de la Amada in the Mexican state of Chiapas, near the Pacific coast confirmed that the game most likely began in this region in 1500 BC. Two courts were discovered during this dig that showed two goal mounds and a playing alley in the middle. The mounds were about 25 feet wide and about 5 feet high. Sloped sides made it more difficult to throw the ball providing a challenging court.

The Historical Importance Of Handball In Mexico

Archeologists believe that this ancient version of handball was a very integral part of the society. Different classes or tribes played against each other to prove their worth. Both rich, upper class and poor, lower class teams played. It was a measure of status and respect. Winning had great rewards and losing had great consequences.

According to drawings of this ancient handball game on Mayan vases, the consequences for losing were a lot different than today. The Mayan drawing show that the losing team was often sacrificed. The captain of the losing team would be beheaded in front of spectators. Overtime, the game and the penalties have evolved but the popularity of the game has continued.

How Mexican Handball Got Where It Is Today

Handball first appeared in the Olympics for a rather strange reason. Adolf Hitler requested that it be played in the version of field handball at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin. It did not appear again until the 1972 summer games as Men’s Team Handball. In 1976 Women’s Team Handball was added.

Today there is an International Handball Federation (IHF) with over 31 million players. World Championships have been held every two years since 1995. Mexico is a member of the Pan-American Team Handball Federation. It is part of the North American team which is made up of the United States, Canada, Greenland, and Mexico. Many countries are large enough to have their own federations while other regions join together to develop stronger teams.

Fans in Mexico and around the world can join the Handball Fans Association which is part of the Team Handball News website. This association works together to promote handball and keep it on television and the Internet. One of the goals of these fans is to make handball more popular and to gain more spectator support. Fans can also support their teams by attending the World Championship Games. The 2009 Championships will be held in Croatia and the 2011 Championships are scheduled in Sweden.

Mexican Handball In The Pan-American Games

Brazil currently holds the title for the 2008 Pan-American Games. Mexico finished last, in 8th place, for the men’s team. The Mexican Women’s Handball Team did a little better. They ended the season in 5th place. Since 1979, the Mexican team has never finished higher than 5th place, but that doesn’t take away from the national pride spectators feel.