Olympic Handball Ireland Secures First-Ever Sport Ireland Research Grant

€18,000 funding awarded to drive evidence-based development.

Olympic Handball Ireland (OHI) is proud to announce that it has been awarded €18,000 under the Sport Ireland Research Grant Scheme 2025 — marking the first time that a handball-specific research project has been funded by Sport Ireland.

The funding will support a collaborative research project between OHI and University College Dublin (UCD) aimed at analysing and advancing participation strategies and performance pathways within Irish handball. This milestone reflects growing recognition of handball's role in the national sporting landscape and affirms OHI’s commitment to research-led development.

“This is a hugely exciting step forward for Olympic Handball Ireland,” said Andrea Ongaro, who will lead the research initiative alongside Domenico Crognale. “The project will help us better understand how to grow the game in Ireland through structured, evidence-based insights. It’s a vote of confidence not just in OHI, but in the potential of handball as a truly inclusive and international sport.”

Domenico added: “We’re thrilled to partner with OHI on this. Our goal is to generate findings that don’t just benefit handball in Ireland, but that can be shared across Europe through our networks, including with the European Handball Federation (EHF) and other international stakeholders.”

The research will explore key themes such as participation trends, barriers to engagement, and athlete development. It will also inform future programming, coaching education, and community outreach across Ireland — from schools to clubs to national squads.

Sport Ireland’s support for this initiative recognises OHI’s strategic alignment with national priorities for innovation, inclusion, and lifelong sport. The project is due to commence later this year and will run through to May 2026.