The appointment of Alan Grima as an EHF Delegate for the Men’s EHF EURO 2026 represented a significant milestone for Maltese handball, marking another step forward in Malta’s growing presence on Europe’s biggest stage.
Grima served at Europe’s premier national team handball championship, which is being staged in Denmark, Sweden and Norway and brought together 24 of the continent’s leading national teams.
The Preliminary Round was played in Herning (Groups A and B), Oslo/Bærum (Groups C and D), Malmö (Group E) and Kristianstad (Group F). The Main Round followed in Herning (Group I) and Malmö (Group II), with Herning also hosting the Final Weekend, including the 5th–6th place match, the semi-finals, the bronze medal match and the final.
Grima made his EURO debut as supervisor for the tournament’s opening match between co-hosts Norway and Ukraine. He was joined at the official table by EHF Observer Urmo Sitsi of Estonia, with Hungarian referees Ádám Bíró and Olivér Kiss appointed to officiate the match.
This appointment reflects the growing confidence placed in Maltese officials at the highest level of European competition. It was also the result of a long-term strategy of investment in coach and official education, accreditation and continuous professional development by the Malta Handball Association, strengthening Malta’s standing within the European Handball Federation framework.
Malta Handball will also be represented at the second EHF Grassroots Convention, “Grow the game: building athletes, leaders and ambassadors”, which is being organised by the European Handball Federation between the 22 and 23 January 2026. Malta’s participation forms part of its ongoing commitment following the signing of the EHF Grassroots Charter, reinforcing its focus on long-term development, participation and leadership within the sport.
Photo credit: EHF/kolektiff.