The Pan-American Team Handball Federation (PATHF) has been the continental governing body for handball, beach handball, wheelchair handball and snow handball in Americas since 23 May 1977. PATHF includes North America, Central America, South America and the Caribbean. PATHF's primary functions is to organize competitions for national teams and clubs, and to conduct Men's World Handball Championship and Women's World Handball Championship qualifying tournaments.
On 14 January 2018, during the IHF Council meeting, PATHF was suspended by International Handball Federation and was divided into two continental confederations namely the North America and the Caribbean Handball Confederation and the South and Central America Handball Confederation. The IHF Council decision was taken on the facts that there are no signs of development in the level of handball and beach handball in the North American, Central American and the Caribbean countries. There was some development in South American level but that was also not comparable to the other continents like Europe, Asia and Africa. No team from Americas had ever reached to the semifinal stage of the IHF World Men's Handball Championship and the IHF Men's Junior World Championship till date. The PATHF appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, and it annulled IHF's decision. At the Extraordinary IHF Congress 2019 the IHF statues were revised to add the new federations.
History
PATHF was founded on 23 May 1977, which made it one of the five continental confederations affiliated with International Handball Federation. Argentina, Chile, Canada, Mexico and the United States of America were founding members. The first executive committee was composed of President Dr. Peter Buehning Sr. (USA), Vice-President Mr. Juan Mainzhausen (Argentina), Secretary General Mr. Walter Schwedhelm (Mexico), and Treasurer Mr. Francis Geulen (Canada). Current PATHF President is Mr. Mario Moccia from Argentina.
PATHF Presidents
Mario Moccia resigned on 11 June 2019, Júlio Noveri took over as Interim President. PATHF was succeeded by NACHC and SCAHC as per the decision of Extraordinary IHF Congress held at Gothenburg (Sweden) on 3 July 2019.
PATHF Council
The PATHF Council was an institution of the Pan-American Team Handball Federation. It was the main decision-making body of the organization in the intervals of PATHF Congress. It also had a subsidiary i.e. PATHF Executive Committee, which takes decisions during the intervals of Council Meetings. PATHF Executive Committee was formed of the President, 1st Vice-President, 2nd Vice-President, Secretary General and Treasurer. Following was the last PATHF Council elected for the years 2016 – 2020 before PATHF's dissolution on 14 January 2018 by the International Handball Federation.
PATHF Commissions
Affiliated members
North America and the Caribbean
Barbados
Canada
Cuba
Dominican Republic
Greenland
Haiti
Mexico
Puerto Rico
Trinidad and Tobago
United States of America
Central America
Costa Rica
El Salvador
Guatemala
Honduras
Nicaragua
Panama
South America
Argentina
Bolivia
Brazil
Chile
Colombia
Ecuador
Paraguay
Peru
Uruguay
Venezuela
Non-Members
Following is the list of national handball federations who are affiliated to the International Handball Federation but are not granted affiliation by the PATHF.
Antigua and Barbuda
Bahamas
British Virgin Islands
Cayman Islands
Dominica
Grenada
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Belize
Guyana
Regional Member
French Guiana (France) Guadeloupe (France) Martinique (France)
Tournaments
PATHF
Pan American Men's Handball Championship
Pan American Women's Handball Championship
Pan American Men's Junior Handball Championship
Pan American Women's Junior Handball Championship
Pan American Men's Youth Handball Championship
Pan American Women's Youth Handball Championship
Pan American Men's Cadet Handball Championship
Pan American Women's Cadet Handball Championship
Pan American Games
Club
Pan American Men's Club Handball Championship
Pan American Women's Club Handball Championship
South American Men's Club Handball Championship (defunct) South American Women's Club Handball Championship (defunct)