In mid-May, the handball conference was held at Holmenkollen Park Hotel.

Here, both national team manager Thorir Hergeirsson and president Kåre Geir Lio were thanked for their long and faithful service.

The show on Saturday night was led by John Brungot as the host. From the stage, Morten Abel provided a sing-along for the handball player “Tore Tang”. The budget was 850,000 kroner, but that was a package price for everything on stage and event.

The total expenses for the entire handball meeting exceeded 2.3 million kroner during the three days.

– It’s actually completely crazy that they allow themselves to spend these sums on alcohol, parties and themselves when the clubs out there are struggling to make ends meet, says Oda Sjøvoll of Linderud Linje 5 Håndball.

– It is actually completely wild that they allow themselves to spend these sums on alcohol, parties and themselves when the clubs out there are struggling to make ends meet, says Oda Sjøvoll of Linderud Linje 5 Handball.– It is actually completely wild that they allow themselves to spend these sums on alcohol, parties and themselves when the clubs out there are struggling to make ends meet, says Oda Sjøvoll of Linderud Linje 5 Handball.– It is actually completely wild that they allow themselves to spend these sums on alcohol, parties and themselves when the clubs out there are struggling to make ends meet, says Oda Sjøvoll of Linderud Linje 5 Handball.

THE PERFORMANCE: Morten Abel performed, among other things, Tore Tang, which has become a monster hit in handball circles.

– That’s a lot of money

NRK has applied for access to the receipts, and has found, among other things, vouchers showing that during a rehearsal for the federation board, champagne was ordered for 1,195 kroner per bottle.

When the card was drawn in the restaurant at 01:16, Sunday night – the participants at the Thing had been treated to food and drinks worth over 300,000 kroner during the gala dinner on Saturday.

Throughout the weekend as a whole, more than 250,000 kroner was spent on alcohol.

– Is it okay the way you see it?

– Is it okay the way you see it?

– Yes, it’s a lot of money, that’s absolutely right. But again, we know that we have good guidelines as an organization, we have made decisions about how many units (alcohol) each individual should get at the community’s expense, says 1st vice president of the Norwegian Handball Association, Øyvind Indrebø, to NRK.

The Handball Congress took place at Holmenkollen Park Hotel. Participants were given an aperitif before dinner on both Friday and Saturday, and were allowed to consume a total of eight units of alcohol over the two evenings.

The association states that alcohol consumption was within what they had approved in advance.

On Saturday alone, over 150,000 kroner was spent on alcohol.

The association initially informed NRK that they had approved two units on Friday evening and four units on Saturday. In later correspondence, they adjusted this to three and five, respectively, including aperitifs before dinner.

– Saturday’s dinner was associated with the Handball Honors Evening, with a table that lasted five to six hours for 203 people, says Øyvind Indrebø of the NHF, noting that the number is in line with what was pre-approved by President Lio ahead of the meeting.

– With his approval, it was agreed in advance that each participant could enjoy three units on Friday, and five on Saturday.

Many respond – others remain silent

Several groups in Handball Norway are reacting to the spending. Over the past week, NRK has been in contact with a dozen handball clubs in Norway, both at the top and grassroots level.

Several people are reacting strongly to the spending, but most do not want to be interviewed. It is clear that several clubs are struggling to make ends meet financially.

“I was shocked when I was there.”

RECEIPT: The bill for the dinner at the Handball Association’s honor night came to over 300,000 kroner.

“It’s a crazy waste of money. Those artists don’t come for free. There are many other things we could spend money on,” one of the attendees told NRK.

Among those who choose to speak out freely is Oda Sjøvoll. She is the deputy manager of Linderud Linje 5 handball, a club that has experienced, among other things, having to reserve the men’s team from promotion to the 1st division this season.

Simply because it is not financially possible for the club from Groruddalen.

– Seen as disrespectful

She reacts, among other things, to the total price tag of the event for the handball top players.

RESPOND: Oda Sjøvoll believes the spending on the handball conference was excessive.

– It feels disrespectful to the grassroots and us at the grassroots level who work every day to get things going. There’s quite a lot we could have done for 2.3 million kroner. That’s almost our entire budget. You could almost have run a handball club on the budget for the handball council alone, Sjøvoll tells NRK.

It feels disrespectful to the grassroots and us in the field who work every day to get things going. There’s quite a lot we could have done for 2.3 million kroner. That’s almost our entire budget. You could almost have run a handball club on the budget for the handball council alone, Sjøvoll tells NRK.It feels disrespectful to the grassroots and us in the field who work every day to get things going. There’s quite a lot we could have done for 2.3 million kroner. That’s almost our entire budget. You could almost have run a handball club on the handball budget alone, Sjøvoll tells NRK.It feels disrespectful to the grassroots and us in the field who work every day to get things going. There’s quite a lot we could have done for 2.3 million kroner. That’s almost our entire budget. You could almost have run a handball club on the budget for the handball council alone, Sjøvoll tells NRK.

– This evening, names like Kåre Geir Lio and Thorir Hergeirsson were to be thanked, isn’t it understandable that they would throw a party?

– This evening, names like Kåre Geir Lio and Thorir Hergeirsson were to be thanked, isn’t it understandable that they would throw a party?

– Yes, I think they should be allowed to have a party. Kåre Geir Lio should be allowed to be thanked in an OK way, but he can pay for the alcohol himself. Spending millions of kronor on a party has no place in sports, says Sjøvoll.

– We who work in the clubs do not deserve to have them pour out the money in that way, Sjøvoll tells NRK.

– Unnecessary spending

Bjarne Lervang from Vikhammer Handball was among the 203 participants at the meeting. He believes the spending appears unnecessary.

– The fact that you need to spend a lot of money on famous artists and presenters, as well as the fact that so many devices are served with the food, I think is unfortunate and it contributes to weakening the credibility of the sport.

– I think it was special that the outgoing president (Kåre Geir Lio) should have his own band with him on stage during his closing speech. This appears to me to be a completely unnecessary use of community funds, says sports director Lervang to NRK.

Lio has been given the opportunity to answer several questions from NRK, but does not wish to comment and refers to communications manager Lars Hojem Kvam instead.

Lio has been given the opportunity to answer several questions from NRK, but does not wish to comment and refers to communications manager Lars Hojem Kvam instead.

Questions for Kåre Geir Lio

– The final bill for the handball event came to 2.3 million kroner, and included big artists, food and alcohol. Do you understand that there will be reactions to such a price tag and such content?

– “It appears to be an unnecessary use of community funds,” says Bjarne Lervang from Vikhammer Handball. “It is disrespectful to the grassroots and the wider community,” says Oda Sjøvoll in Linderud. What are your thoughts on that?

– Sjøvoll also says that she has been told by you that NHF cannot afford to cut the insurance license, and that she is therefore reacting to such spending at the top. What do you think about that?

– What do you think, given that some clubs are struggling to make ends meet, that the community’s money should, among other things, go to cover champagne at 1200 kroner a bottle?

Taking champagne self-criticism: – Should we spare ourselves

The vice president says that the association takes note of the criticism in this case.

– At the same time, we can assure you that this is not at all about a lack of respect for the grassroots, he says.

RETIRED: Both Thorir Hergeirsson and former handball president Kåre Geir Lio were resigned in May.

Indrebø points out that the goal of the handball parliament was to chart a new course for Norwegian handball through good discussions at the parliament. Several of those NRK has spoken to in the work on this matter point out the same thing: That there were good discussions about the future of handball.

– The Handball Council is the highest authority in Norwegian handball. It is required by law to hold the council every three years, and to the extent that we are talking about “millions of kroner”, it is in this case about the total expenses spent throughout the weekend – which was much more than a party, entertainment and tributes by some solid contributors from the top and bottom.

– You think almost 1200 kroner a bottle is okay for a closing meeting for the outgoing federal board?

– Do you think almost 1200 kroner a bottle is okay for a closing meeting for the outgoing federal board?

– It’s a lot of money, and that’s the total for that night that we think we can stand behind and highlight for the federal board, he answers.

– That said, there are certainly expenses we could have avoided. For example, we should save ourselves from champagne at the price referred to. And as mentioned – we take all reactions that come after the thing with us. Both the critical and the positive ones, says Indrebø.

– Difficult to defend

Back in Linderud and Oslo’s eastern edge, Oda Sjøvoll is not reassured by the answers from the top of Norwegian handball.

– The 250,000 kroner spent on alcohol at this event is the same amount we make in profit at the kiosk at Linderud IL. There is a lot of activity we could have done out in the clubs for the amount spent on sponsoring alcohol for those who were at the handball event, she says.

– The 250,000 kroner spent on alcohol at this event is the same amount we make in profit at the kiosk at Linderud IL. There is a lot of activity we could have done out in the clubs for the amount used to sponsor alcohol for those who were at the handball event, she says.– The 250,000 kroner spent on alcohol at this event is the same amount we make in profit at the kiosk at Linderud IL. There is a lot of activity we could have done out in the clubs for the amount spent on sponsoring alcohol for those who were at the handball event, she says.– The 250,000 kroner spent on alcohol at this event is the same amount we make in profit at the kiosk at Linderud IL. There is a lot of activity we could have done out in the clubs for the amount used to sponsor alcohol for those who were at the handball event, she says.

BOARD MEETING: The board of the Norwegian Handball Association met before dinner on Friday. They drank alcohol worth over 6,000 kroner. The board consists of eleven people.

– When you hear about ordering bottles of champagne for almost 1200 kroner a bottle, do you let that provoke you?

– When you hear about ordering bottles of champagne for almost 1200 kroner a bottle, do you let that provoke you?

– It’s hard to defend it to parents in the club who have to pay for licenses that go to the association’s profits, when it turns out that the money is so loosely held at the top. But I’ve also stopped letting myself be provoked. This has been a recurring pattern for so many years. We’ve tried to speak out for many years and haven’t necessarily been listened to.

– I have been in dispute with Kåre Geir Lio repeatedly regarding cutting the license, because we feel it is a cost driver for young people in the district where we run the club, but we have been told that the handball association cannot afford to cut the price. Then I think it is very special that they can afford champagne for 1200 kroner a bottle, she replies.

IN PROFIT: The Handball World Championship in Norway, Sweden and Denmark ended in profit. Outside the clubs, the economy is more strained.

The Norwegian Handball Association responds as follows when confronted with criticism from the grassroots in Norwegian handball, in connection with the ever-recurring theme of licensing costs as an economic barrier within handball.

– Can you understand that there may be people who react to this alcohol use? – It is completely justified to ask questions related to that, I agree. But again, handball is a cheap sport. We have subsidy schemes where those who need to apply for support can do so to conduct handball activities, Indrebø points out.

– Can you understand that there may be people who react to this alcohol use?

PS: NRK has been in contact with the management of both Morten Abel and John Brungot. They do not wish to disclose what kind of fees they received in connection with the handball meeting in mid-May.

PS: NRK has been in contact with the management of both Morten Abel and John Brungot. They do not wish to disclose what kind of fees they received in connection with the handball meeting in mid-May.

Hei!

Thank you for reading our article!

If you have tips for other issues that focus on money and resource use within sports, please contact us!

Send me an email