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Team Handball at the Olympics

Handball was first introduced at the Olympic Games at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin (see Field Handball 1936), in a competition for men only, and was played outdoors on a grass surface. The sport was dropped from the program after this single appearance, and not played again until 1952, when field handball was again played, though this time as a demonstration sport (see Field Handball 1952).

handball competition at the 2000 Sydney Olympicshandball competition at the 2000 Sydney Olympics

The sport returned as an official sport for the 1972 Olympics, in its current format as an indoor sport. The women's handball competition was added to the program at the 1976 Summer Games.

Handball at the Paris 2024 Olympics

The format in Paris involves 12 teams for each of the men and women, competing in two groups in a round robin format, followed by knockout matches. This format has remained unchanged since 2000 for the men and since 2008 for the women.

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