In several articles on Handbollskanalen IHF and president Hassan Moustafa has received a lot of criticism from Ramon Gallego and others. Anna Ljungdahl Rapp works as a treasurer at the IHF and the Swedish legend says that she does not recognize the statements from Gallego and his colleagues.
Ramon Gallego, Tono Huelin and Javier Fernandez all criticized the IHF and president Hassan Moustafa. IHF has refused to answer Handbollskanalens questions and instead refers to a statement on their website.
Handbollskanalen has talked to Anna Ljungdahl Rapp who works as treasurer at the IHF. We asked her about her experiences on the work environment at the IHF and if she agrees with the four Spaniards who has left the IHF in protest to the president.
– I can only speak for myself but I am not afraid to speak my mind at the IHF. It’s not always that me and my colleagues feel the same way and of course I don’t always get to have it my way but I can always say what I feel is important, she says.
The former Swedish national player says that the she has not noticed the type of work environment that Gallego, Huelin and Fernandez has spoken out about.
– Hassan listens when I speak. We don’t always agree though. But I don’t recognize what Gallego and the others has said about the work environment.
Javier Fernandez calls the IHF an ”dictatorial regime”, what can you say about that?
– I don’t recognize it at all. The leadership isn’t Swedish and we can’t expect it to be either. It’s a different type of leadership and you just has to relate to that. To me it’s always important to speak my mind and work hard for our sport.
Ramon Gallego was the first one to quit the IHF and the Spaniard did so because he believed that Hassan Moustafa interfered with his work. Rapp believes that the IHF will have a hard time replacing Gallego.
– It’s very sad that Ramon has quit because he has done a lot of great things. He is a dedicated man who works hard and it will not be easy to replace him, she says.
Gallego says that Moustafa has interfered when it comes to nominating referees. Do you think it’s acceptable for the president to do that?
– It’s hard for me to comment on that since I don’t have all the information. But clearly there a lot of things that has gone wrong between the two.
After an amazing active career Anna Ljungdahl Rapp was elected treasurer at the IHF in 2017. Three and a half years has passed and she likes her job. How much contact she has with Hassan Moustafa? Not much.
– But I would say that Hassan is really passionate about handball. For example he works hard so that handball can continue to be a part of the Olympics.
– He has been more important for handball than most people think. At least I think so.
If you had felt that same way about the work environment at the IHF as Gallego, Huelin and Fernandez does, would you dare to speak out?
– Yes, I would. If I had felt like they do I would not be working here anymore. For me it’s all about having fun and that things feel good. If I hadn’t felt like that at the IHF I would quit, Anna Ljungdahl Rapp concludes.
Read more: Ramon Gallego responds to the IHF
Read more: IHF lecturer Huelin: ”I don’t know anybody that is happy”
Read more: ”He has established a dictatorial regime, based in fear and punishment”
Read more: Pressure on IHF – refuses to comment on the statements
Read more: Elovsson on Moustafas decision: ”An outlandish thought”
