“Not big promises, but experience and expertise”

A new candidacy for the FRH presidency was officially submitted. Former handball player Bogdan Voina, ex-player in France, at Selestat and Strasbourg, respectively in Romania, at Steaua, will compete again for the management position of Romanian handball.

He did it again in 2022, where he got the third number of votes in the first round. In the second, he decisively tilted the balance in favor of Constantin Din, directing his own votes to the one who would be elected president of the FRH.

Who has officially announced that he will run for the FRH presidency:

• Constantin Din (current president)

• Alexandru Dedu (president between 2014 and 2022)

• Virgil Ion Popovici (former director of CS UCB Târgu Jiu, university lecturer at “Constantin Brâncusi” University in Tg. Jiu)

Bogdan Voina announced his candidacy for the headship of FRH

Radu Voina's son announced his candidacy through a special clip, filmed in the Polyvalent Hall in Bucharest. Coming down from the commentator's desk on the floor, there dressed in game equipment, he says:

“There were times when Romanian handball was on everyone's lips. Times when we inspired a whole world. Today we are no longer there, but we can still go back. Romanian handball has a voice. It's time to listen to it. I'm Bogdan Voina and I can turn handball's voice into action. From words to deeds. Now is the time!”.

Separately, in what he calls a “manifesto-message,” Voina has developed:

I was in the field. I experienced handball in the locker room, with good and bad. I've been on the mic and seen, match by match, what works and what erodes the system. I was constantly connected to handball issues and learned to listen to him. Today, I believe that Romanian handball does not lack passion, but direction and, above all, unity.

We have clubs struggling to survive. We have coaches who work enormously, but without real support. We have talented kids who get lost along the way. We have a federation that must once again become a center of construction, not just administration. We can only rebuild together.

I don't believe in quick fixes. I don't believe in miracle laws. I believe in systems that produce players, coaches and long-term performance.

Romanian handball needs:

– Clear strategy for the development of children and juniors;
– Coherent, properly structured competitions;
– Real investment in the training of coaches;
– Constant dialogue with the clubs, not decisions taken from above and discretionary;
– Rules to help performance, not mimic it.

I don't come with big promises. I come with experience and expertise. I come with the willingness to listen and the determination to build, step by step, a solid, respected and sustainable Romanian handball.

I have looked at this sport from all angles. I was in the locker room or in the stands, I was at the commentators' table or at the table with the people who make decisions. 4 years ago I ran for the first time and contributed to the change that took place at that time. Today, my experience is complete and I am ready to be the change.

From words to deeds. Now is the time. Romanian handball has a voice. It's time to listen to her.

Program of the candidate Bogdan Voinea

Bogdan Voina listed “the 6 pillars” of the candidate program:

1. Initiating handball in schools

Handball must become a first-class, accessible sport again, without early competitive pressure, without forced selection. The federation will build a simple induction framework in schools, in partnership with local inspectorates and clubs, so that children come into contact with the game before being assessed.

Without initiation, there is no selection. Without selection, there is no performance base. If these kids don't discover handball early, then we're not talking about the future anymore, just survival. If we do not integrate this initiation stage, then handball will slowly disappear, generation after generation.

2. More and more consistent youth competitions

Children need to play, not just train. The goal is a denser youth calendar, with geographically and financially accessible competitions adapted to age and development level.

Constant competition creates: continuity, motivation and attachment. A child who plays regularly stays in the system longer, and a child who does not play, drops out. Handball is learned by playing, not waiting for a match a month or a tournament a season.

3. Continuous training of trainers

Coaches are the invisible infrastructure of handball. The Federation must invest in:

– Continuous training programs;
– Access to modern training models;
– Exchange of best practices, including international.

A better coach produces better players. Simple and verifiable. If we want better players, we have to start by having better supported and better trained coaches. A weak system produces tired coaches and capped players.

4. A transparent and predictable federation

FRH is not a goal, but a tool. Decisions must: be explained, communicated on time and applied consistently. Financial and decision-making transparency is the minimum condition for regaining the trust of county clubs and associations. Without trust, any reform remains fragile. A credible federation is not afraid of transparency and does not lead by surprise, but by trust.

5. Stimulating the use of Romanian players

The goal is not coercion, but balance. Clubs that invest in Romanian players must be supported through clear and fair mechanisms.

My proposal is a mature system of redistribution: the funds collected from the fees generated by bringing in foreign players should be directed to the clubs that mainly use Romanian players. It is a system-wide accountability mechanism, not an artificially imposed obligation.

6. Professional re-conversion of former handball players

Handball does not end with the last stage played. The federation must create clear pathways for former players:

– Training as trainers or specialists;
– Integration in sports structures;
– Retraining in management, sports marketing, physical training, nutrition.

The experience gained on the field is a capital that should not be lost, and a sport that loses its people after retirement condemns itself to stagnation.