Editing Korfball (section)

== History ==

[[File: Korfbal 1928 actie.jpg|thumb|Korfball match at the [[1928 Summer Olympics]] in the [[Olympic Stadium (Amsterdam)|Olympic Stadium]] in Amsterdam]]

In 1901, Dutch schoolteacher Nico Broekhuysen travelled to the [[Sweden|Swedish]] town of Nääs to take an educational course on teaching gymnastics to children. While there, he was introduced to ''ringboll''. The objective of this Swedish game was to score points by throwing a ball through a ring attached to a pole that was {{convert|3|m}} in height. The field below was divided into three zones, and each player was confined to his or her assigned zone. Men and women played together. Upon Broekhuysen's return to [[Amsterdam]], he began to teach his students a modified version of ''ringboll''. Broekhuysen replaced the ring with a basket to make it easier to see whether the ball had gone through it and scored a point. With his young students in mind, he also simplified the rules.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.knkv.nl/Flex/Site/Page.aspx?PageID=14090&Lang=NL |title=History of korfball |language=nl |author=Koninklijk Nederlands Korfbalverbond |access-date=4 February 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101217184830/http://knkv.nl/Flex/Site/Page.aspx?PageID=14090&Lang=NL |archive-date=17 December 2010 |url-status=dead |df=dmy-all }}</ref><ref name=encyclo>{{cite book|page=248|chapter=korfball|title=Webster's Sports Dictionary|publisher=G&G Merriam Company|year=1976|location=Springfield, Mass.}}</ref>

The name ''korfball'' derives from {{lang|nl|korf}}, a Dutch word meaning 'basket'.{{Needs citation|reason=This statement needs to be supported by a citation of a reliable source.|date=January 2025}}<ref>{{Cite book |last=Bomhoff |first=Dirk |title=New Dictionary of the English and Dutch Language: Dutch and English Volume 2 of New Dictionary of the English and Dutch Language |date= |publisher=Thieme |year=1851 |edition=2nd |location=Harvard University}}</ref> 

Korfball was featured as a [[demonstration sport]] in the Summer Olympics of [[1920 Summer Olympics|1920]] and [[1928 Summer Olympics|1928]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sportgeschiedenis.nl/2007/09/14/vergeten-sporthelden-nico-broekhuysen.aspx |title=Forgotten Sport-heroes: Nico Broekhuysen |language=nl |author=Jurryt van de Vooren |access-date=4 February 2011}}</ref> It has been [[Korfball at the World Games|included in the World Games]] since 1985. 

[[File:IKF members (2012).PNG|thumb|Members of the [[International Korfball Federation]]]]

The [[International Korfball Federation]] (IKF) was founded in 1933 in [[Antwerp]], Belgium.<ref>{{Cite web |title=International Korfball Federation (IKF) - Spread Korfball Around The Globe! |url=https://korfball.sport/ |access-date=2025-02-06 |website=International Korfball Federation |language=en-US}}</ref> [[IKF World Korfball Championship]]s have been held every four years since 1978. The most successful countries at these competitions have been the Netherlands, Belgium, and [[Taiwan]]. The IKF announced in March 2022 that due to [[Russian invasion of Ukraine|Russia's invasion of Ukraine]], the Russian Korfball Federation would not be invited to any international competition until further notice, effectively banning Russian athletes from such events. Furthermore, the Russian Korfball Federation would not be eligible to bid to host any IKF event, nor were any IKF events planned to be held in Russia.<ref name="russia">{{cite web | url = https://korfball.sport/no-russian-athletes-in-international-korfball-events | title = No Russian athletes in international korfball events| date=2022-03-01}}</ref>

As of 2022, korfball is played in 69 countries and on every populated continent.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.wbur.org/hereandnow/2022/04/05/what-is-korfball-birmingham | work = Here and Now| publisher = WBUR | title = What's korfball? And why is it gaining popularity in Birmingham, Alabama?|date = 2022-04-05}}</ref> In the Netherlands, there are approximately 500 clubs and more than 90,000 players.<ref>{{Cite web |title=IKF Members |url=https://korfball.sport/ikf-members/ |access-date=2025-04-27 |website=International Korfball Federation |language=en-US}}</ref>  

The oldest korfball club that is still in existence, and has never merged with another, is [[HKC ALO]] in [[The Hague]], having been founded on 1 February 1906.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://sportsoncall.com/|title=Sports On Call - Information You Can Access On One Call|language=en-US|access-date=2019-02-01}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=History |url=https://www.alo.nu/alo-organisatie/historie/ |website=alo.nu |language=nl}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Oldest Korfball Club |url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/93177-oldest-korfball-club |website=Guinness World Records}}</ref>{{Better source needed|reason=The current source is insufficiently reliable ([[WP:NOTRS]]).|date=October 2024}}