Her Playground: What drew our attention in October

Focus topic: Breast Cancer Awareness Month

October marks Breast Cancer Awareness Month, nicknamed Pink October. A month dedicated to raising awareness, increased fundraising for research and highlighting education concerning areas such as early detection.

It has become a tradition for handball organisations, including clubs and national federations like the Slovakian and Italian Handball Federations, to mark Breast Cancer Awareness Month through various initiatives. This time around, we highlight the campaigns from two prominent EHF Champions League clubs.

Paris Saint-Germain: “Every match a powerful moment of awareness”

All of Paris Saint-Germain’s professional teams, including the men’s handball side, donned jerseys designed especially for Pink October in select matches this month. The jerseys featured Breast Cancer Awareness Month’s signature pink ribbon, as well as player numbers, names and the Qatar Airways logo in pink.

“This exclusive design will make every match a powerful moment of awareness,” stated the club on its official website.

The jerseys worn by the athletes will be auctioned as part of a charity sale, and supporters could also purchase their own limited-edition version from the PSG store, along with other signed collector’s items.

The initiative, in partnership with Qatar Airways, aimed to rally support for Pink October through the entire PSG community and, in particular, raise awareness of the importance of breast cancer screening. Supporters experienced Pink October through four dedicated events held at the club, including at a handball match, as well as via branding, photo areas, the distribution of badges and even special food and drinks.

The campaign also aimed to raise funds for the AP-HP Sorbonne Université Hospital Group in support of programmes developed by Tenon AP-HP Hospital and Pitié-Salpêtrière AP-HP Hospital, targeting the improvement of patient care.

Györi Audi ETO KC: “Our responsibility to stand up for causes like this”

Seven-time EHF Champions League Women winners Györ turned pink for October — special edition jerseys, graphics across their social media platforms and communications, and other merchandise such as caps available. The proceeds from all Pink October merchandise were donated to Petz Aladár University Teaching Hospital.

“If a campaign like this encourages even a few people to make an appointment for an examination, then it has already served a purpose. As women, I also believe it is important that we encourage one another to take care of ourselves — and not only when something is already wrong,” said Györ left wing Csenge Fodor.

“As professional athletes, we feel it is our responsibility to stand up for causes like this. Many young people look up to us, so I would like us to use our voices to set an example not only in sport, but also when it comes to the things that truly matter.”

With the support of the club’s key healthcare partner, UniMedical Center, Györ offered discounts on mammography screenings for their players and management team throughout the month, as well as on select days in October for season ticket holders. There was also mammography screening available at the fan zone during the EHF Champions League matches against Gloria Bistrita and Metz Handball.

Highlight project of the month: Stories of Women Who Shaped Basketball

The FIBA Foundation released “Through Their Eyes: Stories of Women Who Shaped Basketball,” a comprehensive oral history of over 70 years of women’s basketball heritage, in September.

The report is built around interviews with 12 pioneers of the game whose careers represent an extensive time span, from the first FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup in 1953 to the present day. Nine of those featured are FIBA Hall of Famers.

The interviewees not only represent multiple generations but six continents: North America, South America, Europe, Africa, Asia and Oceania.

“Through their stories, the report explores how basketball has shaped identities, inspired future leaders, fostered lifelong friendships and rivalries, and evolved alongside the societies and cultures in which it is played,” states the online announcement of the publication.

“This document is part of a wider FIBA Foundation initiative dedicated to preserving, celebrating and promoting the legacy of women’s basketball.”

The report and the other initiatives are featured on the FIBA Foundation’s Women in Basketball Legacy Hub.

“Together, these projects bring the history of the women’s game to life through multiple storytelling formats, highlighting the lasting impact of women in basketball and the societies in which the sport has evolved.”

Stories of Women Who Shaped Basketball is not only about preserving the history of the women’s game but the cultural heritage of the sport overall. The report is also intended to demonstrate the power of the sport in connecting people across borders and driving social change.

Success story: The first tycoon of women’s football, Michele Kang

“I don’t want this [female] generation to go through what I went through, meaning I have to always prove more, always spend another hour [at work]. I want the next generation to compete on an equal playing field,” Michele Kang, touted by many as the first tycoon of women’s football, told the Financial Times in 2024.

Born in South Korea and emigrated to the United States in 1981, Kang founded her own company in 2008, aiming to disrupt and challenge the existing U.S. healthcare system.

“I am focused on growing our community impact,” Kang told WashingtonExec in 2021, when she was among the nominees for the WashingtonExec Chief Officer Awards.

“We focus our philanthropic efforts on veterans and military families, promoting holistic wellness, supporting people with disabilities, empowering young children interested in STEM [science, technology, engineering and mathematics] and broadening access and opportunity for college students of colour. Serving these important groups within our society has been rewarding.”

The philosophy of reaching underserved groups and in doing so succeeding in investments no one else is making is what drove Kang’s involvement in women’s football. And her business success is what provided her the financial standing to be able to invest in the game, which caught her attention in 2019.

With no knowledge of football beforehand, Kang was first exposed to the game at a reception celebrating the U.S. women’s team winning one of their four World Cup titles. It was there she also learnt about the club team Washington Spirit, which would become her first venture in women’s football.

Kang expected to act mainly as a role model for the Spirit players. However, learning about the limited investment in women’s football — and conversely identifying the opportunities thanks to her business acumen — as well as abusive behaviour from the Spirit coach of the time inspired her to provide her team with the best training facilities, performance analysts and medical support. And she aimed to do that for more teams and female athletes as her empire grew.

Since becoming owner of the Spirit, Kang has purchased two additional teams: Olympique Lyon Féminin in France and the UK’s London City Lionesses. Next, she launched Kynisca Sports International, the first gobal multi-team organisation dedicated to women’s football.

“Inspired by Cynisca of Sparta, the first woman to be crowned in the ancient Olympics, Kynisca will usher in a new era for female athletic potential and the professionalisation of women’s sports,” said the Washington Spirit announcement made in July 2024.

“With the necessary backing, Kynisca aims to inspire young girls to pursue their dreams and embrace a career in football on a scale and level of professional success that should not be reserved only for their male peers,” said Kang.

“We will provide opportunities for girls and women worldwide to access high-level sport, reach their potential under the best conditions, and play football in the clubs of the global elite.”

Kang was incensed to learn that only six per cent of sports science research has focused on female athletes. Kynisca is therefore dedicated to closing that gap.

“With so little investment in sports science focused on women, we have only begun to unlock the potential of female athletes on the pitch,” said Kang.

“Kynisca Innovation Hub will become a pioneer of female performance research, so we can stop training women as if they are simply small men, and unlock their true potential.”

Soon after its founding, Kynisca announced a global investment fund of USD 50 million to improve the health and performance of female athletes. One of the first investments was $4 million for the U.S. women’s rugby sevens team.

As former Chelsea football player now US women’s national team head coach Emma Hayes put it to BBC Sport, “she's an astute businesswoman. She knows that women's sport is one of the areas of sport that has the opportunity to explode."

Attacking the goal: What’s happening in handball?

Her Playground podcast episode

October saw the release of a special Her Playground podcast episode, featuring four of the five official role models attached to the project: Joyce van Haaster, Andrea Lekic, Katrine Lunde and Barbara Arenhart.

No topic was out of reach in the episode, with the players opening up about the highs and lows of their careers, the ending of those careers and the transition into the next phase of life, mental and physical health, what it means to be a role model and motherhood and maternity leave. The common thread through it all was their — and our, in terms of all of us as individuals and as a broader community — own role across those different topics, concerning awareness, education, advocacy and pushing for change.

EHF Beach Handball Champions Cup 2026

The EHF Beach Handball Champions Cup 2026, a competition for the best club teams across Europe, was played from 15 to 18 October.

Club Handbol Xábia won the women’s title, beating Fundación Fomento y Deporte CBMP Ciudad de Málaga 2:0 in an all-Spanish final. Hungarian team Red Velvet BHC - Bomba defeated Portuguese club GRD Leça - Love Tiles 2:0 to clinch third place.

A total of 16 teams played each the women’s and men’s competitions. The teams in the women’s tournament represented 10 countries.

The All-star Team was:

• MVP: Rosa Benitez Gomez (Club Handbol Xàbia)

• goalkeeper: Dalma Mátéfi (Red Velvet BHC – Bomba)

• defender: Micaela Corimberto Perez (GRD Leça - Love Tiles)

• top scorer: Demi Bakker (Next Wave) — 136 points

• fair play: Club Balonmano Getasur SF

The women’s competition was not the only place for female success: As head coach, Melanie Fuglsbjerg led Aarhus Beach to the trophy in the men’s tournament, assisted by an entirely female officials team.

Full programme for Women’s Handball Conference 2026

Speaking of the Women’s EHF EURO 2026, the event will once again play host to the Women’s Handball Conference (WHC), with what is the third edition. The WHC, this year entitled Women in Handball: Her Playground, will take place on 16–17 December at the International Congress Centre in Katowice.

The full programme of the WHC was announced in early October. The event features a diverse spread of experts in various fields and the presentation of best practices from organisations such as UEFA, the European Volleyball Confederation, the Barça Innovation Hub and, naturally, leading handball federations.

The presentations, panels and breakout sessions all fall into one of four categories:

• Her Leadership: Focus on female leaders in sports

• Her Visibility: Growing the visibility of the women's game

• Her Environment: Creating a safe environment for female athletes

• Her Insights: Research and highlight projects from women's sports in Europe

Download the full programme below and get your tickets HERE.

Main image: kolektiff