Handball traces its roots back to games played by the ancient Greeks and Romans. The modern game developed in Germany, Sweden and Denmark in the early 20th century. The International Handball Federation was founded in 1946 and now has 150 members. Handball was first played at the Olympics in Berlin in 1936 as an outdoor game with 11 men a side. The sport was then dropped until the next time Germany hosted the Games, in Munich in 1972, when it came back as a seven-a-side indoor game. Women's handball joined the Olympics in 1976 at the Montreal Games.
Men's ? China, Denmark, Germany, Egypt, South Korea, France, Spain, Croatia, Russia, Iceland, Poland and Brazil. Women's ? China, Russia, Norway, Angola, Kazakhstan, Sweden, Hungary, France, South Korea, Germany, Romania and Brazil
Men: Croatia Women: Denmark
Aug. 23 ? women's Aug. 24 ? men's
Olympic Sports Centre Gymnasium and National Indoor Stadium *Reuters