The Pari 1992 initiative: A revolutionary innovation in the sports policy of the French Handball Federation

In November 1986, the sports policy of the French Handball Federation (Fédération française de handball, FFHB) took a new direction with the development of an innovative agreement entitled Pari 1992, which committed significant resources to qualifying the men’s national team for the 1992 Olympic Games. Adopting a total history approach (Febvre 1982), the aim of this research is to analyze the transformations resulting from this innovation within the French handball sphere. Primarily institutional in nature, first-hand sources were cross-referenced with an analysis of press articles and oral sources obtained through interviews with key actors involved in this innovation. Four major innovations were identified. First, Pari 1992 introduced a new distribution of player commitment, with the national team assuming a predominant role compared to club affiliation. This increased availability for the national team profoundly transformed players’ status, marking a shift from the strong defense of amateurism previously upheld by the FFHB toward the early stages of professionalization. Consequently, training schedules were restructured, notably incorporating systematic physical preparation. Finally, the success of Pari 1992, culminating in the bronze medal at the Barcelona 1992 Olympic Games, granted French handball increased recognition and marked the beginning of its internationalization.