Korfball

What is korfball?

Korfball is the Dutch team sport invented by schoolteacher Nico Broekhuysen in 1902, and it is unique among major team sports: teams are mixed by design — four men and four women a side — with men marking men and women marking women, so neither can be excluded from the game. Players shoot into a raised basket (korf) mounted on a pole with no backboard, so it can be attacked from any angle.^[1] [2]

Where is it played?

The Netherlands and Belgium dominate — the Dutch league is the sport's professional core — with Chinese Taipei the strongest non-European nation, and around 70 countries affiliated to the IKF. Korfball is an IOC-recognized World Games sport.^[2] [3]

Who has won the most in korfball?

Korfball is mixed by design — four men and four women in a team — so there is one world championship, not two. The Netherlands have won eleven of the twelve editions, Belgium the other. The World Games tournament is a separate competition and is given its own table; the Netherlands have won all eleven of those as well. Only golds are listed there, because the federation's own report gives no bronzes for most editions. Its history document stops at 2019, so the twelfth title is taken from its own match report.

Most IKF World Korfball Championship titles by country (1978–2023, 12 editions)

Most korfball gold medals at The World Games by country (1985–2025, 11 editions)

Medal lists rank on total medals, then gold, then silver; title lists rank on titles. Equal totals are separated by golds, then silvers, and every table states the period it covers — several of these federations publish no all-time record, so some tables are a single championship and say so. Verified September 2026.^{[4] [5] [6]}