iBall wins ISPO ‘Product of the Year 2019′ award

Munich, 23 January 2019

The iBall, the world’s first intelligent handball, is based on SELECT’s ​‘Ultimate’ top of the range match ball and equipped with KINEXON’s real-time tracking technology. It was introduced for the first time at the 2018 edition of the VELUX EHF FINAL4 in Cologne, followed by the final weekend of the Women’s EHF EURO in France in December 2018. It provides fans with a variety of real-time data such as shot speed, distance and position the shot was taken from and much more. This capability offers brand new insights into the game to the fans watching in the arena or at home, as all captured data is provided to TV stations and digital channels in real-time.

The project, developed by the European Handball Federation’s marketing arm, EHF Marketing, together with SELECT and KINEXON, aims to introduce new technology into handball and to raise the bar in overall coverage of EHF’s flagship events providing athletes, fans, media and sponsors with the opportunity to see the game from new and fascinating angles. The ISPO award honours the most exceptional sporting goods in five different categories. An independent international jury of experts chose the winners from among several hundred entries. A selection of the award-winning products will be showcased from 3 – 6 February 2019 at ISPO Munich, the world’s largest international multi-segment exhibition in the sports industry. The award ceremony will take place on Monday, February 4^th 2019 at 1pm.

Martin Hausleitner, EHF Secretary General, said: ​“The EHF’s partnership with SELECT not only offers the best possible playing conditions for players but is also helping us to further develop the sport through projects such as the development of the iBall tracking technology. We are extremely proud that the iBall has made an appearance at both club and national team competitions, providing handball fans with a new insight into the sport. With this second award in as many years for its innovative products, SELECT is setting the new technology standards in the sports industry.”David Szlezak, EHF Marketing Managing Director, said: ​“Introducing the iBall to the VELUX EHF FINAL4 2018 was an important step into handball’s digital future. Tracking technology has proven that it can create value for fans, media, coaches and athletes. The feedback we got after the launch at last year’s event in Cologne was very positive and we are delighted that this development has now been recognised by the sports industry with this ​‘Product of the Year Award’.”KINEXON CEO, Maximilian Schmidt, said: ​“We have developed a great project with EHF, EHF Marketing and SELECT and we are really proud that the iBall has won this prestigious award. By partnering with SELECT, we provide an intelligent handball fulfilling the highest level of quality. In combination with our innovative sensor technology, we can generate new content on sports performance fully automated and in real-time, bringing spectators closer to the game and making them feel more engaged with the action on the court.”SELECT CEO, Peter Knap, said: ​“We are very proud to receive the ISPO Product of the Year award for the second time, and we believe that the SELECT Ultimate iBall will help to improve the framework for events and increase the visibility of top-level handball. The EHF and KINEXON are important strategic partners to us and together we have created an innovative solution that shows our dedication to developing European handball.”

Download the English version of the press release here: 20190123 Press Release ISPO Award iBall

Find the German version of the press release here: 20190123 Pressemitteilung ISPO Award iBall