World Players of Handball Foundation

10/21/2026

JR WPH Inspires the Next Generation at the 2026 Race 4 Eight Portland Classic
Video courtesy of WPH broadcast team member Che Lowenstein and the Multnomah Athletic Club
Watch here:

PORTLAND, OR — Junior WPH proudly partnered with the historic Multn...

10/20/2026

Burgos Pulls Off Epic Comeback to Headline 2026 Loco Los Gatos Tournament
The University of Arizona Handball Team was proud to host the 2026 Loco Los Gatos Tournament at the University of Arizona Rec Center on the third Saturday in October.

R48 #7 Ivan Burgos played R48 #11 Max Langmack in a pro exhibition, treating the collegiate handball players to a thrilling pro match during the LLG. Burgos rallied from the brink of defeat, standing just two points from losing in the second game before forcing a tiebreaker and winning the match.
Pro Exhibition: Burgos def Langmack 17-21, 21-19, 11-4…
Read more from the 2026 Loco Los Gatos Tournament here:

Tucson, AZ, WPH Press, 10/18/26 The University of Arizona Handball Team was proud to host the 2026 Loco Los Gatos Tournament at the University of Arizona Rec Center on the third Saturday in October.  R48 #7 Ivan

10/19/2026

Esser and Dagg Dominate the 78th Annual Handballesta
Men’s Open Singles

Former Race 4 Eight Elite 8 member Sam Esser headlined the 2026 Handballesta field. Esser was joined in the 12-player men’s open singles bracket by R48 #19 Bryan Trejo, Missouri State’s Christian Madsen, and Mankato’s Zach Wells.

The USHA’s Sam Esser was dominant in the 2026 Handballesta, showcasing the form that has seen the two-handed gunslinger rise as high as #5 on the Race 4 Eight.

Esser defeated Zach Wells in the semifinals and dominated Mankato’s newest sensation and R48 #19 Bryan Trejo in the final.

“I was happy with the way I played,” Esser would later tell the WPH….
Read more from the 78th Handballesta here:

Overland Park, KS, WPH Press, 10/18/26   The Overland Park Jewish Community Center and the Sylvester Powell Community Center proudly played host to the 2026 Handballesta, featuring 70 players in the men’s and women’s small ball 4-Wall

10/18/2026

JR WPH Proudly Sponsors the 5th Annual Las Cruces Junior Tournament
Tournament director Frank Holguin and JR WPH were thrilled to present the 5th Annual Las Cruces Invitational Junior Handball Tournament and JR WPH Clinic on Saturday, October 17 at Lions Park in Las Cruces, NM.
Juniors played singles in the morning, followed by a special JR WPH instructional clinic led by two-time Race 4 Eight Stalsberg Cup champion Lucho Cordova, and doubles following the clinic.
“The clinic was good,” stated Coach Cordova. “I taught the kids how to serve by taking three steps instead of one to cover the entire service box….”
Read much more from the 5th Annual Las Cruces Invitational Junior Handball Tournament and JR WPH Clinic here: https://wphlive.tv/jr-wph-proudly-sponsors-the-5th-annual-las-cruces-junior-tournament/

10/18/2026

Team NorCal Wins the 2026 CalCup Invitational
The Santa Barbara YMCA and host James Coronado played host to the biennial CalCup Invitational on the third Saturday in October, pitting the best players from Southern California against the best from Northern California in a one-day team competition to determine the preeminent region in California.
The CalCup is a longstanding event that was last contested in Fresno, CA in 2022 and won by Team SoCal. Team NorCal would be aiming to avenge their 2022 CalCup loss (HERE) in Santa Barbara….
Read much more from the 2026 CalCup here:

Santa Barbara, CA, WPH Press, 10/17/26 The Santa Barbara YMCA and host James Coronado played host to the biennial CalCup Invitational on the third Saturday in October, pitting the best players from Southern California against the

10/18/2026

WPH Honors Jeff and Jean Kastner with the Cornerstone Award in Portland
Portland, OR, WPH Press — During the 2026 Race 4 Eight Portland Classic at the historic Multnomah Athletic Club, the World Players of Handball proudly presented longtime foundational supporters Jeff and Jean Kastner with The Cornerstone Award.
The World Players of Handball was thrilled to honor Jeff and Jean for the vision, generosity, and tireless dedication that helped bring the organization to life. In the defining early moments of the WPH…
Read more here:

Portland, OR, WPH Press — During the 2026 Race 4 Eight Portland Classic at the historic Multnomah Athletic Club, the World Players of Handball proudly presented longtime foundational supporters Jeff and Jean Kastner with The

10/15/2026

Fink’s Fun Facts & Trends: Post Portland Classic
Fun Facts Through the 2026 R48 Portland Classic (Oregon)
• Martin Mulkerrins won his eighteenth Race 4 Eight title in his twenty-sixth Race 4 Eight final in his fortieth Race 4 Eight start at the 2026 R48 Portland Classic
• Sean Lenning advanced to his twenty-fourth Race 4 Eight final and first since 2023 at the 2026 R48 Portland Classic – Lenning has won seven of his twenty-four finals and has appeared in a Race final in 24 of his 82 Race starts (29%)
• 2-time Stalsberg Cup champion Lucho Cordova has lost in the semifinals of his first two 2026/27 Race starts (Ure, Lenning)
• Lucho is the most winning tiebreaker player in Race history with 43 tiebreaker wins, but has lost tiebreakers in both of his 2026/27 Race starts (Red, Portland)
• Mark Doyle is the only player to lose in the finals (Juarez), semifinals (Red), and quarterfinals (Portland) on the 2026/27 Race 4 Eight
• Dylan Hernandez has finished sixth (Red) and tenth (Portland), earning him a career-high #9 Race ranking…
See thousands more Race 4 Eight Fun Facts here:

Race 4 Eight History of Champions, Handball Origins and Much More: 2011-Post 2026 Race 4 Eight Portland Classic Through 105 events on the Race 4 Eight tour from 2011-2026, the Race 4 Eight has produced sensational

10/13/2026

2026 WPH - Video Highlights from Portland Classic (as seen on ESPN)
Video courtesy of Che Lowenstein, Kara Mack, and the WPH broadcast team
Watch here:

The World Players of Handball (WPH) is a 501(c)3 Non Profit Foundat...

10/12/2026

JR WPH Hosts Clinic & Tournament at Portland Classic
JR WPH, alongside the MAC handball coach and WPH Cornerstone Award recipient Jean Kastner, proudly presented a junior handball clinic and junior handball tournament following the Men’s R48 Pro Final on Sunday at the famed Multnomah Athletic Club. “JR WPH was thrilled to be involved with the exciting MAC junior handball initiatives and we were proud to offer expert coaching to the MAC juniors, as well as watching the MAC’s future handball stars compete in the 2026 Race 4 Eight Portland Classic junior brackets,” stated the WPH’s David Fink….
Read more from the JR WPH MAC junior handball clinic and tournament here:

Portland, OR, WPH Press, 10/11/26 JR WPH, alongside the MAC handball coach and WPH Cornerstone Award recipient Jean Kastner, proudly presented a junior handball clinic and junior handball tournament following the Men’s R48 Pro Final on

10/12/2026

Updated Race 4 Eight Rankings Post Portland Classic
With his eighteenth Race 4 Eight title at the 2026 R48 Portland Classic, Martin Mulkerrins remained the Race 4 Eight #1, while 2:30 marathoner Ray Ure remained at #2 after skipping Portland for the second consecutive year.
Mark Doyle remained #3 with a quarterfinal, semifinal, and finals appearance this season, and Lucho Cordova remained #4 after successive semifinal appearances in his first two starts this season.
Wedding man Leo Canales stayed in the top five after finishing third at the 2026 R48 Portland Classic, while Sean Lenning’s first Race final since 2023 and twenty-fourth overall Race final vaulted him from #8 to #6….
See all of the Updated Race 4 Eight rankings here: https://wphlive.tv/updated-race-4-eight-rankings-post-the-2026-r48/