The journey began in 1993 when the World Handball Council invited the Inner City Handball Association (ICHA) to showcase one-wall handball with an
exhibition match at the World Four-Wall Handball Championships in Bray, Ireland.
 
Representing ICHA were Joe Kaplan, Jai Ragoo, Kendall Lewis, and Jason Morgan, under the leadership of their coach and ICHA Founder, Paul Williams.
Their electrifying performance introduced the international handball community to the speed, skill, and excitement of one-wall handball,
leaving a lasting impression on players and officials alike.
 
Inspired by the exhibition, organizers in Nelson, Wales, hosted the inaugural European One-Wall Championships in 1994, where USHA National Champion,
Tony Roberts, became the first Open Singles Champion, marking the beginning of one-wall handball's international expansion.
 
The sport continued its rapid growth, and in 1999, official One-Wall divisions were added to the World Four-Wall Handball Championships in Edmonton, Canada.
Fewer than 50 athletes competed, but the foundation had been laid for a global movement.
 
Over the next 25 years, participation grew dramatically. By 2024, with more than 300 competitors, Ireland hosted the first standalone
World WallBall Championships—another landmark in the sport's evolution.
 
Now, in September 2026, the story comes full circle.
 
More than three decades after helping introduce one-wall handball to the world stage, the Inner City Handball Association (ICHA), in partnership with the
World Handball Council and the United States Handball Association (USHA), is proud to host the 2026 World WallBall Championships in New York City--
the One-Wall WallBall and Handball Capital of the World.
 
From September 14–19, more than 300 athletes representing over eight nations will compete on the very courts where the sport has flourished for generations.
This historic championship celebrates not only the world's best players, but also the vision, perseverance, and international collaboration that transformed
​a single exhibition match into one of handball's premier global events.