From the beginning with 6 teams in 1993 through the first international tournament in 1995 (35 teams) to the 30th anniversary in 2023 with 64 teams from ten nations, the Schmelz tournament spans an impressive arc. The growth was not linear but reflected societal developments:
- 1993–1994 – The Seed
In a half-day tournament, six youth teams from Vienna competed against each other. A year later, there were already ten clubs and a full tournament day. - 1995–2004 – Internationalization and Professionalization
In 1995, the tournament opened for the first time to foreign clubs; associations from seven countries gave the competition a new face. By 2004, the number of participants had risen to around 50 teams, accompanied by increasingly detailed age categories and a more professional organizational framework. - 2005–2014 – Europe’s Youth Visiting Vienna
With record numbers of over 100 teams (2014) and representatives from up to twelve nations, the tournament established itself as a fixture in the Central European youth handball calendar. - 2015–2019 – Digitalization and Livestreams
The growing community followed all games live on stream for the first time, allowing clubs from all over Europe to gain insights and analyses in real-time. - 2020–2021 – Pandemic Years
Despite COVID-19, the competition was maintained as a purely Austrian event with around 60 teams, demonstrating exceptional organizational strength. - 2022 – Comeback of Internationality
60 teams from eight countries sent a strong signal for the restart. - 2023 – 30 Years of Schmelz Tournament
64 teams, 184 games, and over 3,200 goals celebrated three decades of youth handball passion – live, multimedia, and once again with a full grandstand.
Balance to Date
1,899 teams, 4,883 games, and over 111,000 goals make the Schmelz tournament probably the most traditional youth handball tournament in Austria.