The International Korfball Federation (IKF) was founded in Antwerp (Belgium) on the 11th June 1933 as a continuation of the International Korfball Bureau established in 1924 by the Dutch and Belgian Associations.

The IKF was officially recognized by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1993 and is affiliated to Sportaccord (Sportaccord), the Association of the IOC Recognized International Sports Federations (ARISF) and the International World Games Association (IWGA).

The IKF aims to spread korfball around the globe. It provides close to sixty affiliated countries with financial, material, and structural support to achieve this goal. It has established a network of contacts in many countries and actively promotes the game by transfering knowledge internationally by exchange programmes and inviting selected korfball players, coaches, and administrators to its training courses in order to create a stable local structure in all the affiliated countries on which a flourishing korfball organisation can be built.

The IKF stimulates the global awareness that korfball is a spectator oriented mixed gender teamsport.