Kjelsas Women

Kjelsås Håndball Kvinner will spend next season in the 1. divisjon, the second tier of Norwegian women's handball, after coming through a play-off against Rygge and Fyllingen to earn promotion for 2026/27. The step up comes as the men's section, run out of the same club, has just taken the 2. divisjon title, so both handball teams are moving in the same direction at once.

Kjelsås IL itself dates back to 1913, and the handball section has stayed close to its roots in that time: the women's side has never reached the Eliteserien or lifted the NM Cup. What it has done instead is send players through to the national team. The clearest case is Astri Knudsen Bech, who went on to win 103 caps for Norway and captain the side — where its closest rivalries are with neighbours like Oppsal and Bækkelaget rather than any named derby.