Ivano Balic
Encyclopedia
Ivano Balić is a Croatia
n handballer
, world
and Olympic
champion. He is considered to be one of the best male handball player ever. He was voted 6 times in a row most valuable player in major international competitions.
Before playing handball Balić trained with the basketball club KK Split
. He began his handball career with RK Split. Balić was a member of the Croatian national team
that won the 2003 World Men's Handball Championship
in Portugal. He won a gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics
and silver at the 2005 World Championship
in Tunisia.
Balić was declared the IHF World Player of the Year
in 2003 and 2006 as well as the best player in Croatia 2003. After playing for RK Metković
he moved to Portland San Antonio. At the 2006 European Championship
in Switzerland he was declared the tournament MVP. Even though Croatia won the 5th place on the 2007 World Men's Handball Championship
in Germany, he was declared the tournament's MVP. In the 2008 European Men's Handball Championship
he was the equal top scorer with 44 goals as he led Croatia
to a silver medal and was also voted to be in the All-Star Team for the tournament. His playing position is middle back.
EHF Champions League
Croatian Cup
World Championship
European Championship
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
n handballer
Team handball
Handball is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each pass a ball to throw it into the goal of the other team...
, world
2003 World Men's Handball Championship
The 2003 World Men's Handball Championship took place in Portugal from January 20 to February 2, 2003.-Qualified teams:24 teams were qualified for the first round and dispatched into 4 groups.Group A : , , , , , .Group B : , , , , , ....
and Olympic
Handball at the 2004 Summer Olympics
Handball at the 2004 Summer Olympics had a men's and a women's team competitions with the preliminary rounds taking place in the Sports Pavilion at the Faliro Coastal Zone Olympic Complex...
champion. He is considered to be one of the best male handball player ever. He was voted 6 times in a row most valuable player in major international competitions.
Career
KK Split
KK Split , KK Split CO for sponsorship relations is a basketball club from Split, Croatia. Currently, KK Split competes in the A-1 Liga and Krešimir Ćosić Cup.-History:...
. He began his handball career with RK Split. Balić was a member of the Croatian national team
Croatia national handball team
The Croatian national handball team is a handball team that represents Croatia in the international matches and has been playing since the country's independence in the early 1990s...
that won the 2003 World Men's Handball Championship
2003 World Men's Handball Championship
The 2003 World Men's Handball Championship took place in Portugal from January 20 to February 2, 2003.-Qualified teams:24 teams were qualified for the first round and dispatched into 4 groups.Group A : , , , , , .Group B : , , , , , ....
in Portugal. He won a gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics
Handball at the 2004 Summer Olympics
Handball at the 2004 Summer Olympics had a men's and a women's team competitions with the preliminary rounds taking place in the Sports Pavilion at the Faliro Coastal Zone Olympic Complex...
and silver at the 2005 World Championship
2005 World Men's Handball Championship
The 2005 World Championship for men in team handball was played in Tunisia between January 23 and February 6, 2005.The winner of the gold medal was Spain, Croatia took silver and France won the bronze.-Group A :-Group B :...
in Tunisia.
Balić was declared the IHF World Player of the Year
IHF World Player of the Year
-Men:-Women:-External links:* *...
in 2003 and 2006 as well as the best player in Croatia 2003. After playing for RK Metković
RK Metkovic
RK Metković is a handball club from Metković, Croatia. Currently, RK Metković competes in the Croatian First League of Handball and the Croatian Handball Cup.The club was founded on September 26, 1963 under the name Mehanika...
he moved to Portland San Antonio. At the 2006 European Championship
2006 European Men's Handball Championship
The 2006 EHF European Men's Handball Championship was held in Switzerland from 26 January–5 February, in the cities of Basel, Berne, Lucerne, St. Gallen and Zürich. France won the tournament, going through unbeaten after an early defeat to Spain...
in Switzerland he was declared the tournament MVP. Even though Croatia won the 5th place on the 2007 World Men's Handball Championship
2007 World Men's Handball Championship
The 20th World Men's Handball Championship took place from January 19 to February 4, 2007 in Germany. 24 national teams played in 12 German cities.The tournament was won by Germany.-Stadiums:...
in Germany, he was declared the tournament's MVP. In the 2008 European Men's Handball Championship
2008 European Men's Handball Championship
The 2008 EHF European Men's Handball Championship was held in Norway from 17–27 January, in the cities of Bergen, Drammen, Lillehammer, Stavanger and Trondheim. Denmark won the tournament with Croatia second and France third....
he was the equal top scorer with 44 goals as he led Croatia
Croatia national handball team
The Croatian national handball team is a handball team that represents Croatia in the international matches and has been playing since the country's independence in the early 1990s...
to a silver medal and was also voted to be in the All-Star Team for the tournament. His playing position is middle back.
Club
Liga ASOBAL: 2004/05Liga ASOBAL 2004–05
Liga ASOBAL 2004–05 season was the 15th since its establishment. A total of 16 teams competed this season for the championship.-Competition format:...
EHF Champions League
EHF Champions League
The EHF Champions League is the most important professional club handball competition in Europe . The competition was started in the 1956–57 season, and is administered by the European Handball Federation.The most successful teams are from Germany and Spain...
- Runner-up: 2005/06
Croatian Cup
Croatian Handball Cup
The Croatian Handball Cup is a national team handball competition in Croatia operated by the Croatian Handball Federation. It has been held annually since Croatian independence in 1991 and succeeded the former Yugoslavian Handball Cup....
- Runner-up: 2002
National
Olympic GamesOlympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
- Gold: 2004Handball at the 2004 Summer Olympics - Men's handball-Group B:All times are Eastern European Time -Knockout stage:In this single-elimination stage, the first- and second-placed teams of one group played against the other group's fourth- and third-placed teams, respectively, to contest the quarter-final round, held on August 24, at the Sports Pavilion...
World Championship
World Men's Handball Championship
The World Championship in team handball for men has been organized by the International Handball Federation since 1938.- History :In 1938, the first indoor handball world championship was played in the Deutschlandhalle in Berlin, Germany on 5 February and 6 February...
- Winner: 20032003 World Men's Handball ChampionshipThe 2003 World Men's Handball Championship took place in Portugal from January 20 to February 2, 2003.-Qualified teams:24 teams were qualified for the first round and dispatched into 4 groups.Group A : , , , , , .Group B : , , , , , ....
- Runner-up: 20052005 World Men's Handball ChampionshipThe 2005 World Championship for men in team handball was played in Tunisia between January 23 and February 6, 2005.The winner of the gold medal was Spain, Croatia took silver and France won the bronze.-Group A :-Group B :...
, 20092009 World Men's Handball ChampionshipThe 2009 World Men's Handball Championship took place in Croatia from 16 January–1 February, in the cities of Split, Zadar, Osijek, Varaždin, Poreč, Zagreb and Pula. Croatia was selected from a group of four potential hosts which included the Czech Republic, Greece and Romania.The opening game and...
European Championship
European Men's Handball Championship
The European men's handball championship is the official competition for senior men's national handball teams of Europe, and takes place every two years. In addition to crowning the European champions, the tournament also serves as a qualifying tournament for the World Championship...
- Runner-up: 20082008 European Men's Handball ChampionshipThe 2008 EHF European Men's Handball Championship was held in Norway from 17–27 January, in the cities of Bergen, Drammen, Lillehammer, Stavanger and Trondheim. Denmark won the tournament with Croatia second and France third....
, 2010
Individual
- IHF World Player of the YearIHF World Player of the Year-Men:-Women:-External links:* *...
: 2003, 2006 - Croatian Sportsman of the yearSportske novosti awardsSportske novosti awards refer to a series of annual awards given out by Sportske novosti, a Croatian daily sports newspaper. It originated in the 1950s in the then-SFR Yugoslavia, and is today one of the most prestigious Croatian sport awards...
: 2006 - IHF - Best Male Handball Player Of All Time: 2010