Nikola Karabatic
Encyclopedia
Nikola Karabatić ' onMouseout='HidePop("54812")' href="/topics/Niš">Niš
, Serbia
(then SR Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia)) is a French
team handball
player, born to a Croatian
father and Serbian
mother.
He was part of the French national handball team
that won the bronze medal at the 2008 European Men's Handball Championship
. He was top scorer at the championship together with Ivano Balić and Lars Christiansen
, and was voted as Most Valuable Player
at the championship. He also won the gold medal with France at the 2008 Summer Olympics
in Beijing, beating Iceland
28-23 and scoring 8 goals.
, and received a bronze medal in 2008. He has received two bronze medals at the World Championships, in 2003 and 2005. At the 2007 World Men's Handball Championship
he was voted into the All-Star Team, when France finished fourth. He was also voted into the All Star Team at the 2004 European Men's Handball Championship
.
, becoming German champions in 2006 2007 and 2008, and winning the EHF Champions League
in 2007. He is earlier French champion in 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005 with the club Montpellier HB
, which also won the Champions League in 2003. The summer 2009 he left Germany for the French top club, Montpellier HB.
Nikola has a brother Luka.
Niš
Niš is the largest city of southern Serbia and third-largest city in Serbia . According to the data from 2011, the city of Niš has a population of 177,972 inhabitants, while the city municipality has a population of 257,867. The city covers an area of about 597 km2, including the urban area,...
, Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
(then SR Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia)) is a French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
team handball
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...
player, born to a Croatian
Croats
Croats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...
father and Serbian
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
mother.
He was part of the French national handball team
France national handball team
France national handball team is the handball team, supervised by the French Handball Federation, that represents France in the international matches....
that won the bronze medal at 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 top scorer at the championship together with Ivano Balić and Lars Christiansen
Lars Christiansen (handballer)
Lars Roslyng Christiansen is a Danish team handball player. He is European Champion by winning the 2008 European Men's Handball Championship with the Danish national handball team...
, and was voted as Most Valuable Player
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
at the championship. He also won the gold medal with France at the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
in Beijing, beating Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
28-23 and scoring 8 goals.
With the French national team
He is World Champion, Olympic and European Champion. He is European Champion from 20062006 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...
, and received a bronze medal in 2008. He has received two bronze medals at the World Championships, in 2003 and 2005. At 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:...
he was voted into the All-Star Team, when France finished fourth. He was also voted into the All Star Team at the 2004 European Men's Handball Championship
2004 European Men's Handball Championship
The 2004 Men's European Handball Championship took place from January 22 to February 1, 2004 in Slovenia.- Group A :This group was played out in Velenje.--------- Group B :This group was played out in Ljubljana.- Group C :...
.
Club player
Karabatić played for the German club THW KielTHW Kiel
THW Kiel is a team handball club from Kiel, Germany. Currently, THW Kiel competes in the German First League of Handball and is German record champion with 16 titles....
, becoming German champions in 2006 2007 and 2008, and winning the 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...
in 2007. He is earlier French champion in 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005 with the club Montpellier HB
Montpellier HB
Montpellier Agglomération Handball, formerly Montpellier HB, is a team handball club from Montpellier, France.In 2003, Montpellier won the biggest prize in European club handball, the EHF Champions League, rallying from an eight-goal deficit after the first leg. They are the only French team ever...
, which also won the Champions League in 2003. The summer 2009 he left Germany for the French top club, Montpellier HB.
Personal
Nikola's father Branko Karabatić, originally from a village near Trogir, Croatia, was also a professional handball player. In his career, Branko played for the Železničar handball team from Niš, which is where he met his wife Radmila who is from Aleksinac, Serbia. The family moved to France when Nikola was 3 and a half years old after Branko got a coaching job there.Nikola has a brother Luka.