Ivano Balić facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ivano Balić
Personal information
Full name	Ivano Balić
Born	(1979-04-01) 1 April 1979 (age 46) Split, SR Croatia, Yugoslavia
Height	1.89 m (6 ft 2+1⁄2 in)
Playing position	Centre back
Club information
Current club	RK Split (coaching staff)
Senior clubs
Years	Team
1997–2001	RK Brodomerkur Split
2001–2004	RK Metković Jambo
2004–2008	Portland San Antonio
2008–2012	RK CO Zagreb
2012–2013	Atlético Madrid
2013–2015	HSG Wetzlar
National team
Years	Team
1998–1999	Croatia U-20
1998–1999	Croatia U-21
2001–2012	Croatia	198	(535)
Teams managed
2021–2023	Croatia (assistant)
Medal record Men's handball Representing  CRO Olympic Games Gold 2004 Athens Team Bronze 2012 London Team World Championship Gold 2003 Portugal Team Silver 2005 Tunisia Team Silver 2009 Croatia Team European Championship Silver 2008 Norway Team Silver 2010 Austria Team Bronze 2012 Serbia Team Mediterranean Games Gold 2001 Tunis Team

Ivano Balić (born April 1, 1979) is a famous Croatian former professional handball player. He is currently part of the coaching team at RK Split. Balić was known for his amazing speed, creative plays, and exciting style on the court.

He won many big titles during his career. With the Croatian national team, he won the World Championship in 2003 and an Olympic gold medal in 2004. He also won 13 club titles playing for teams in Croatia, Spain, and Germany.

Ivano Balić is considered one of the greatest handball players ever. He was voted the most valuable player (MVP) in five major international competitions in a row. He also won the IHF World Player of the Year award twice (in 2003 and 2006). In 2010, fans voted him the best handball player in history in an online poll. In 2023, he was added to the European Handball Hall of Fame.

Early Life and Starting Handball

Ivano Balić was born in Split. His parents, Stjepanka and Žarko Balić, were both handball players. When he was very young, Ivano lived in Italy for a few years because of his father's handball career.

At age seven, Ivano and his mother moved back to Split. He often watched his father play handball for RK Split. However, Ivano first started playing basketball for KK Split. He was a big fan of the club, which had won the European championship three times. He played basketball until 1995. Then, a friend of his father, Mate Bokan, who was a coach for RK Split, suggested he try handball.

Club Career Highlights

Ivano Balić began his professional handball career with RK Brodomerkur Split in 1997. In his first season, his team finished second in the Croatian league. They also reached the semi-finals of the EHF Cup, a European competition.

In 2001, Balić joined RK Metković Jambo. In his first year there, he helped the team win the Croatian Cup. This was also his first time playing in the EHF Champions League, the biggest club competition in Europe. Balić kept improving his skills. In 2003, he became the first Croatian handball player to win the IHF World Player of the Year award.

Balić playing for RK CO Zagreb at the Schlecker Cup in 2009.

In 2004, Balić moved to the Spanish team Portland San Antonio. He wanted to play with his idol, Jackson Richardson. In his first season, they won the Spanish league championship. The next season, Balić played in his only Champions League final, but his team lost. Even though they didn't win the Champions League, he received his second IHF World Player of the Year award in 2006.

From 2008 to 2012, Balić played for the Croatian team RK CO Zagreb. During this time, he won the Croatian Premier League and the Croatian Cup four times each.

In 2012, Balić returned to Spain to play for Atlético Madrid. He won the IHF Super Globe and the Copa del Rey with the team. He had to leave after one season because the club faced financial problems.

In 2013, Balić signed with the German team HSG Wetzlar. He announced his retirement from professional handball towards the end of the 2014–15 season. On June 5, 2015, he played his last professional game, scoring one goal and making five assists.

International Career with Croatia

Ivano Balić started playing for the Croatia under-20 and under-21 national teams in 1998. He was called up to the senior national team in 1999 but had to go home due to illness. An injury also kept him from playing in the 2001 World Championship.

Balić finally made his debut for the senior national team at the 2001 Mediterranean Games in Tunisia, where Croatia won the gold medal. The team had a tough time at the 2002 European Championship, finishing last. However, they surprised everyone a year later at the 2003 World Championship in Portugal. After losing their first match, they won every game after that, beating Germany in the final to win the championship!

Left-to-right: Balić, Renato Sulić, Denis Špoljarić, Nikša Kaleb, Slavko Goluža, Mirza Džomba, and Goran Šprem celebrating winning the 2003 World Championship in Portugal

In 2004, Balić played at the 2004 European Championship in Slovenia. Croatia finished fourth, but Balić was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the tournament. An MVP is the player who is judged to be the most important and best player in a game or tournament. In August 2004, Balić was part of the team that won the gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics. Croatia went undefeated, and Balić was again named MVP. For their Olympic gold, all players received a special award called the Franjo Bučar State Award for Sport.

At the 2005 World Championship in Tunisia, Croatia finished second after losing to Spain in the final. Balić was once again voted MVP. At the 2006 European Championship in Switzerland, Croatia placed fourth. Balić was named MVP for the third time in a row at a major tournament. He was also one of the top goal scorers. During this time, Balić gave the Croatian national team its famous nickname: The Cowboys.

Balić playing at the 2010 European Championship

At the 2007 World Championship in Germany, Balić was voted MVP for a fifth major international tournament in a row! In 2008, Balić and the national team won a silver medal at the 2008 European Championship in Norway. This was his first European Championship medal. Balić was also chosen to be Croatia's flag bearer at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

At the 2009 World Championship in Croatia, Balić and his team reached the final but lost to France. This game created a famous rivalry between Balić and French player Nikola Karabatić. In 2010, Croatia won another silver medal at the European Championship in Austria.

After a less successful 2011 World Championship, Balić won bronze medals with Croatia in 2012 at the European Championship in Serbia and at the Olympics in London. He retired from the national team before the 2013 World Championship.

After Playing Handball

After retiring as a player, Ivano Balić joined the Croatia men's national handball team coaching staff. He worked as a team coordinator and later as an assistant coach. As part of the coaching team, he helped Croatia win a bronze medal at the 2016 European Championship. He left the national team coaching staff in 2023. On January 12, 2024, Balić joined the coaching staff at RK Split, the club where he started his senior career.

Personal Life

Ivano Balić has three children. He has a son named Dino, born in 2000, from his first marriage. With his current partner, Mirela Delić, he has a son named Vigo (born 2014) and a daughter named Nola (born 2016).

One of Balić's favorite sports to watch is basketball.

Awards and Achievements

Orders

• Order of Danica Hrvatska with face of Franjo Bučar

See also

In Spanish: Ivano Balić para niños

• 2008 Summer Olympics national flag bearers