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 on April 1, 1979) is a famous Croatian former professional handball player. He is now 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 awards 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 titles with different clubs in Croatia, Spain, and Germany.

Ivano Balić is considered one of the best handball players ever. He was voted the most valuable player (MVP) in five big 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 Sports Beginnings

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 for RK Split. 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's, Mate Bokan, who was a coach for RK Split, suggested he try handball. That's how Ivano Balić started his journey in handball.

Club Career Highlights

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

In 2001, Balić joined RK Metković Jambo. In his first season there, he helped them win the Croatian Cup. This was also his first time playing in the EHF Champions League, a top European club competition. By 2003, he was so good that 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 Spain to play for Portland San Antonio. He wanted to play with his hero, Jackson Richardson. In his first year, they won the Spanish league title. The next year, he played in his only Champions League final, but his team lost. Even so, he won his second IHF World Player of the Year award in 2006.

From 2008 to 2012, Balić played for the Croatian team RK CO Zagreb. He helped them win the Croatian Premier League and Croatian Cup four times!

In 2012, Balić went back to Spain to play for Atlético Madrid. He won the IHF Super Globe and the Copa del Rey with them. However, he had to leave after one season because the club went bankrupt.

His last club was the German team HSG Wetzlar, which he joined in 2013. Ivano Balić announced his retirement from professional handball at the end of the 2014–15 season. His last game was on June 5, 2015, where he scored one goal and made five assists.

International Career with Croatia

Ivano Balić started playing for Croatia's under-20 and under-21 national teams in 1998. He was called up to the senior national team in 1999, but an injury kept him from playing in the 2001 World Championship.

His first big game for the senior team was at the 2001 Mediterranean Games in Tunisia, where Croatia won gold. The team had a tough time at the 2002 European Championship, finishing last. But they surprised everyone a year later!

World Championship Gold in 2003

At the 2003 World Championship in Portugal, Croatia won first place! After losing their first game, they went on a winning streak. They beat many strong teams, including Russia, France, and Germany in the final. This was a huge win for Croatia and Balić.

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

Olympic Gold in 2004

In 2004, Balić played at the European Championship in Slovenia, where Croatia finished fourth. Balić was named the most valuable player (MVP) of the tournament. He was also chosen as the best play maker.

Later that year, Balić was part of the team that won the gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens! Croatia went through the entire tournament without losing a single game. Balić was again voted MVP and best play maker. For this amazing win, all the players received the Franjo Bučar State Award for Sport.

More Medals and MVP Awards

At the 2005 World Championship in Tunisia, Croatia won a silver medal. Balić was once again voted MVP and best play maker. He also won MVP awards at the 2006 European Championship and the 2007 World Championship. This meant he was MVP in five major international tournaments in a row!

Balić playing at the 2010 European Championship

In 2008, Balić and the national team won a silver medal at the European Championship in Norway. This was his first European championship medal. He was also the flag bearer for Croatia at the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing.

At the 2009 World Championship in Croatia, the team reached the final but lost to France. Balić and the French player Nikola Karabatić had a famous rivalry on the court, which the media called the "clash of the titans." Croatia won another silver medal at the 2010 European Championship in Austria.

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

After Playing: Coaching Career

After retiring as a player, Ivano Balić joined the coaching staff of the Croatia men's national handball team. He worked as the team's coordinator. As a coach, he helped the team win a bronze medal at the 2016 European Championship.

In 2021, Balić became an assistant coach for the senior Croatian national handball team. He left this role in 2023. On January 12, 2024, Balić joined the coaching staff at RK Split, the club where he started his senior playing career.

Personal Life

Ivano Balić was married to Ivana from 1999 to 2006, and they have a son named Dino, born in 2000. In 2014, Balić and his girlfriend Mirela Delić had their first child together, a son named Vigo. In 2016, they welcomed their first daughter, Nola.

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

Honours and Awards

Orders

• Order of Danica Hrvatska with face of Franjo Bučar

See also

In Spanish: Ivano Balić para niños

• 2008 Summer Olympics national flag bearers