Iztok Puc facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Iztok Puc
Personal information
Born	(1966-09-14)14 September 1966 Slovenj Gradec, SR Slovenia, Yugoslavia
Died	20 October 2011(2011-10-20) (aged 45) San Diego, California, U.S.
Height	1.96 m (6 ft 5 in)
Playing position	Left back
Youth career
Years	Team
19??–1985	Šoštanj
Senior clubs
Years	Team
1985–1990	Borac Banja Luka
1990–1994	Zagreb
1994–1999	Celje
1999–2002	Prule 67
National team
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1988–1991	YUG	82	(191)
1991–1998	CRO	65	(325)
1998–2000	SLO	34	(120)
Medal record Representing  Yugoslavia Olympic Games Bronze 1988 Seoul Team Junior World Championship Gold 1987 Yugoslavia Team Representing  Croatia Olympic Games Gold 1996 Atlanta Team World Championship Silver 1995 Iceland Team European Championship Bronze 1994 Portugal Team Mediterranean Games Gold 1993 Languedoc-Roussillon Team

Iztok Puc (born September 14, 1966 – died October 20, 2011) was an amazing handball player from Croatia and Slovenia. He was known as one of the best players in the world during the 1980s and 1990s.

Throughout his career, he played for several top clubs. These included Borac Banja Luka, Zagreb, Celje, and Prule 67. He won a total of 18 national awards with these teams.

Iztok Puc also won the important EHF Champions League twice. He achieved this in 1992 and 1993 with the Zagreb team. What makes him truly special is that he played for three different countries at the Summer Olympics. He represented Yugoslavia, Croatia, and Slovenia. He won a bronze medal with Yugoslavia in 1988 and a gold medal with Croatia in 1996.

In 2009, he was named the best handball player ever in Slovenia. After he passed away, a special award was created in his name. The Iztok Puc Award is given every year to promising young handball players in Slovenia and Croatia.

Early Life and Handball Beginnings

Iztok Puc was born in Slovenj Gradec, which was part of Yugoslavia at the time. This happened on September 14, 1966. When he was young, he lived in Šoštanj with his mother.

A gym teacher named Miro Požun noticed Iztok's great talent. Požun became his mentor and introduced him to the local handball club, RK Šoštanj. This club was also coached by Požun. Iztok quickly became a very promising young player in Yugoslav handball.

Club Career Highlights

Iztok Puc first caught the eye of RK Borac in 1983. Their goalkeeper, Zlatan Arnautović, saw his talent. A few years later, Borac offered Iztok a spot on their team.

The coach of Borac, Abas Arslanagić, wanted Iztok to join right away. However, Iztok's mentor, Miro Požun, advised him to finish high school first. Iztok followed this advice and joined Borac in 1985. He signed his first professional contract there.

He quickly became the best player on the team. He was also the top goal scorer in the entire league. Even though he didn't win major national titles with Borac, he is still considered one of their best players ever.

Playing for Zagreb

Later, Iztok played for RK Zagreb in Croatia. With Zagreb, he won 18 national trophies. He was a key part of the team that won the top EHF Champions League in 1992 and 1993. People especially remember his game-winning goal in the 1993 Champions League final. He scored it in the very last seconds of the game!

He also helped Zagreb win the Croatian league three times. And they won the Croatian cup three times too.

Time with Celje and Prule 67

Iztok spent five years playing for Celje in Slovenia. During this time, he won the Slovenian league five times. He also won the Slovenian cup five times.

With Celje, he reached the EHF Champions League semi-finals three times in a row. His former mentor, Miro Požun, was the head coach of Celje in 1994–95. That season, Iztok won his first Slovenian league and cup titles. He played 136 games for Celje and scored 630 goals.

Iztok Puc finished his career playing for Prule 67. In the 2001–02 season, he helped them win both the national league and cup. He also played in another Champions League semi-final the following year.

International Career

Iztok Puc first found international success at the 1987 Men's Junior World Handball Championship. Yugoslavia won the gold medal, and Iztok was seen as the most important player. He was also the team captain during that tournament.

One year later, he won a bronze medal with the Yugoslav senior team. This was at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul. He played his last game for Yugoslavia at the 1990 World Men's Handball Championship. His team finished fourth there. He played 97 games for Yugoslavia, making him one of the most capped Slovenian players for that team.

Representing Croatia

After moving to RK Zagreb in 1990, Yugoslavia broke up in 1991. Iztok then became a Croatian citizen. He played for the Croatian team. With Croatia, he won a gold medal at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.

He also won two other medals with Croatia in major tournaments. These were a bronze medal at the 1994 European Men's Handball Championship and a silver medal at the 1995 World Men's Handball Championship.

In 1995, he received the Order of Danica Hrvatska award. In 1996, he was given the Franjo Bučar Award. These are important national honors.

Playing for Slovenia

In the late 1990s, Iztok decided to play for Slovenia, the country where he was born. He then played for the Slovenian team at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. The team finished eighth there.

Slovenia qualified for the Sydney Olympics by finishing fifth at the 2000 European Men's Handball Championship. The match for fifth place was played in Zagreb against Croatia, Iztok's former team. Iztok was one of the best players in that game. Slovenia won 25–24, which secured their spot in the 2000 Olympics. He played 34 games for Slovenia and scored 120 goals.

Life After Handball

After retiring from playing at Prule 67, Iztok became the club's sports director. Later, he moved to Florida with his wife, Jasenka. Jasenka is the daughter of Hrvoje Horvat, a Croatian handball player and 1972 Olympic gold medalist. They moved to support their son, Borut, in his tennis career.

Iztok and Jasenka sold their belongings to help their son. They enrolled him in the Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy. Like his father, Borut also played for both Slovenia and Croatia in tennis.

Illness and Legacy

Iztok Puc was diagnosed with cancer in early 2011. He passed away on October 20, 2011, in a hospital in San Diego.

Despite his relaxed approach to training, Iztok was known as a very competitive and strong-minded player. In 2009, at the 60th anniversary of the Handball Federation of Slovenia, Iztok Puc was named the best left back and the best overall player in Slovenian handball history.

Three days after his death, his former club, RK Zagreb, played a Champions League match. A video of his winning goal from the 1993 Champions League final was shown. 15,000 people gave a minute-long standing ovation to remember him.

In 2011, the Olympic Committees of Slovenia and Croatia, along with their Handball Federations, created an award in his honor. The Iztok Puc Award is given every year to the most promising U–18 handball player. It alternates between a Slovenian player one year and a Croatian player the next.

Honours and Awards

Zagreb

• Yugoslav First League (1): 1991
• Yugoslav Cup (1): 1991
• Croatian First League (4): 1991–92, 1992–93, 1993–94
• Croatian Cup (3): 1992, 1993, 1994
• EHF Champions League (2): 1992, 1993
• European Supercup (1): 1993

Celje

• Slovenian First League (5): 1994–95, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1997–98, 1998–99
• Slovenian Cup (5): 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999

Prule 67

• Slovenian First League (1): 2001-02
• Slovenian Cup (1): 2002

Individual Awards

• Most Valuable Player (MVP) at IHF Men's Junior World Championship – 1987
• Franjo Bučar State Award for Sport – 1996
• Best player in history of Slovenia – 2009
• Slovenian Athletes Hall of Fame – 2016

Records

• 14th top scorer for Croatia men's national handball team – 325 goals

Images for kids

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  The Order of Danica Hrvatska, an award Iztok Puc received in 1995.