Luc Abalo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Luc Abalo |
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Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Born | Ivry-sur-Seine, France |
6 September 1984 |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Nationality | French | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playing position | Right wing | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Senior clubs | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Years | Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1998–2008
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US Ivry Handball | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2008–2011
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BM Ciudad Real | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2011–2012
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Atlético Madrid | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2012–2020
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Paris Saint-Germain | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2020–2021
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Elverum Håndball | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2021–2023
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Zeekstar Tokyo | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
National team | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2005–2021
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France | 289 | (859) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Luc Kangny Abalo, born on September 6, 1984, is a famous French handball player who has now retired. He was honored in 2024 by being added to the EHF Hall of Fame.
Luc was a key player for the French national team starting in 2005. He won many gold medals, including at the 2008, 2012, and 2020 Olympics. He also won gold at the World Championships in 2009, 2011, and 2017. In addition, he earned gold medals at the European Championships in 2006, 2010, and 2014.
He was recognized as the best player in the French Division 1 in 2007. He was also named the league's Best Right Wing in 2005, 2006, and 2007. In 2008, he received the Legion of Honour, a very important award in France.
Beyond handball, Luc Abalo is a talented artist. He designed a special wristband to help promote Paris's bid for the 2024 Summer Olympics. About 1.5 million of these wristbands were sold in September 2015. Luc Abalo is also an officer of the Ordre national du Mérite and the French Legion of Honour. These are high honors given by the French government.
Contents
Luc Abalo's Handball Journey
Starting His Professional Career
Luc Abalo began his professional handball career in 2005. He signed his first contract with his hometown club, US Ivry Handball. In his first season, his team finished fourth in the top French league. They also made it to the Cup final.
During the 2006-07 season, Abalo helped his team win the French league championship. He was chosen for the French league's all-star team as the best right wing. This happened three years in a row: 2005, 2006, and 2007.
Playing in Spain
In 2008, Abalo moved to Spain to play for BM Ciudad Real. He had planned to join them a year earlier. With this team, he achieved great success. He won the Spanish championship and the EHF Champions League in 2009. He also won the Spanish championship again in 2010.
The 2010-2011 season was not as successful for the team. They only won the Copa del Rey. Because of money problems at Ciudad Real, Abalo was thought to be moving to a German team. However, he stayed with his team. They then moved and became Atlético Madrid.
Returning to France with PSG
In 2012, Luc Abalo returned to France. He joined Paris Saint-Germain. Here, he continued his winning streak. He helped PSG win the French league in 2013. Then, they won it every season from 2015 to 2020. He also won the French Cup with PSG in 2014, 2015, and 2018.
Later Career and Retirement
Abalo announced in 2020 that he would retire after the 2020 Olympics. However, the Olympics were postponed until 2021. Since PSG had already found a new player, Abalo needed a new club. He decided to join the Norwegian team Elverum Håndball.
With Elverum, he won the Norwegian Cup in 2020. He also won the Norwegian championship in 2021. After the 2021 World Championship in Egypt, he could not return to Norway. This was due to Covid-19 travel rules. So, he only played in the Champions League matches for Elverum.
In September 2021, Abalo moved to Japan. He joined the team Zeekstar Tokyo. Luc Abalo officially retired from handball in 2023.
Playing for the National Team
Luc Abalo first played for the senior French national team in 2005. His first game was against Turkey. He became a very important player for France.
He won gold medals in all three major international handball tournaments. These include the World Championship, the European Championship, and the Olympic tournament. Between 2010 and 2013, he held all three of these major titles at the same time.
Luc Abalo retired from the national team in 2021. This was after the 2020 Olympics, which were held in 2021.
Major Wins and Awards
Club Achievements
- French Championship:
- 2007 with US Ivry HB
- 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 with Paris Saint-Germain
- French Cup: 2014, 2015, 2018 with Paris Saint-Germain
- Spanish Championship: 2009, 2010 with BM Ciudad Real
- Copa del Rey: 2011 with BM Ciudad Real
- EHF Champions League: 2009 with BM Ciudad Real
- IHF Super Globe: 2010 with BM Ciudad Real
- Norwegian Champion: 2021 with Elverum Håndball
- Norwegian Cup: 2020 with Elverum Håndball
See also
In Spanish: Luc Abalo para niños