Ivano Balić (; born 1 April 1979) is a Croatian former professional
handball
Handball (also known as team handball, European handball, Olympic handball or indoor handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of thr ...
er who is currently part of the coaching staff at RK Split.
Renowned for his speed, creativity, movement and charisma as a player, Balić won the
2003 World Championship and the
Olympic
Olympic or Olympics may refer to
Sports
Competitions
* Olympic Games, international multi-sport event held since 1896
** Summer Olympic Games
** Winter Olympic Games
* Ancient Olympic Games, ancient multi-sport event held in Olympia, Greece bet ...
gold medal in
2004
2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO).
Events January
* January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
with the
Croatian national team, and thirteen titles playing for clubs in Croatia, Spain and Germany.
He also earned two World Championship silver medals (
2005
2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...
,
2009
2009 was designated as the International Year of Astronomy by the United Nations to coincide with the 400th anniversary of Galileo Galilei's first known astronomical studies with a telescope and the publication of Astronomia Nova by Joha ...
), two
European Championship
A European Championship is the top level international sports competition between European athletes or sports teams representing their respective countries or professional sports clubs.
In the plural, the European Championships also refers t ...
silver medals and one bronze medal (
2008
2008 was designated as:
*International Year of Languages
*International Year of Planet Earth
*International Year of the Potato
*International Year of Sanitation
The Great Recession, a worldwide recession which began in 2007, continued throu ...
,
2010
The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...
,
2012
2012 was designated as:
*International Year of Cooperatives
*International Year of Sustainable Energy for All
Events January
*January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins.
* January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...
), and one Olympic bronze medal (
2012
2012 was designated as:
*International Year of Cooperatives
*International Year of Sustainable Energy for All
Events January
*January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins.
* January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...
) with the national team.
Regarded as one of the greatest players in handball history, Balić was voted the most valuable player in five consecutive major international competitions and is one of only four male handball players to receive the
IHF World Player of the Year
The IHF World Player of the Year is a handball award given annually to the player who is considered to have performed the best in the previous season, both at club and international competitions. It is awarded based on votes from experts, media a ...
award on more than one occasion (2003, 2006).
In 2010, he was voted the best handball player in history in an online poll organized by the
International Handball Federation
The International Handball Federation (IHF) is the administrative and controlling body for handball and beach handball. IHF is responsible for the organisation of handball's major international tournaments, notably the IHF World Men's Handball C ...
(IHF).
Balić was inducted into the European Handball Hall of Fame in 2023.
Early life
Born in
Split
Split(s) or The Split may refer to:
Places
* Split, Croatia, the largest coastal city in Croatia
* Split Island, Canada, an island in the Hudson Bay
* Split Island, Falkland Islands
* Split Island, Fiji, better known as Hạfliua
Arts, enter ...
, Ivano was the only child of
handball
Handball (also known as team handball, European handball, Olympic handball or indoor handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of thr ...
players, mother Stjepanka and father Žarko Balić. After the first three months of his birth, Balić moved with his parents to Italy because of his father's professional career. During his time in Italy, Balić lived in
Rovereto
Rovereto (; "wood of sessile oaks"; locally: ''Roveredo'') is a city and ''comune'' in Trentino in northern Italy, located in the Vallagarina valley of the Adige River.
History
Rovereto was an ancient fortress town standing at the fronti ...
and
Prato
Prato ( ; ) is a city and municipality (''comune'') in Tuscany, Italy, and is the capital of the province of Prato. The city lies in the northeast of Tuscany, at an elevation of , at the foot of Monte Retaia (the last peak in the Calvana ch ...
. Aged seven, Balić and his mother returned to Split. When his father came back to play for
RK Split
RK may refer to:
Science and technology
* Radial keratotomy, a surgical procedure on the eye
* Rhodopsin kinase, an enzyme
* r/K selection theory, in biology, relating to the trade-off between quantity and quality of offspring
* Runge–Kutta meth ...
in the
Yugoslav Second League
Yugoslav Second League ( Bosnian: ''Druga savezna liga,'' Croatian: ''Druga savezna liga'', Serbian: ''Друга савезна лига'', Slovenian: ''Druga zvezna liga'', Macedonian: ''Втора сојузна лига'', ''Vtora sojuzna l ...
, Balić was always in attendance of the games.
Balić started playing
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...
for
KK Split
Košarkaški klub Split (), commonly referred to as KK Split or simply Split, is a men's professional basketball Sports club, club based in Split, Croatia, Split, Croatia. The club competes in the ABA League and the HT Premijer liga, Croatian Leag ...
due to him being a big fan of the club, which at the time was three time
European champion
A European Championship is the top level international sports competition between European athletes or sports teams representing their respective countries or professional sports clubs.
In the plural, the European Championships also refers to a ...
. He played basketball until 1995 when his father's friend and then-coach of RK Split, Mate Bokan, suggested he play handball.
Club career
Balić began his senior handball career with RK Brodomerkur Split in 1997, which competed in the top-tier
Croatian First A League. In his first season with the club, Brodomerkur finished second in the league and got to the semi-finals of the
EHF Cup
The EHF European League is an annual men's handball club competition organised by the European Handball Federation (EHF) since 1981. It is the second-tier competition of European club handball, ranking only below the EHF Champions League. Previo ...
where they lost to
THW Kiel
THW Kiel is a professional handball club from Kiel, Germany. Currently, they compete in the Handball-Bundesliga and are the record champion with 23 titles.
2007 and 2012 were the most successful years in the club's history, as THW completed t ...
, the eventual winners of the cup. He played for Brodomerkur for three more seasons, reaching top positions in the league and the quarter-finals of the EHF Cup.
In 2001, Balić moved to
RK Metković Jambo. In his first season with the team, he won the
Croatian Cup Croatian Cup may refer to:
*Croatian Football Cup
*Croatian Football Super Cup
*Croatian Women's Football Cup
*Croatian Basketball Cup, also known as Krešimir Ćosić Cup
*Croatian Handball Cup
*Croatian Water Polo Cup
The Croatian Water Polo C ...
and
league championship. However, their league title was stripped away administratively and given to
Badel 1862 Zagreb
Rukometni klub Zagreb (, ) is a men's professional handball Sports club, club from Zagreb, Croatia. It competes in the
Croatian Premier Handball League, Croatian Premier League and the EHF Champions League.
RK Zagreb has won 38 national champ ...
. This season was also Balić' first season playing the
EHF Champions League
The EHF Champions League is the most important club handball competition for men's teams in Europe and involves the leading teams from the top European nations. The competition is organised every year by EHF. The official name for the men's com ...
. Balić spent the next few seasons perfecting his game, which was shown in 2003 when he became the first Croatian handballer to win the
IHF World Player of the Year
The IHF World Player of the Year is a handball award given annually to the player who is considered to have performed the best in the previous season, both at club and international competitions. It is awarded based on votes from experts, media a ...
award and was voted Croatian Handballer of the Year in 2004.

Balić moved to Spanish team
Portland San Antonio
Sociedad Deportiva Cultural San Antonio was a Spanish handball team based in Pamplona, Navarra.
In July 2012, the team resigned from the Liga ASOBAL for the 2012–13 season due to the failure to find a new sponsor, being demoted two divisions ( ...
in 2004. He chose San Antonio in order to play with his idol
Jackson Richardson
Jackson Richardson (born 14 June 1969) is a French former handball player. Regarded as one of the best and most influential handball players of his era, Richardson won fourteen titles at club level and the World Championship in 1995 and 2001 wit ...
. During his first season, he helped the club win the
league championship and reached the quarter-final of the Champions League. The next season saw Balić in his first and only
Champions League final, where San Antonio lost to a
BM Ciudad Real
Balonmano Ciudad Real was a Spanish handball team based in Ciudad Real, Castilla La Mancha. BM Ciudad Real played in Liga ASOBAL.
History
In July 1983 is founded in the city of Ciudad Real a handball club named Asociación Deportiva Cultural ...
in both final matches (losing 19–25 in the first leg and 28–37 in the second leg). Although he did not win the Champions League, he received his second IHF World Player of the Year award in 2006. In 2007, Balić was voted best
Croatian athlete by ''
Sportske novosti
''Sportske novosti'' () is a Croatian daily sports newspaper based in Zagreb.
The newspaper was established on 9 August 1945 as ''Ilustrirane fiskulturne novine'' weekly newspaper. Several months later, on 10 December 1945, its name was change ...
''.
Between 2008 and 2012, Balić played for the Croatian team
RK CO Zagreb, winning the
Croatian Premier League and Croatian Cup four times.
In 2012, Balić returned to Spain to play for
Atlético Madrid
Club Atlético de Madrid, S.A.D. (; meaning "Athletic Club of Madrid"), commonly referred to as Atlético Madrid or simply Atlético, is a Spanish professional football club based in Madrid that plays in La Liga. The club play their home game ...
. He was forced to leave the club after one season as it went through bankruptcy, but won the
IHF Super Globe
The Men's Super Globe is a handball
Handball (also known as team handball, European handball, Olympic handball or indoor handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a bal ...
and
Copa del Rey
The , commonly known as , or (in English) the Spanish Cup or King's Cup, and formerly known as Copa del Presidente de la República (1932–1936) and Copa del Generalísimo (1939–1976), is an annual knockout football competition in Spanis ...
with the team, in addition to finishing second in the
league championship.
In 2013, Balić signed with German team
HSG Wetzlar
HSG Wetzlar is a professional handball club from Wetzlar, Germany. It competes in the top-tier Handball-Bundesliga and in the DHB-Pokal, German Handball Cup. They have played in the Bundesliga since 1998 without relegation.
History
The modern ...
. Towards the end of the 2014–15 season, Balić announced his retirement from professional handball. On 5 June 2015, Balić played his last professional handball game in a 29–24 win against
Göppingen
Göppingen (; or ) is a town in southern Germany, part of the Stuttgart Region of Baden-Württemberg. It is the capital of the Goeppingen (district), district Göppingen. Göppingen is home to the toy company Märklin, and it is the birthplace ...
, in which he scored one goal and made five assists.
International career
In 1998, Balić started playing for
Croatia under-20 and
under-21 national teams at the same time. The following year, he was called up to play for the senior
Croatia men's national team, but was sent home due to
pneumonia
Pneumonia is an Inflammation, inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as Pulmonary alveolus, alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of Cough#Classification, productive or dry cough, ches ...
. In December 2000, Balić was called up to train for the
2001 World Championship. In training, Balić sustained an injury trying to catch a reflected ball which caused
Petar Metličić
Petar Metličić (born 25 December 1976) is a Croatian former handball player. He was captain of the Croatian national team[2001 Mediterranean Games
The XIV Mediterranean Games (), commonly known as the 2001 Mediterranean Games, were the 14th Mediterranean Games held in Tunis, Tunisia, from 2–15 September 2001, where 2,991 athletes (1,972 men and 1,019 women) from 23 countries participated. ...]
in Tunisia where Croatia won first place. The following year, Balić played at the
2002 European Championship in Sweden where Croatia finished in last place. Although they finished last in the tournament, they shocked the world a year later at the
2003 World Championship in Portugal where they won first place; after losing their opening match against
Argentina
Argentina, officially the Argentine Republic, is a country in the southern half of South America. It covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest country in South America after Brazil, the fourt ...
(29–30), they beat
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in West Asia. Located in the centre of the Middle East, it covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula and has a land area of about , making it the List of Asian countries ...
,
Russia
Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...
,
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
,
Hungary
Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...
,
Egypt
Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...
,
Denmark
Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...
,
Spain
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
, and lastly
Germany
Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...
in the final.
In January 2004, Balić was included in Croatia's squad for the
2004 European Championship in Slovenia. The Croatian team had a good start in the group stage beating Spain and Denmark, and conceding a draw against
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...
. The team reached he semi-finals where they lost against hosts
Slovenia
Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia, is a country in Central Europe. It borders Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the south and southeast, and a short (46.6 km) coastline within the Adriati ...
and finished fourth after losing to Denmark in a third place game. Balić was voted the most valuable player (
MVP
MVP most commonly refers to:
* Most valuable player, an award, typically for the best performing player in a sport or competition
* Minimum viable product, a concept for feature estimating used in business and engineering
MVP may also refer to:
...
) of the tournament and included in the all-star team as best play maker. In August of that same year, Balić was selected to play at the
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad (), and officially branded as Athens 2004 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 13 to 29 August 2004 in Athens, Greece.
The Games saw 10,625 athletes ...
where the national team won the gold medal. Croatia went through the tournament undefeated and Balić was voted MVP and best play maker at the tournament. For winning the gold medal, all players were awarded the
Franjo Bučar State Award for Sport Franjo Bučar State Award for Sport () is the highest recognition that Republic of Croatia gives for extraordinary achievements and contributions of remarkable meaning for the development of sport in Croatia.
This award has been given since 1991. I ...
yearly award. Balić won the award with the team, as he also received another yearly award by himself.
At the
2005 World Championship in Tunisia, Croatia came in second place after losing to Spain in the final game. Balić was voted MVP and best play maker of the tournament. At the
2006 European Championship in Switzerland, Croatia placed fourth. Balić was once again voted MVP of the tournament and the best play maker, and was also the fourth-placed top goalscorer with 43 goals and top field goalscorer. The same year, Balić was also part of the team that won the
Stratoil World Cup in Sweden and Germany. During this tournament, Balić invented the nickname of the Croatian national team: ().
At the
2007 World Championship in Germany, Croatia came in fifth place, with Balić being voted MVP for a fifth consecutive major international tournament. Balić and the national team placed second at the
2008 European Championship in Norway after losing to Denmark in the final. The silver medal was the first European championship medal Balić had won. Balić was also voted best centre back and was joint top goalscorer alongside
Nikola Karabatić
Nikola Karabatić (born 11 April 1984) is a French former professional handball player. He is regarded as one of the greatest players in handball history.
With the French national handball team, he won three Olympic gold medals (Summer Olympics ...
and
Lars Christiansen with 44 goals. That same year, Balić was selected to be Croatia's
flag bearer
A standard-bearer, also known as a colour-bearer or flag-bearer, is a person who bears an emblem known as a standard or military colours, i.e. either a type of flag or an inflexible but mobile image, which is used (and often honoured) as a ...
at the
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and officially branded as Beijing 2008 (), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes fro ...
in
Beijing
Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...
. Croatia finished the tournament in fourth place after losing the third place match against Spain.
At the
2009 World Championship in Croatia, Balić and the national team went undefeated through the group and knockout stages, but lost in the final against
France
France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...
where a rivalry between Balić and Nikola Karabatić emerged, named by the media as the "clash of the titans". At the
2010 European Championship in Austria, Croatia won another silver medal after losing to France in the final game.
Following an unsuccessful
2011 World Championship where Croatia came in fifth place, Balić won bronze medals with Croatia in 2012 at the
European Championship
A European Championship is the top level international sports competition between European athletes or sports teams representing their respective countries or professional sports clubs.
In the plural, the European Championships also refers t ...
in Serbia and at the
Olympics
The modern Olympic Games (Olympics; ) are the world's preeminent international sporting events. They feature summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a variety of competit ...
in
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
. Prior to the
2013 World Championship in Spain, Balić was dropped from the squad by then-head coach
Slavko Goluža
Slavko Goluža (born 17 September 1971) is a retired Croatian handball player and most recently coach of RK Zagreb.
Club career
Goluža was born in the village of Pješivac-Kula near Stolac. He began his career with RK Mehanika Metković. A ...
and subsequently retired from the national team.
Post-playing career
Following his retirement from playing professional handball, Balić joined the
Croatia men's national handball team
The Croatia national handball team () represents Croatia in international men's team handball competitions and friendly matches. The handball team is controlled by the Croatian Handball Federation (HRS).
Croatia has o ...
coaching staff under newly appointed head coach
Željko Babić as the team's coordinator, alongside his old colleagues
Petar Metličić
Petar Metličić (born 25 December 1976) is a Croatian former handball player. He was captain of the Croatian national team[Valter Matošević
Valter Matošević (born 11 June 1970) is a former Croatian team handball player who was at the goalkeeper position. He played for professional teams in Croatia, Germany, Spain, Denmark and Italy. He is current handball coach.
He was part of th ...]
as goalkeeper coach. As part of the staff, he won the bronze medal at the
2016 European Championship in Poland with the national the team, and was also part of the fifth-place placement at the
2016 Summer Olympics
The 2016 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXXI Olympiad () and officially branded as Rio 2016, were an international multi-sport event held from 5 to 21 August 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with preliminary events i ...
in
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro, or simply Rio, is the capital of the Rio de Janeiro (state), state of Rio de Janeiro. It is the List of cities in Brazil by population, second-most-populous city in Brazil (after São Paulo) and the Largest cities in the America ...
.
On 8 April 2021, the
Croatian Handball Federation
The Croatian Handball Federation (; abbr. HRS) is the governing body of handball in Croatia. It is based in Zagreb.
It organizes the handball leagues:
* Croatian Men's Premier Handball League
* Croatian Women's First Handball League
* Croatian ...
appointed Balić as assistant coach to
Hrvoje Horvat in the coaching staff of the senior Croatian national handball team. Balić left the national team coaching staff in 2023. On 12 January 2024, Balić joined the coaching staff at RK Split.
Personal life
From 1999 to 2006, Balić was married to his wife Ivana. They have one son together, Dino, born 2000. In 2014, Balić and his girlfriend Mirela Delić welcomed their first child together, a son named Vigo. In 2016, Balić and Delić became parents to their first daughter, Nola.
One of Balić' favorite sports is
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...
.
Honours
Club
;Split
*
Croatian First A League
**Runner-up (1):
1997–98
;Metković
*
Croatian First League
The Hrvatska nogometna liga (; ), abbreviated as HNL and also known for sponsorship reasons as the SuperSport HNL, is a professional association football league in Croatia and the highest level of the Croatian football league system. Establish ...
**Runner-up (3):
2001–02,
2002–03,
2003–04
*
Croatian Cup Croatian Cup may refer to:
*Croatian Football Cup
*Croatian Football Super Cup
*Croatian Women's Football Cup
*Croatian Basketball Cup, also known as Krešimir Ćosić Cup
*Croatian Handball Cup
*Croatian Water Polo Cup
The Croatian Water Polo C ...
**Winner (1): 2002
**Finalist (1): 2004
;San Antonio
*
Liga ASOBAL
Liga Asobal is the premier professional handball league in Spain. It was founded in 1958 with the name of División de Honor, changing its name to the current name in 1990.
The Liga ASOBAL, which is played under EHF rules, currently consists of ...
**Winner (1):
2004–05
*
Supercopa ASOBAL
The Supercopa ASOBAL or the Supercopa de España de Balonmano was an annual cup competition for Spanish handball teams. It was organised by the Liga ASOBAL. It was first played for in 1985 and was disputed between the Liga ASOBAL champions and the ...
**Winner (1): 2004
*
EHF Champions League
The EHF Champions League is the most important club handball competition for men's teams in Europe and involves the leading teams from the top European nations. The competition is organised every year by EHF. The official name for the men's com ...
**Finalist (1):
2005–06
;Zagreb
*
Dukat Premier League
**Winner (4):
2008–09,
2009–10,
2010–11
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to sp ...
,
2011–12
*
Croatian Cup Croatian Cup may refer to:
*Croatian Football Cup
*Croatian Football Super Cup
*Croatian Women's Football Cup
*Croatian Basketball Cup, also known as Krešimir Ćosić Cup
*Croatian Handball Cup
*Croatian Water Polo Cup
The Croatian Water Polo C ...
**Winner (4): 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012
;Atletico Madrid
*
Liga ASOBAL
Liga Asobal is the premier professional handball league in Spain. It was founded in 1958 with the name of División de Honor, changing its name to the current name in 1990.
The Liga ASOBAL, which is played under EHF rules, currently consists of ...
**Runner-up (1):
2012–13
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to sp ...
*
Copa del Rey
The , commonly known as , or (in English) the Spanish Cup or King's Cup, and formerly known as Copa del Presidente de la República (1932–1936) and Copa del Generalísimo (1939–1976), is an annual knockout football competition in Spanis ...
**Winner (1):
2013
2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years).
2013 was designated as:
*International Year of Water Cooperation
*International Year of Quinoa
Events
January
* January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...
*
IHF Super Globe
The Men's Super Globe is a handball
Handball (also known as team handball, European handball, Olympic handball or indoor handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a bal ...
**Winner (1):
2012
2012 was designated as:
*International Year of Cooperatives
*International Year of Sustainable Energy for All
Events January
*January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins.
* January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...
Individual
;General
*
IHF World Player of the Year
The IHF World Player of the Year is a handball award given annually to the player who is considered to have performed the best in the previous season, both at club and international competitions. It is awarded based on votes from experts, media a ...
: 2003, 2006
*
Franjo Bučar State Award for Sport Franjo Bučar State Award for Sport () is the highest recognition that Republic of Croatia gives for extraordinary achievements and contributions of remarkable meaning for the development of sport in Croatia.
This award has been given since 1991. I ...
: 2004 (two awards)
*Best
Croatian handballer: 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008
*
Croatian Sportsman of the Year: 2007
*Star on Croatian walk of fame in
Opatija
Opatija (; ; ) is a List of cities and towns in Croatia, town and a municipality in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County in northwestern Croatia. The traditional seaside resort on the Kvarner Gulf is known for its Mediterranean climate and its historic bu ...
: 2007
*Best Male Handball Player Ever – fans poll: 2010
*Trophy
COC for inspiring youth: 2010
*2007 most successful athlete by:
Croatian Olympic Committee
The Croatian Olympic Committee (, HOO) is the non-profit organization representing Croatian athletes in the International Olympic Committee. The COC organizes Croatia's representatives at the Summer and Winter Olympic Games. It also organizes the ...
*5th top goalscorer of the
Croatia men's national handball team
The Croatia national handball team () represents Croatia in international men's team handball competitions and friendly matches. The handball team is controlled by the Croatian Handball Federation (HRS).
Croatia has o ...
*
European Handball Federation
The European Handball Federation (EHF) is the umbrella organisation for European handball. Founded on 17 November 1991, it is made of 50 member federations and two associated federations (England and Scotland), and is headquartered in Vienna, Au ...
Hall of Fame in 2023.
;All-Star Team
*Most valuable player (
MVP
MVP most commonly refers to:
* Most valuable player, an award, typically for the best performing player in a sport or competition
* Minimum viable product, a concept for feature estimating used in business and engineering
MVP may also refer to:
...
) and best centre back of the
2004 European Championship
*MVP and best centre back of the
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad (), and officially branded as Athens 2004 (), were an international multi-sport event held from 13 to 29 August 2004 in Athens, Greece.
The Games saw 10,625 athletes ...
*MVP and best centre back of the
2005 World Championship
*MVP and best centre back of the
2006 European Championship
*Top field goalscorer of the
2006 European Championship – 43 goals
*MVP of the
2007 World Championship
*Best centre back and top goalscorer of the
2008 European Championship – 44 goals
*Best centre back of
Liga ASOBAL
Liga Asobal is the premier professional handball league in Spain. It was founded in 1958 with the name of División de Honor, changing its name to the current name in 1990.
The Liga ASOBAL, which is played under EHF rules, currently consists of ...
:
2004–05,
2005–06,
2006–07
;Distinctions
*Best sportsperson of
Dalmatia
Dalmatia (; ; ) is a historical region located in modern-day Croatia and Montenegro, on the eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea. Through time it formed part of several historical states, most notably the Roman Empire, the Kingdom of Croatia (925 ...
by ''
Slobodna Dalmacija
(, where "Free" is an adjective) is a Croatian daily newspaper published in Split.
History
was first issued on 17 June 1943 by Tito's Partisans in an abandoned stone barn on Mosor, a mountain near Split, while the city was occupied by the I ...
'': 2003
*The award of Metković "Crane" for great achievements in handball and for promoting the reputation of
Metković
Metković () is a town in the Dubrovnik-Neretva County of Croatia, located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the river Neretva and on the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Climate
Since records began in 1997, the highest temper ...
in the country and the world: 2004
Orders
*
Order of Danica Hrvatska with face of Franjo Bučar
See also
*
2008 Summer Olympics national flag bearers
2008 Summer Olympics Parade of Nations was part of the opening ceremony that originating with the 1896 Olympic Games. The national team from each nation participating in the Olympic Games paraded behind their national flag into the Olympic Stadi ...
References
External links
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Balic, Ivano
1979 births
Living people
Handball players from Split, Croatia
Croatian male handball players
Olympic handball players for Croatia
Olympic gold medalists for Croatia in handball
Olympic bronze medalists for Croatia in handball
Olympic medalists in handball
Handball players at the 2004 Summer Olympics
Handball players at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Handball players at the 2012 Summer Olympics
Medalists at the 2012 Summer Olympics
Medalists at the 2004 Summer Olympics
Mediterranean Games gold medalists for Croatia
Mediterranean Games medalists in handball
Competitors at the 2001 Mediterranean Games
Liga ASOBAL players
Franjo Bučar Award winners
SDC San Antonio players
RK Zagreb players
HSG Wetzlar players
Yugoslav expatriates in Italy
Croatian expatriate handball players in Germany
Croatian expatriate handball players in Spain
21st-century Croatian sportsmen