Ivano Balić (; born 1 April 1979) is a Croatian former professional
handball
Handball (also known as team handball, European handball or Olympic 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 throwing it into the g ...
er who is currently working as assistant
coach
Coach may refer to:
Guidance/instruction
* Coach (sport), a director of athletes' training and activities
* Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process
** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers
Transportation
* Co ...
of the
Croatia 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 often ...
. He was voted five times in a row as the most valuable player in major international competitions,
and is one of only four male handball players who received 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 two occasions (2003, 2006). 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 a
2003 World and
2004 Olympic
The 2004 Summer Olympics ( el, Θερινοί Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες 2004, ), officially the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad ( el, Αγώνες της 28ης Ολυμπιάδας, ) and also known as Athens 2004 ( el, Αθήνα 2004), ...
champion with Croatia.
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, enterta ...
, Ivano was the only child of
handball
Handball (also known as team handball, European handball or Olympic 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 throwing it into the g ...
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 frontier b ...
and
Prato
Prato ( , ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, Italy, the capital of the Province of Prato. The city lies in the north east of Tuscany, at the foot of Monte Retaia, elevation , the last peak in the Calvana chain. With more than 200,000 i ...
. At age of seven Balić and his mother returned to Split. When his father came back playing for
RK Split
RK may stand for:
Arts and entertainment
* Rajesh Khanna, Bollywood film actor
* Ram Kapoor, Bollywood film actor
* Reality Kings, a North American pornographic website
* ''Rurouni Kenshin'', a manga series by Nobuhiro Watsuki
Science and tech ...
in the
Yugoslav Second League
Yugoslav or Yugoslavian may refer to:
* Yugoslavia, or any of the three historic states carrying that name:
** Kingdom of Yugoslavia, a European monarchy which existed 1918–1945 (officially called "Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes" 1918–1 ...
, Balić would always love to watch his father's play.
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 (appr ...
with
KK Split
Košarkaški klub Split ( en, Split Basketball Club), commonly referred to as KK Split or simply Split, is a men's professional basketball club based in Split, Croatia. The club competes in the ABA League and the Croatian League.
History
The c ...
due to him being a big fan of the club, which at the time was three time
European champion. He played basketball until 1995 when his father's friend and coach at RK Split, Mate Bokan, at the time suggested he should play handball.
Club career
Balić began his senior handball career with
RK Brodomerkur Split which competed in the top-tier
Croatian First A League. In his first season 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. Previ ...
where they lost to
THW Kiel
THW Kiel is a handball club from Kiel, Germany. Currently, they compete in the Handball-Bundesliga and are the record champion with 22 titles.
2007 and 2012 were the most successful years in the club's history, as THW completed the treble, win ...
which won the Cup. He played for Brodomerkur for three more seasons reaching top positions in the league and reaching the quarter-finals of the EHF Cup.
In 2001 Balić moved to
RK Metković Jambo. His first season started out with winning 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
*Croatian Minute Movie Cup ...
and
league championship. Even though Metković won the league, their title was stripped away administratively and given to
Badel 1862 Zagreb. This season was also his first season playing the
EHF Champions League
The Men's 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 me ...
. The next few seasons Balić spent perfecting his game which was mostly seen 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
Portland San Antonio in 2004. He chose San Antonio so he could play with his idol
Jackson Richardson
Jackson Richardson (born 14 June 1969) is a retired French handball player. As the captain of the French handball team, he was the flag carrier during the Olympic Games opening ceremony in Athens on 13 August 2004.
Biography
Richardson started ...
. 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. Unfortunately, San Antonio lost to a very strong
BM Ciudad Real
Balonmano Ciudad Real was a Spanish handball team based in Ciudad Real, Castilla La Mancha. BM Ciudad Real plays in Liga ASOBAL.
History
In July 1983 is founded in the city of Ciudad Real a handball club named Asociación Deportiva Cultural Case ...
in both final matches (losing 19–25 in the first and 28–37 in the second leg). Although he did not win the Champions League, he got 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.
It was established on 9 August 1945 as ''Ilustrirane fiskulturne novine'' weekly newspaper. Several months later, on 10 December 1945, its name got changed to ''Narodn ...
''.
Between 2008 and 2012, Balić played for Croatian powerhouse
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, Sociedad Anónima Deportiva, S.A.D. (; meaning "Athletic Club of Madrid"), known simply as Atleti in the Spanish-speaking world and commonly referred to at international level as Atlético Madrid, is a Spanish profess ...
. He stayed for only a season because the club went through bankruptcy. At the club he had a fantastic season winning the
IHF Super Globe
The Men's Super Globe is a handball competition contested between the champion clubs from continental confederations.
On 7 December 2018, the IHF moved the Super Globe to Saudi Arabia for four years, until 2022.
Summary
Records and statistics ...
and
Copa del Rey
The Campeonato de España–Copa de Su Majestad el Rey, commonly known as Copa del Rey or simply La Copa and formerly known as Copa del Presidente de la República (1932–36) and Copa del Generalísimo (1939–76), is an annual knockout footbal ...
while 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. Currently, HSG Wetzlar competes in the Handball-Bundesliga, German First League of Handball (Bundesliga) and the DHB-Pokal, German Handball Cup.
Crest, colours, supporters Kit ...
. After two seasons spending there, Balić announced his retirement from professional handball at the beginning of the 2014–15 season. On 5 June, Balić played his last professional handball game in a 29–24 win against
Göppingen
Göppingen ( Swabian: ''Geppenge'' or ''Gebbenga'') is a town in southern Germany, part of the Stuttgart Region of Baden-Württemberg. It is the capital of the district Göppingen. Göppingen is home to the toy company Märklin, and it is the b ...
, 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. Next year he was called up to play for the senior
Croatia men's national team, but he got
pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung primarily affecting the small air sacs known as alveoli. Symptoms typically include some combination of productive or dry cough, chest pain, fever, and difficulty breathing. The severity ...
. He came to training and the physiotherapist noticed that he was sick so they gave him some antibiotics and sent him home.
In December 2000 Balić was called up to train for the
2001 World Championship. In training, Balić got injured by trying to catch a reflected ball to which
Petar Metličić
Petar Metličić (born 25 December 1976) is a retired Croatian handball player. He was captain of the Croatian national team[2001 Mediterranean Games
The XIV Mediterranean Games ( ar, ألعاب البحر الأبيض المتوسط 2001), 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 ( ...]
in Tunisia where Croatia won first place. Next 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 ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
(29–30), they beat
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...
,
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
,
Hungary
Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the 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 a ...
,
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...
,
Denmark
)
, song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast")
, song_type = National and royal anthem
, image_map = EU-Denmark.svg
, map_caption =
, subdivision_type = Sovereign state
, subdivision_name = Danish Realm, Kingdom of Denmark
...
,
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, i ...
, and lastly
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
in the final.
In January 2004 Balić was called up to play at the
2004 European Championship in Slovenia. Croatia had a good start in the group stage beating Spain and Denmark, and conceding a draw against
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...
. Croatia came all the way to the semi-finals where they lost against hosts
Slovenia
Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, an ...
and finished fourth losing to Denmark in a third place game. Balić was included in the all-star team and was voted the best player and the best play maker at the tournament. In August of the same year Balić was selected to play at the
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympics ( el, Θερινοί Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες 2004, ), officially the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad ( el, Αγώνες της 28ης Ολυμπιάδας, ) and also known as Athens 2004 ( el, Αθήνα 2004), ...
where the national team won first place. Croatia went undefeated through the tournament and Balić was selected in the all-star team and was the 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 ( hr, Državna nagrada za šport "Franjo Bučar") is the highest recognition that Republic of Croatia gives for extraordinary achievements and contributions of remarkable meaning for the development of sport in Cr ...
yearly award. Balić won the award with the team, as he also won another yearly award by himself.
At the
2005 World Championship in Tunisia, Croatia came in second place losing to Spain in the final game. Balić was voted
MVP
In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...
of the tournament and the best play maker. At the
2006 European Championship in Switzerland, Croatia came in fourth. Balić was once again voted MVP of the tournament and the best play maker, also being the fourth 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: ''Kauboji'' ( en, The Cowboys).
At the
2007 World Championship in Germany, Croatia came in fifth place, with Balić was voted MVP once again. Balić also played during the
2008 European Championship in Norway where Croatia suffered a defeat from Denmark in the final. That 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 handball player for Paris Saint-Germain and the French national team.
With the French national handball team, he has won three Olympic gold medals (Summer Olympics of 2008, 2012 and 2020), four ...
and
Lars Christiansen with 44 goals.
In the 2008 European Championship, he was the equal top scorer with 44 goals as he led Croatia to a silver medal and was also voted to the all-star team of the tournament. The same year Balić was selected to be Croatia's
flagbearer
A standard-bearer, also known as a flag-bearer is a person (soldier or civilian) 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 f ...
at the
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and also known as Beijing 2008 (), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes from 204 Na ...
in
Beijing
}
Beijing ( ; ; ), alternatively romanized as Peking ( ), is the capital of the People's Republic of China. It is the center of power and development of the country. Beijing is the world's most populous national capital city, with over 21 ...
. Unfortunately, the tournament did not go so well. Croatia finished in fourth place losing the third place for the bronze medal to Spain in an awful defeat of 29–35. Balić did not play his best at the tournament failing to receive an award. The next national team challenge Balić faced was the
2009 World Championship in Croatia. Even though Croatia went undefeated throughout the tournament,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
beat them in a painful final match, during which a rivalry emerged between Balić and Nikola Karabatić, which the media named "clash of the titans". At the
2010 European Championship in Austria, Croatia won another silver medal losing to France in the final game.
Following unsuccessful
2011 World Championship, where Croatia came in fifth place, in 2012 Balić won two bronze medals with Croatia–at the
European Championship in Serbia and at the
Olympics
The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a var ...
in
London
London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...
. Prior to the
2013 World Championship in Spain, Balić was dropped from the national team by then head coach
Slavko Goluža
Slavko Goluža (born 17 September 1971) is a retired Croatian handball player and current 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. At the age ...
, thus he retired from the national team. After the match, there was a special ceremony dedicated to Balić. During the ceremony,
Jackson Richardson
Jackson Richardson (born 14 June 1969) is a retired French handball player. As the captain of the French handball team, he was the flag carrier during the Olympic Games opening ceremony in Athens on 13 August 2004.
Biography
Richardson started ...
, his handball idol, came to congratulate him on his career.
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 often ...
coaching staff under newly appointed head coach
Željko Babić as team's coordinator, alongside his old colleagues
Petar Metličić
Petar Metličić (born 25 December 1976) is a retired Croatian 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 that staff he won the bronze medal at the
2016 European Championship in Poland with the rest of the team, and was also part of the fifth-place placement at the
2016 Summer Olympics
The 2016 Summer Olympics ( pt, Jogos Olímpicos de Verão de 2016), officially the Games of the XXXI Olympiad ( pt, Jogos da XXXI Olimpíada) and also known as Rio 2016, was an international multi-sport event held from 5 to 21 August 20 ...
in
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a b ...
.
On 8 April 2021, the
Croatian Handball Federation
The Croatian Handball Federation ( hr, Hrvatski rukometni savez; abbr. HRS) is the governing body of handball in Croatia. It is based in Zagreb.
It organizes the handball leagues:
* Croatian Premier Handball League, Croatian Men's Premier Handball ...
appointed Balić as assistant coach to
Hrvoje Horvat
Hrvoje Horvat (born 22 May 1946) is a Croatian handball coach and player who competed in the 1972 Summer Olympics and in the 1976 Summer Olympics for SFR Yugoslavia.
International career
He was part of the Yugoslav team which won the gold medal ...
in the coaching staff of the senior Croatian national handball team.
Personal life
From 1999 to 2006 Balić was married to his wife Ivana. They have together one son, Dino, born 2000. In 2014 Balić got his second child, first with girlfriend Mirela Delić, a son named Vigo. In 2016 Balić became a father for the third time.
Balić enjoys watching
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 (appr ...
.
Honours
Club
;Split
*
Croatian First A League
**Runner-up (1): 1997–98
;Metković
*
Croatian First League
The Hrvatska nogometna liga () ( en, Croatian football league), also known as HNL or for sponsorship reasons the SuperSport HNL, is the top Croatian professional football league competition, established in 1992. Previously, it was called Prva ...
**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
*Croatian Minute Movie Cup ...
**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 1 ...
**Winner (1):
2004–05
*
Supercopa ASOBAL
The Supercopa ASOBAL or the Supercopa de España de Balonmano is an annual cup competition for Spanish handball teams. It is organised by the Liga ASOBAL. It was first played for in 1985 and is disputed between the Liga ASOBAL champions and the win ...
**Winner (1): 2004
*
EHF Champions League
The Men's 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 me ...
**Finalist (1):
2005–06
;Zagreb
*
Dukat Premier League
**Winner (4): 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 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
*Croatian Minute Movie Cup ...
**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 1 ...
**Runner-up (1):
2012–13
1 (one, unit, unity) is a number representing a single or the only entity. 1 is also a numerical digit and represents a single unit of counting or measurement. For example, a line segment of ''unit length'' is a line segment of length 1. I ...
*
Copa del Rey
The Campeonato de España–Copa de Su Majestad el Rey, commonly known as Copa del Rey or simply La Copa and formerly known as Copa del Presidente de la República (1932–36) and Copa del Generalísimo (1939–76), is an annual knockout footbal ...
**Winner (1):
2013
File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...
*
IHF Super Globe
The Men's Super Globe is a handball competition contested between the champion clubs from continental confederations.
On 7 December 2018, the IHF moved the Super Globe to Saudi Arabia for four years, until 2022.
Summary
Records and statistics ...
**Winner (1):
2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...
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 ( hr, Državna nagrada za šport "Franjo Bučar") is the highest recognition that Republic of Croatia gives for extraordinary achievements and contributions of remarkable meaning for the development of sport in Cr ...
: 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 (; it, Abbazia; german: Sankt Jakobi) is a town and a municipality in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County in western Croatia. The traditional seaside resort on the Kvarner Gulf is known for its Mediterranean climate and its historic buildings r ...
: 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 ( hr, Hrvatski olimpijski odbor (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 Olymp ...
*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 often ...
;All-star team
*
MVP
In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...
and best centre back at the
2004 European Championship
*Best centre back at the
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympics ( el, Θερινοί Ολυμπιακοί Αγώνες 2004, ), officially the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad ( el, Αγώνες της 28ης Ολυμπιάδας, ) and also known as Athens 2004 ( el, Αθήνα 2004), ...
*
MVP
In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...
and best centre back at the
2005 World Championship
*
MVP
In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...
and best centre back at the
2006 European Championship
*Top field goalscorer of the
2006 European Championship – 43 goals
*
MVP
In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...
at the
2007 World Championship
*Best centre back and top goalscorer at 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 1 ...
:
2004–05,
2005–06,
2006–07
;Distinctions
*Best sportsperson of
Dalmatia
Dalmatia (; hr, Dalmacija ; it, Dalmazia; see #Name, names in other languages) is one of the four historical region, historical regions of Croatia, alongside Croatia proper, Slavonia, and Istria. Dalmatia is a narrow belt of the east shore of ...
by ''
Slobodna Dalmacija
''Slobodna Dalmacija'' () is a Croatian daily newspaper published in Split.
The first issue of ''Slobodna Dalmacija'' was published on 17 June 1943 by Tito's Partisans in an abandoned stone barn on Mosor, a mountain near Split, while the city ...
'': 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.
Demographics
The total population of the city municipal ...
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
References
External links
*
*
*
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Balic, Ivano
1979 births
Living people
Sportspeople from Split, Croatia
Croatian male handball players
Olympic handball players of Croatia
Olympic gold medalists for Croatia
Olympic bronze medalists for Croatia
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