Handball career last longer than before. There are a lot of examples of TOP quality players who are close to 40th birthday. Handball-Planet.com try to make a list of TOP players, who are fighting against nature and shows us that humans can do anything with self-discipline, a litlle luck and a lot of knowledge.
TOP 10 veterans of Handball world are (Born before 1.September 1975):
1. Olafur Stefansson (1973, Iceland – Rhein Neckar Lowen)
Fantastic Icelandic right back looking so inteligent and fresh on the court, that it seems that he will play until 50. People from the Balkans will tell “He is probably eating a lot of fish”. Even if it is true, there isn’t such a players with 37 years as Olafur. He won Champions League with Ciudad Real and Magdeburg, also with Iceland two silver medals (OG 2008 and EURO 2010) and become, four time Sports Personality of Iceland. What is also most important for the title “King of veterans” is that, he is with Rhein Neckar Lowen still in the very top of handball.
2. Lars Christiansen (1972, KIF Kolding – Denmark)
Who knows when will fantastic left wing finish his career. More than 300 appearances for Denmark, one gold from EURO 2008, three bronze medals. Probably the best seven meters shooter of all time in Bundesliga, therefore in the World. Atractive, lucid, courageus, beautiful to watch. He wrote even one book about himself. A lot of them, we saw at the court. Flensburg for many years and now, KIF Kolding. Maybe step back at the end, but he still play in Champions League.
3. Tomas Svensson (1968, Valladolid – Sweden)
When you try to google his name, firstly you see some “webmaster” with a same name. With all of respect to that mister, that is a shame for handball (which we want to change). One of the best goalkeeper in the history of our game with 42 years, still is between the post – Tomas Svensson. A lot of medals with Swedish “Benga boys”, Champions League trophies with Bidasoa and Barcelona, more than 20 years in European Cups playing. Still fresh for Valladolid and battle with the best teams of Europe.
4. Dejan Peric (1970, MKB Vezsprem – Serbia)
With his sports principles, passion and commitment to his work, “Perke” is a example for his teammates. He grow up in fantastic Yugoslav generation with Skrbic, Perunicic, Stojanovic, Djordjic, Jovanovic, Knezevic, etc, but for many reasons, they stayed just with two bronze from International championships. He compensated everything with two Champions League trophies with Celje PL and F.C Barcelona, CWC with MKB Veszprem, where is he still something between goalkeeper and coach, big authority.
5. Henning Fritz (1974, Rhein Neckar Lowen – Germany)
First goalkeeper who has been voted for the best World handball player of the year 2004. He become World and European champion with Germany, won CL with THW Kiel. Still he has a lot to show in cooperation with Slawomir Schmal at Rhein Neckar Lowen.
6. Jose Javier Hombrados (1972, BM Renovalia Ciudad Real – Spain)
Always in the shadow, in his club because of Sterbik and Baruffet in NT of Spain, but beside that, TOP quality goalkeeper, when he has oportunity to show us that. He won EHF CL four times (once with Caja Cantabria and three times with Ciudad Real)
7. Denis Krivoshlykov (1972, Ademar Leon – Russia)
Maybe he was never the best on his right wing position, but because of his stability and trophies, he deserved to be in TOP 10. Denis is still vital part of Ademar Leon, with whom he won everything in Spain. With Russia, he won all he could win – World, European and Olympic Gold.
8. Carlos Perez (1971, MKB Veszprem – Hungary and Cuba)
“Guy with a perfect psyhical skills”, Carlos Perez was born in Cuba, but his fantastic appearance with Cuban NT in Iceland 1995 World Cup saw President of Veszprem, who had to buy four more players to force the Cubans to give him permission to left country. Since then (1997), he become a legend of Hungarian handball and still now, best player, when he is in good mood. With age 39, he is jumping and shooting like a teenager. Who knows how long he will play…
9. Yoon Kyung Shin (1973, Doosan – South Korea)
He was the first Asian player voted for a World Handballer by IHF (2001). Legendary goalscorer, still unbeatable on Bundesliga lists (Eight times best scorer of HBL) and two times best scorer of World Champioships. From 2008, he went back to South Korea, where he still play in team of Doosan.
10. Steiner Ege (1972, AG Copenhagen – Norway)
More then 250 games for Norway and years in the best teams of Europe (THW Kiel, Gummersbach, FCK), put him on this list. At age 38, he still showing impressive bunch of saves from time to time. Now, in couple with Kasper Hvidt, Ege can do anything in AG Copenhagen project.
Link to: HANDBALL-PLANET.COM
Thank you for your support.
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Ed
14. January 2011. at 11:26
Yeah go Tomas! He reminds me of the days when we swedes were feared in the handball-world :/ Regarding the google search on Tomas; he has a REALLY common name in Sweden, that’s why his not the first result that pops up.