Croatian cadet handball team wins gold medal

by croatiaweek
April 30, 2023
in Sport

(Photo: HRS)

The Croatian men’s cadet national handball team has won the Mediterranean Championship. In the final tournament hosted by Tunisia over the past five days, the Croatian team defeated France 39-32 in the final and won the competition without any defeat.

From the very beginning, the young Croatian players appeared confident and believed that they were a better team than France. The brilliant young coach Ivan Dragić kept some cards hidden in the game played in the group stage, which ended in a 23-23 draw, as Croatia had already secured a place in the semifinals.

In the semifinals, Ivan Dragić’s team defeated Tunisia 28:22, while France reached the final by winning against Montenegro 32:12.

Croatia not only won the gold medal but also the MVP of the tournament was Berislav Antonio Tokić. The ideal lineup also included right wing Petar Šprem and Luka Bakula.

Croatia beat Romania, Egypt, Greece, Spain, Tunisia and France during the tournament.

“We showed exceptional strength and character even in moments when we maybe did not play our best, and I think in the end, the width of our bench, or better rotation compared to France, saved us. We are very happy because winning against Spain, France, Tunisia, and Egypt in one tournament is not easy,” said coach Ivan Dragić.