Handball Best Players of Alltime

Handball is a fast-paced team sport that requires agility, strength and skill. It combines elements of basketball, soccer and hockey to create an exciting game enjoyed by players around the world. In handball two teams compete with each other using their hands to pass a ball between them in order to score goals on the opposing team’s goal. Each team consists of seven players – six court players plus one goalkeeper – all working together as they attempt to outwit their opponents and gain victory for their side.

1. Mikkel Hansen

Aalborg Håndbold

Career

• Years: Team
• 1997–2000: Helsingør IF
• 2000–2005: Virum-Sorgenfri HK

Mikkel Hansen is a left back who currently plays for Danish club Aalborg Håndbold. Mikkel Hansen started playing football at Helsingør IF, before moving to Virum-Sorgenfri HK in the early 2000s.

In 2005, Mikkel Hansen joined GOG Håndbold and has since made over 150 appearances for the club. Mikkel Hansen has represented Denmark at international level on multiple occasions and won silverware with GOG Håndbold in both the Danish Cup and Danish Superliga during his time there.

Outside of football, Mikkel Hansen works as a finance consultant for Jyske Banken Mikkel Hansen is a Danish international footballer who plays as a midfielder for Paris Saint-Germain and the Denmark national team. He started his career at FC Barcelona, before spending six years with AG København in Denmark, winning three Danish titles and two Superliga crowns.

In July 2012 he joined PSG for €20 million, making him the most expensive Danish player of all time. He made his debut for the Denmark national team in 2006 and has since gone on to make over 100 appearances, scoring 25 goals – including seven during UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying campaign which helped lead Denmark to their first ever major tournament appearance at Euro 2016 where they reached the semi-finals before losing to eventual winners Portugal.

On 9 June 2019 he was announced as one of 19 players named in Danmarks National Team's squad for their upcoming matches against Romania and Switzerland

2. Nikola Karabatić

France men's national handball team

Nikola Karabatić is a French international centre back who plays for Paris Saint-Germain. He started his career at Montpellier Handball before moving to THW Kiel and then FC Barcelona in 2013.

Nikola has made over 100 appearances for the France national team, winning silver medals at the 2004 European Championship and the 2008 Olympics, as well as two World Cups (2010 and 2014). Nikola was born in 1984 in Niš, SR Serbia, Yugoslavia but later moved to France with his family when he was young.

He began playing football at an early age and quickly became recognised for his excellent defensive abilities on handball pitches too – which eventually led him into footballing circles outside of just club level play. Nikola is married with one child and enjoys spending time outdoors hiking or cycling whenever possible.

3. Ivano Balić

Ivano Balić is a Croatian centre back who has played for several clubs in the country and abroad. Ivano was born on 1 April 1979 in Split, SR Croatia, Yugoslavia.

Balić made his senior debut with RK Brodomerkur Split in 1997 before moving to Metković Jambo four years later. He then spent three seasons at Portland San Antonio before rejoining Zagreb in 2008 as an assistant coach under former club-mate Slaven Bilic.

Ivano made his international debut for Croatia in 2003 and has since played over 50 times for his country, including appearances at both the World Cup (2006) and Euro 2012 tournaments. After retiring from playing football after the 2014–15 season, he became an assistant coach with Croatia national team Ivano Balić was born on January 21, 1987 in Zagreb, Croatia.

He started his career with hometown club NK Hrvatski Dragovoljac before signing for Atlético Madrid in 2001. Balić quickly established himself as a top player at the Spanish side and helped them win La Liga twice (2005-06 and 2006-07). In 2008 he joined German side HSG Wetzlar where he enjoyed further success, winning the Bundesliga in 2012–13. He has also represented Croatia at international level and made his debut against Malta in 1998 U-20s campaign and went on to make over 50 appearances for his country including at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games and Euro 2008 championships.

Following retirement from playing football, Balić began working as an assistant coach with Croatian national team under head coach Niko Kovačević

4. Niklas Landin Jacobsen

Career

• Years: Team
• 1991–2004: KFUM København
• 2004–2005: GOG
• 2005–2006: KFUM København

Niklas Landin Jacobsen is a professional goalkeeper who currently plays for THW Kiel in the German Bundesliga. Niklas started his career at Danish side KFUM København, before moving to GOG in 2005.

In 2006, he joined Bundesliga club THW Kiel and has since made over 100 appearances for them. Jacobsen was called up to Denmark's national team in 2010 but did not make an appearance until 2016 under new manager Age Hareide.

He represented Denmark at the 2018 World Cup where they reached the semi-finals after beating Iceland 3–1 on aggregate; however, they were beaten by France 1–0 in the final of what was their first ever international tournament as a full nation..

Niklas Landin Jacobsen is a Danish professional basketball player who currently plays for the German club THW Kiel. Niklas Landin Jacobsen represented Denmark at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, where they reached the quarter-finals before losing to eventual champions USA.

Niklas Landin Jacobsen has also played for Sweden and Spain at international level, winning silver medals with Sweden at the European Championships in 2013 and bronze with Spain at EuroBasket 2017. In February 2019, Niklas Landin Jacobsen signed a three-year contract extension with THW Kiel which will keep him with them until 2023.

A prolific scorer off the dribble, Niklas Landin Jacobsen led all players in Germany/Denmark in scoring during the 2018–19 season (21 games), averaging 17 points per game while shooting 49% from two point range and 83% from free throw line. Born on 1 December 1992 in Svendborg, Denmark, Nikolaas started playing basketball as a youngster alongside his older brother Nikolaj who was also an accomplished player internationally representing Denmark and Swedish teams respectively through university age before going their separate ways professionally some years later; Nikolaj now coaches youth team of FC Barcelona Bàsquetbal Lleida whilst Nikolaas himself is head coach of AEK Athens’ men’s senior side having taken over from Panagiotis Giannakis after he left for Turkish club Fenerbahçe Ülker following their promotion to Liga ACB earlier this year [source: wikipedia].

5. Magnus Wislander

Career

• Years: Team
• 1973–1979: Tuve IF
• 1979–1983: Redbergslids IK

Magnus Wislander is a Swedish football defender who has played for both Redbergslids IK and THW Kiel. Wislander made his professional debut with Redbergslids IK in 1983 and went on to make over 200 appearances for the club, winning two national championships.

He joined THW Kiel in 1990 and helped them win the German Cup in 1992 as well as the Bundesliga title in 1993–94. Wislander retired from playing professionally at the age of 34 after helping THW reach the UEFA Champions League final that season but he later came out of retirement to play for IF Elfsborg in 2006–07 before retiring once again at the end of that campaign.

Magnus Wislander was awarded Sweden's Sportsman of The Year Award in 2002, becoming only the second player ever to achieve this accolade after Pelé (the first being Miroslav Klose). In terms of international career, Magnus Wislander has represented his country at Euro 1984 where they reached their first-ever semi-final appearance, World Cup 1986 where they finished bottom of their group stage but managed to qualify for France 1998 through a playoff against Monaco and Euro 2000 where Sweden were eliminated by Portugal on penalties following a 1–1 draw after extra time despite leading 2–0 late on

6. Cristina Neagu

Career

• Team
• : CSŞ 5 București

Cristina Neagu was born in 1988 in Bucharest, Romania. Cristina Neagu played for CSM București as a left back during the 2017-2018 season. Cristina Neagu has represented her country at senior level on numerous occasions, most notably at UEFA Women's Euro 2013 and the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup.

Cristina Neagu is one of Europe's most highly rated defenders and is considered to be one of the best left backs in world football today. In 2006, when she was just 16 years old, Cristina Neagu joined HC Activ Ploiești from CSŞ 5 Bucureşti as their first female player ever to sign professional terms with a club team .

At international level, Cristina Neagi has made over 60 appearances for Romania since making her debut in 2007 and helped them qualify for both UEFA Women's Euro 2013 and the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup where they reached the latter final tournament after beating Sweden 3-1 on penalties following a 0-0 draw in extra time despite being 2-0 down early on

7. Talant Dujshebaev

Career

• Years: Team
• 1976–1985: CSKA Moscow

Dujshebaev started his career at CSKA Moscow, before moving to Polish club Wisła Kraków in 1992. He played for Spanish side Atlético Madrid between 1995 and 1998 before rejoining the Russian champions, CSKA Moscow, where he retired in 2002.

Dujshebeev was appointed manager of BM Ciudad Real in 2008 after spending two years as assistant manager at Racing Santander. In November 2010 he was announced as the new head coach of FC Ordabasy but left the position after only eight months due to a disagreement with the club hierarchy over player transfers.

Since leaving Ordabasy, Dujshebaev has been without a permanent job but has remained involved in football management; he took charge of FC Terek Grozny for one season following their relegation from Russia's top flight and is currently managing Vive Kielce in Poland's Ekstraklasa league

8. Thierry Omeyer

France men's national handball team

Career

• Years: Team
• 1985–1994: Cernay

Omeyer was born in 1976 and started playing handball at the age of 10. Omeyer made his senior debut with Sélestat HB in 1994, before moving to Montpellier Handball in 2000.

He remained there until 2006, when he joined THW Kiel. In 2013, Omeyer moved back to France and signed for PSG Handball. He stayed with them until 2019, winning two French National Championships during that time.

O Meyer is considered one of the best goalkeepers in Europe and has been a part of several successful teams over the years – including Cernay (1985-1994), Sélestat HB (1994-2000) and Montpellier Handball (2006-2013).

After ending his spell with Paris Saint Germain, Thierry Omeyer announced his retirement from professional handball at the end of the 2019 season He is a professional footballer who has played for France since 1999. He was part of the French team that won the 2008 Olympic Games and 2012 London Olympics.

In 2017, he helped his country win their first World Cup title in 24 years. Thierry Omeyer is also an accomplished midfielder and has represented Portugal and Tunisia at international level in addition to France. 5. He retired from playing football in 2017 after helping France win the World Cup title for a fourth time

9. Stine Bredal Oftedal

Stine Bredal Oftedal is a Norwegian centre back who currently plays for Győri Audi ETO KC. The 31-year old has previously played for Stabæk IF, Helset IF and Issy-Paris Hand in the Norwegian top flight.

Bredal made his debut for Norway in August 2017, playing a part in their 2–1 victory over Cyprus at home. A fast and physical defender, Stine Bredal is likely to be an important player for Győri as they look to consolidate their place in the top division of Hungarian football Stine Bredal Oftedal is a Norwegian cross-country skier who competed in the 2010 Winter Olympics.

She finished seventeenth overall and won a bronze medal in the 4x5 kilometer freestyle relay. In 2013, she became world champion in the team sprint event with her teammates Marit Bjørgen, Heidi Weng, and Silje Norendal Gjelsvik. At the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, Oftedal placed eighteenth in her qualifying group for cross country skiing but helped Norway win their first ever gold medal in that sport by finishing fourth over all behind Sweden, Finland, and Canada; this made her Norway's most successful Olympian of all time at these games when taking into account medals (gold or silver).

Outside of skiing events she also competes as a handball player for TV Håloga IL where she has played since 2009; during this time she has won three league championships with them as well as two Cup titles (in 2012 and 2017). As an athlete Stine Bredal Oftedal wants to use sport to inspire others both young and old to get active no matter what their circumstances are so they can be proud of themselves; this is something that truly resonates with her on an individual level because it was through sports that overcame many challenges herself including being bullied growing up which motivated her greatly to become an elite athlete herself despite often feeling like giving up on life back then due to those experiences.

10. Ludovic Fabregas

Ludovic Fabregas is a French professional footballer who plays for FC Barcelona as a midfielder. Fabregas started his career at Montpellier Handball, before joining Barcelona in 2015.

He has made over 200 appearances for the Catalan club and won numerous honours including La Liga, Copa del Rey, UEFA Champions League and FIFA Club World Cup titles. In 2018 he was named in the Ballon d'Or shortlist for the first time and finished runner-up to Cristiano Ronaldo.

Fabregas represented France at youth level before making his full international debut in March 2016 against Latvia.. Ludovic Fabregas is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Premier League club Chelsea and the Spain national team. He started his career at Barcelona, where he won La Liga titles in 2004 and 2006, before moving to Arsenal in 2007.

Fabregas played for Barcelona again from 2011 until 2014, winning another La Liga title in his final season with the club. In 2015, Fabregas joined French side Paris Saint-Germain on a two-year deal; he was loaned back to Arsenal midway through that year after struggling to make an impact at PSG. After three years with Arsenal once more, he signed for Chelsea ahead of the 2018–19 season;Chelsea finished third in the league behind Manchester City and Liverpool that season but reached the 2019 UEFA Champions League Final where they lost 3–1 to Liverpool .

Fabregas has represented Spain at every level from under-16s up to senior international football since making his debut against Romania in 2005 – including Euro 2008 and 2012 tournaments – scoring eight goals during qualifying for France’s triumph at Euro 2016 .. 7 Ludovic "Ludo" Fabregas (born 17 January 1987) is a Spanish professional footballer who plays as a midfielder or forward for English club Chelsea FC and the Spanish national team

11. Domagoj Duvnjak

RK Metalurg Skopje

Duvnjak was born in Croatia in 1988. Duvnjak started his career with RK Đakovo before moving to Croatia's top club, RK Zagreb, in 2006. In 2009, he joined Hamburg-based HSV and played for them until 2014 when he signed for THW Kiel.

Domagoj is a central defender who has represented his country at senior level on several occasions including the 2010 World Cup and Euro 2016 tournaments where they reached the semi-finals of both competitions. 

He is currently contracted to THW Kiel until 2020 Domagoj Duvnjak is a Croatian footballer who currently plays for Spanish club Valencia CF.

Domagoj Duvnjak made his senior international debut in 2006 and has since gone on to make 214 appearances for Croatia, scoring694 goals along the way.

He was part of the Croatian team that won silver at the 2012 Olympic Games and played a key role as they reached their first World Cup final in 2014, losing to Germany in penalties after being 2-0 up with only 15 minutes left on the clock.

Duvnkac also starred at UEFA Euro 2008 where he scored two decisive goals against Norway and Austria en route to helping Croatia reach the semi-finals before eventually bowing out to Spain following a dramatic 3-2 extra time victory in Vienna. 

In 2013, Duvnik joined La Liga side Valencia CF from Barcelona B, penning a four year deal worth €8 million (£6m/$9m). Despite struggling initially with injury problems, he has since regained his form and helped propel Valencia into contention for honours this season; including reaching the Copa del Rey Final which they lost 1–0 to Real Madrid CF on aggregate.

The Croatia international will be looking forward to representing his country once again at next year's FIFA World Cup in Russia after qualification was confirmed late last night via an away win over Italy by three points – finishing top of Group D with 10 points from 5 games - securing automatic passage irrespective of results elsewhere.

12. Anja Andersen

Anja Andersen began her professional career with Stjernen IF in 1986. She played for Vejle Allested from 1987 to 1988 and then joined ASH 72 in 1989. In 1993, she moved to Jarl Arden where she stayed until 1997 when she rejoined Bækkelaget.

Anja Andersen retired from playing football in 2001 but continues to work as a physiotherapist and coach. Anja Andersen was part of the Danish national team that reached the final of the UEFA Women's Euro 1991 tournament, which they lost 1-0 against Germany after extra time Andersen became a handball player while attending the gymnasium in Bremen.

She then transferred to TuS Walle and played for them until 1996 when she was snapped up by Bækkelaget. Andersen made her international debut with Denmark at the age of just 18, playing against Norway in 1993.

In total, she would play 133 matches for her country and help Denmark win two World Championships (1997 & 2003). 

After leaving handball behind to concentrate on other sporting interests, Andersen returned to team management in 2006 as head coach of Slagelse DT before moving on again in 2008 to FCK Handball where she stayed for one season before finally retiring from coaching after 2010 season.

13. Andrea Lekić

Andrea Lekić is a Serbian professional footballer who plays for Hungarian club Ferencvárosi TC. He started his career at Orenburg in 2005, helping the side to win the Russian Premier League title that year.

In 2007, he moved to Beograd and played alongside future Manchester United teammate Nemanja Vidic with both clubs before signing for Fiorentina in 2009. 

After spending two seasons with Florence, he signed for Turkish club Galatasaray in 2012 where he won the Süper Lig championship that season as captain of the team.

He returned to Hungary after one season with Galatasaray and joined Ferencvárosi TC earlier this year where he has been an ever-present since joining up again with former Fiorentina teammates Vidic and Goran Pandev Andrea Lekić is a Serbian professional basketball player who currently plays for the Hungarian club Ferencvárosi TC.

Andrea Lekić started his career with ŽRK Radnički Belgrade, before moving to Krim in 2007 and then Győri Audi ETO KC in 2011. He made his international debut for Serbia at the 2013 World Championship where they finished as runners-up. 

In 2018, he signed with HC Vardar of Macedonia and helped them win the Macedonian League that year.

The following season, he moved back to Serbia and joined CSM București, where he played until 2020 when he left for Budućnost Titograd of Montenegro.

14. Jim Gottfridsson

Career

• Years: Team
• 1996–2010: IFK Ystad

Jim Gottfridsson began his career at IFK Ystad before making the move to SG Flensburg-Handewitt in 2016. The 30-year-old centre back is a key part of the team and has made over 100 appearances for SG Flensburg-Handewitt so far.

Gottfridsson has represented Sweden at youth level, and was called up to their senior squad in 2017. He is known for his strong aerial ability and solid defending, which has led to him being labelled as one of the best centr defenders in German football today.

Jim Gottfridsson will be looking to help SG Flensburg-Handewitt maintain their position in Germany's top flight this season Gottfridsson started his career with IFK Ystad before moving to SG Flensburg-Handewitt in 2013. Gottfridsson has played for Sweden at various levels, including the World Cup and Euro Championships.

He is a versatile defender who can play both as a centre back and on the left side of defence. In 2018, Gottfridsson helped Croatia reach the World Cup final where they were eventually beaten by France.

15. Veselin Vujović

Career

• Team
• : Lovćen

Veselin Vujović is a Montenegrin international left back and head coach of Iran. He started his career at Lovćen in 1977 before moving to Metaloplastika in 1979.

In 1988, he moved to Barcelona where he made over 200 appearances for the club before retiring in 1993. He then took up coaching duties with several clubs, most notably Iran where he has been since 2007 as head coach.

Veselin Vujović was part of the Yugoslavia squad that reached the semi-finals of Euro 1984 and the finals of Euro 1996, both times losing to France on penalties after a 0–0 draw in normal time and a 1–1 result after extra time respectively..

Veselin Vujović was a Serbian footballer who played as a defender. He started his career with RK Metaloplastika, before moving to Partizan in 1995. After leaving Partizan, he spent time at several clubs in Serbia and Montenegro, including BM Ciudad Real and RK Vardar PRO.

16. Filip Jícha

FC Barcelona Handbol

Career

• Years: Team
• 1988–1995: Starý Plzenec

Filip Jícha is a Czech international left back who played for Starý Plzenec before joining THW Kiel. He won the Czech Cup with Kiel in 2012 and made 37 appearances for them during his time at the club.

Jicha has represented his country at several tournaments, including Euro 2004, which he helped qualify for as part of the Czech Republic's squad that finished third in their qualifying group behind Sweden and Austria.

In January 2018, it was announced that Jícha had retired from professional football due to an irregular heartbeat diagnosis but would continue to manage THW Kiel as technical director.[1] Filip Jícha is a Czech professional ice hockey player who last played for THW Kiel of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga.

He started his career with Slavia Plzeň before moving to Dukla Prague in 2000. From 2003-2005, he spent time with St. Otmar Saint Gallen in Switzerland, before returning to play in Germany with TBV Lemgo from 2005-2007. 

In 2007, Filip joined Spanish side FC Barcelona where he remained until 2015 when he signed on once again with THW Kiel of the DEL1 competition; however this was only a one season deal and at the conclusion of that campaign he retired from playing professionally altogether aged just 30 years old.

Whilst not currently registered as part of any club outside of Spain, it's been reported that Filipino Ice Hockey Federation (FIH) officials are keen for him to resume his international career and represent his country at future tournaments – something which would be an honour for him..

17. Arpad Sterbik

Arpad Sterbik is a Serbian professional goalkeeper who has played for MVM Veszprém, Atlético Madrid and FC Barcelona. Sterbik started his career at RK Jugović before moving to Hungarian side MVM Veszprém in 2001.

He spent four seasons there before joining Spanish side Ciudad Real in 2004. Sterbik then moved to Atlético Madrid where he made over 200 appearances between 2006 and 2011 before signing for Barcelona in 2012. 

In 2014, he joined Bulgarian club RK Vardar on loan, making 16 league appearances during the season as they finished runners-up in their division.

He returned to Barcelona ahead of the 2015–16 campaign but was released by the Catalan club at the end of that season after failing to agree new terms with them. 

Sterbik signed for Telekom Veszprém ahead of the 2018–19 season and helped them win promotion back into Liga 1 via the play-offs; he also won silverware with them when they reached the UEFA Europa League group stage later that year.

18. Sandra Toft

Győri Audi ETO KC

Sandra Toft began her career with Virum-Sorgenfri HK, before joining TTH Holstebro in 2007. She spent four seasons at Larvik HK before moving to Győri Audi ETO KC ahead of the 2018–19 season.

Sandra is a goalkeeper and is known for her excellent reactions and reflexes. She has been capped by Denmark at youth level, but has yet to make an appearance for the senior team. Sandra is a regular for Denmark's under-17 and under-20 teams, as well as appearing for the full national side on occasion.

Sandra Toft is a Danish professional basketball player who currently plays for Team Esbjerg. She has played for the Danish national team since 2008 and participated in the World Championships in 2021 and the European Championships in 2022. 

Sandra also represented Denmark at youth international tournaments such as the Junior World Championship in Macedonia in 2008, where she won a gold medal, and at the Youth World Championship held in Canada two years later.

In 2017–2019, Sandra played with Brest Bretagne HB of France before moving to Győri Audi ETO KC of Hungary for the next three seasons. She made her senior debut with Denmark during their successful qualification campaign for EuroBasket 2019 which they eventually finished as runners-up behind Spain.

She subsequently featured prominently during their silver-medal winning campaign at this year’s edition of Europe’s top competition. 

Outside of basketball, Sandra completed her studies at Copenhagen Business School before beginning a career working within sport administration – most recently serving as an assistant coach with Denmarks women’s national under-20 team from 2018 until early 2020.

When she was promoted to head coach role on an interim basis following previous incumbent Dorthe Nielsen stepping down due to pregnancy complications.

19. Jackson Richardson

Career

• Years: Team
• 1977–1989: Saint-Pierre HBC

Richardson was born in 1969 in Saint-Pierre, Réunion. He started playing football at the age of five with his local team Saint-Pierre HBC. Richardson made his senior debut with Paris-Asnières in 1989 and went on to play for OM Vitrolles, TV Großwallstadt and Portland San Antonio before retiring in 2005.

Richardson is best known for his time spent at OM Vitrolles where he won three Ligue 1 titles between 1991 and 1996 as well as the 1995–96 Coupe de France title. 

After retiring from football, Richardson began working as a coach with various youth teams around France before eventually taking up an assistant manager role at FC Istres in 2010 Jackson Richardson was born on October 10th, 1990 in the town of Chambéry, Savoie region of France.

Jackson is a professional handball player who currently plays for Rhein-Neckar Löwen club in Germany. He has played for France at various international tournaments including the Olympic Games where he helped win a bronze medal in 2008. 

In addition to his successful playing career, Jackson also coaches young players and runs an academy in his home town of Chambéry. Jackson Richardson is married and has two children – one son and one daughter – who are both active participants in their father's sport life.

20. Anita Görbicz

Career

• Years: Team
• 1993–1997: Győri Audi ETO KC

Anita Görbicz started her career at Győri Audi ETO KC. She was part of the Hungarian national team and played in various tournaments, including the Olympic Games in Athens, Greece.

In 2017 she joined the newly formed Hungarian Women's National Team and has since been playing for them regularly. Görbicz is known as a hard-working defender who can also play on the left wing if needed.

Her goal is to help Hungary qualify for future major tournaments and bring home some silverware along the way. Anita Görbicz started her coaching career in 2002 with Hungary. She was named assistant coach of Győri Audi ETO KC for the 2020–2021 season.

Anita has been a part of the Hungarian national team since 2002 and helped lead them to two World Championships (2003, 2005). In 2004, she led Hungary to their first European Championship victory and became the country's first female player to hoist the trophy at international level.

Görbicz also represented Hungary at Junior Worlds in 2001 where they finished second behind Serbia.

21. Heidi Løke

Heidi Loke is a Norwegian pivot who has played for Larvik HK since 2011. She started her career at IL Runar in 2000 and then spent two seasons with Gjerpen IF before joining Aalborg DH in 2007.

In 2008, she moved to Larvik HK where she has been an important player over the past seven years. As a pivot, Heidi Loke is known for her accurate passing and strong defence; she also enjoys creating chances for herself and others on the pitch.

Heidi Loke was called up to Norway's national team in 2009 but did not make her debut until 2013 – aged 26 years old. Her most recent international appearance came during UEFA Women's Euro 2017 qualifying when she featured against Belgium and Estonia respectively; both games ended in 0-0 draws.

After helping Norway win the bronze medal at the 2016 Olympic Games, it will be interesting to see what else Heidi Loke can achieve as a professional footballer.

22. Svetlana Kitić

Svetlana Kitić was born in Tuzla, PR Bosnia and Herzegovina, Yugoslavia on 19 June 1960. She played for Jedinstvo Tuzla from 1976 to 1980 and then Radnički Belgrade from 1980 to 1992 before moving to Željezničar in 2000.

Kitić made her international debut with Yugoslavia in 1980 and went on to play 202 matches for her country scoring 911 goals over the course of eight years. In 1996 she joined Jedinstvo Tuzla again where she remained until 2006 when she retired from football at the age of 42 after helping her team win promotion back into the top flight of Croatian football.

Following retirement, Kitić has worked as a television commentator for various tournaments around Croatia while also serving as an ambassador for UNICEF’s ‘Hearts across Borders’ programme which helps children living without parental support in war zones such as Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and Syria receive education opportunities.

23. Eduarda Amorim

Győri Audi ETO KC

Eduarda Amorim is a Brazilian handball player who has been awarded the IHF World Player of the Year title in 2009. She has played for Brazil throughout her career and was part of the team that won silver at the 2004 Olympic Games.

In 2007, she joined Danish club Aalborg Håndbold and helped them reach their first European Cup final, where they were beaten by eventual champions FC Barcelona Handbol. 

She left Aalborg after one season to sign with German side THW Kiel, where she helped them win both the Bundesliga and Champions League titles in 2011–12 season as well as reaching another Champions League Final that year – this time losing to Olympiacos Piraeus.

Amorim then moved back to her homeland to join Portuguese club Belenenses Handball prior to returning once more abroad in 2015 when she signed for French side Montpellier HB on a two-year contract. 

After just one season at Montpellier, Amorim returned home again signing for Russian outfit Dinamo Kazan ahead of 2018/19 Women's EHF Champions League Season which saw them make it all the way through to their first-ever Women's EHF Continental Cup Final before eventually being beaten by defending champion MN Zagreb 78:72 (25:23, 25:22, 21:18).

24. Gro Hammerseng

Gro Hammerseng is the first and incumbent Chairperson of IHF Athletes' Commission. He has been involved in sport for over 30 years, most notably as a player with Horsens IC before embarking on a successful career as a sports administrator.

As Head of Denmark's National Olympic Committee from 2002-2008, Gro was instrumental in staging both the 2004 Athens Olympics and Beijing 2008 Games to critical acclaim. In 2009 he was appointed President of the International Amateur Boxing Federation (AIBA), holding that position until his appointment to chair IHF Athletes' Commission in 2014.

A strong advocate for youth development through sport, Gro also serves as Deputy Chairman of European Sports Federations (ESF) Youth Board and Vice-President of SportAccord Europe, an organisation which promotes fair play across all sports disciplines worldwide.

25. Bertrand Gille

France men's national handball team

Bertrand Gille is a French handball player who competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics. Bertrand Gille has played for clubs including Valence and Montpellier, as well as being part of the France national team that won gold at the 2002 World Men's Handball Championship in Sweden.

At 42 years old, he retired from competitive handball after playing with Montpellier in Ligue 1 during the 2014–15 season. 

In 2017, Bertrand Gille was named head coach of France women's national handball team, taking over from Laurent Blondel following his resignation from his post leading Lyon OGC on 30 June 2016 due to health reasons.

As a player, Bertrand Gille epitomised power and athleticism; he was known for his thunderous shots off the ground and excellent ball handling skills which allowed him to dominate opposing defences on both indoor and outdoor courts alike.

26. Bojana Radulović

Radulović was born in 1973 and is a Yugoslavian international right back. After playing for ŽRK Radnički Belgrade, she moved to BM Sagunto before joining Dunaújváros in 2006.

In 1995, she joined Caola SE of Spain as a free agent after leaving Dunaújváros. 

She made her debut for Yugoslavia on 8 October 1994 against Norway, and has since played at the 1996 Olympics, 2000 Sydney Olympics, 2004 Athens Olympics and 2008 Beijing Olympic games where Serbia finished 4th behind Greece, United States and China respectively.

Radulović also represented Hungary between 2002-2004 while living in Madrid with her husband László Pusztai who played for Spanish club Atlético Madrid from 1990-2002 winning two La Liga titles (1992–93; 1993–94).

Following the birth of their daughter Gabriella in 2007, Bojana retired from football aged 39 but still regularly visits Serbian children's hospitals assisting them during surgery or providing emotional support to youngsters battling serious illnesses or injuries which have left them wheelchair bound or confined to a bed permanently.

27. Dragan Škrbić

Career

• Team
• : Crvenka

Dragan Škrbić was born on September 29, 1968 in Kula, SR Serbia, Yugoslavia. Crvenka before joining Atlético Madrid in 1993. He remained with the club until 1995 when he transferred to Alzira.

In 1997 Škrbić joined Ademar León at Celje and stayed with the side until 1998 when he moved to VfL Hameln. After two years in Germany, Škrbić returned to Croatia and signed for Hajduk Split where he spent six seasons before retiring from football in 2002 at the age of 36 due to injury problems.

Dragan Škrbić has won one Croatian First League title (with Hajduk Split) and three Croatian Cups (with Dinamo Zagreb). 

Additionally, he has played 84 matches for the Serbian national team scoring 16 goals He is a former handball player for Yugoslavia and Barcelona. World Championship, European Championship, and the Goodwill Games.

He was born on April 1st, 1978 in Kragujevac, Serbia. Barcelona HC of Spain's Liga ACB League and two seasons with RK Zagreb of Croatian First Professional League (HNL). In his career he amassed over 600 caps for Yugoslavia as well as playing at three different continents - Europe (EURO), The Americas (NORCECA) and Asia (ASIA-PACIFIC).

After retiring from playing professional handball Dragan Škrbić pursued a successful coaching career which took him to various clubs such as FC Barcelona Lassa/Barcelona Basketból Club de Baloncesto/Sporting CP Madrid where he coached under head coach Ernesto Valverde who led Barça to win La Liga title in 2016-2017 season. 

 He also served as an assistant coach of Serbia national team during their unsuccessful campaign at the 2018 FIBA World Cup Qualifiers held in Jordan scoring 5 goals en route including one against Iceland that sealed their passage into Group E alongside Croatia.

Macedonia & Kosovo despite losing all 3 games by wide margins but securing top spot due to Montenegro withdrawing from the competition leaving them with only 2 spots available instead of 3 meaning they would have had to play against Israel.

Finland if they wanted to compete at next year’s tournament; nonetheless Serbia finished second behind eventual winners Lithuania qualifying for Euro 2020 thanks primarily to this record breaking performance by Škrbić. 

Who averaged 14 points per game while topping the charts both individually & collectively averaging double figures across all competitions played leading up tot eh qualifiers.

28. Henning Fritz

Career

• Years: Team
• –1984: Dynamo Magdeburg
• 1984–1988: TuS Magdeburg

Henning Fritz started his football career at Dynamo Magdeburg. He then played for TuS Magdeburg before joining SC Magdeburg in 1988. In 2001, he moved to THW Kiel where he spent the next six seasons until 2007 when he joined Rhein-Neckar Löwen.

At Rhein-Neckar Löwen, Henning became a club legend and helped them win two German championships (2006, 2010) as well as the DFB Pokal (2007). 

On 31 May 2012, aged 36, Henning announced his retirement from professional football after 12 years with Rhein-Neckar Löwen and 355 appearances in the Bundesliga and 2 Champions Leagues tournaments with SC Magdeburg and THW Kiel respectively. S

ince retiring from playing professionally Henning has worked as Goalkeeping Coach at Eintracht Frankfurt II since October 2014.

29. Erzsébet Kocsis

Erzsébet Kocsis is a Hungarian international football player who has played for Győri Richards and Ferencváros. Erzsébet was born in 1965 in Győr, Hungary.

She started playing football at an early age with local teams before joining Győri Richards in 1982 where she would spend the next nine seasons of her career.

While at Győri Richards, Erzsébet won two league titles and three Hungarian Cup titles during her time there; this included helping the club to victory in their maiden European competition when they took part in the 1988–89 edition of Champions League qualifiers which saw them reach the group stages where they finished third behind Atlético Madrid and Steaua Bucureşti respectively.

In 1989, Erzsébet transferred to Ferencváros where she spent four seasons until 1993 before returning toGyör for one final season (1994/95). 

Overall, Kocsis made 136 appearances for Hungary between 1982 and 1995 scoring 16 goals whilst representing her country at various youth levels as well as appearing at the 1992 Summer Olympics winning silver medals alongside team-mate Zsuzsa Budai.

Following retirement from professional football, she served as assistant manager of Puskás Akademia FC women's team from 2007 until 2013 before taking up a position with UEFA Women's Football Committee later that year. 

As of October 2018, Erzebet is currently head coach of Nemzerföldi TEAK SE IFC Ladies team.

30. Anita Kulcsár

Anita Kulcsár was a Hungarian international footballer who played as a line player. Anita Kulcsár started his footballing career at Kölcsey DSE before joining Győri ETO KC in 1995.

He made over 100 appearances for the club during his time there and won two domestic titles. After leaving Győri ETO KC, Anita Kulcsár moved to Germany and signed for Rot-Weiss Essen in 2001.

However, he only spent one season with the club and then returned to Hungary where he died in 2005 aged 28 due to liver failure caused by alcoholism Anita Kulcsár is a Hungarian international footballer who played for both Alcoa FKC and Dunaferr.

Kulcsár made her senior debut with Alcoa in 2001 and went on to play 165 competitive games for the club, scoring 402 goals along the way. In 2004 she joined Dunaferr, where she spent two seasons before retiring from football at the age of just 25 years old.

After hanging up her boots, Anita joined Hungary's coaching staff as an assistant coach under Bertalan Bicskei before being appointed head coach in 2018. 

She has also represented her country at numerous youth levels and played at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney as well as appearing at three World Championships (2003, 2005, 2007).

As a player, Kulcsár was known for her speed and shooting ability; during her time with Alcoa she scored over 50% of all his team's goalscoring opportunities which earned him nicknames such as 'the Bullet' or 'The Sniper'. 

Outside of football, Anita is currently studying business administration at university and plans to launch a foundation that helps disadvantaged children pursue education later in life once she retires from coaching full-time after Euro 2020 qualifying matches this autumn.

31. Sławomir Szmal

Sławomir Szmal started his career at Gwardia Opole and went on to play for Huntnik Kraków, KS Warszawianka, Wisła Płock and PGE Vive Kielce. He is currently the goalkeeper coach at PGE Vive Kielce.

Sławomir Szmal has played in a total of 190 matches in the Polish Ekstraklasa league, scoring 18 goals. As a goalkeeper, Sławomir Szmal is known for being very accurate with his kicks and having good reflexes.

In international competition, Sławomir Szmal has represented Poland on several occasions including Euro 2008 and the 2010 World Cup where they reached the quarter-finals respectively. 

Outside of football, Sławomir Szmal enjoys spending time with his family and playing golf Polish goalkeeper Sławomir Szmal was part of the Poland national football team that won their first World Cup in 2007.

After playing for TuS Nettelstedt-Lübbecke, Szmal signed with Rhein-Neckar Löwen where he spent five seasons before joining Vive Kielce in 2010. With his country, Szmal has participated in three more World Cups (2010, 2014 and 2018), as well as Euro 2012 and the 2016 European Championship. 

In club play, Szmal is most famous for his time at Rhein-Neckar Löwen where he helped the team to two DFB Pokals (German Cup) titles during his tenure there between 2009 and 2011; additionally, he lifted the Polish SuperCup twice with Vive Kielce over a four-year span from 2013 to 2017.

Outside of footballing endeavors, Sławomir is also known as one half of “The Twins” – twin brothers who are both professional basketball players with Hapoel Jerusalem currently in Israel’s top division Liga Leumit - having played together since 2006/07 season.

32. Alexandra do Nascimento

Alexandra do Nascimento is a Brazilian football player who has played for clubs in the Austrian, Hungarian and Serbian leagues. She has also represented her country at senior international level, playing in the 2007 Copa América and 2011 World Cup qualifiers.

Alexandra was born in Limeira, Brazil on 16 September 1981 but moved to Austria as a child before making her professional debut with Guarulhos in 2003. 

After joining Hypo Niederösterreich two years later she spent four seasons with the club before moving to HCM Baia Mare midway through the 2014 season – where she remained until 2016 when she joined Váci NKSE of Hungary.

In 2017 Alexandra transferred back to Brazil, rejoining Alba Fehérvár KC from Serbia after just one season with Bourg-de-Péage DHB from Switzerland; however, due to financial problems at Alba FCshe left during the summer of 2018 and retired from football altogether shortly afterwards having made only five appearances for her country over a ten year career.

33. Lim O-kyeong

Lim O-kyeong was born on February 2, 1966. He is a member of the National Assembly and has been in office since May 9, 2013. Lim is a representative from the Democratic Party of South Korea and his main focus in office is infrastructure development and social welfare programs for the population.

In addition to his responsibilities as an MP, Lim also serves as chairman of the Committee on Construction and Transport Affairs in the National Assembly. 

Previously he served as mayor of Seoul from 2008 until 2013, during which time he oversaw significant improvements to transportation systems including the construction of new subway lines and bridges across Seoul's riverside district." 

Lim currently resides in Bucheon City with his wife Lee Seung-hee and their two children." Lim graduated from Yonsei University with a degree in civil engineering before embarking on a career working for various public sector organizations including the Ministry of Land Management & Rural Development (1988–1993) and Seoul Metropolitan Government (1993–1998).

He then entered politics when he was elected Mayor of Seoul by popular vote after defeating incumbent Ahn Cheol-soo at the polls."

34. Daniel Stephan

Daniel Stephan is a German artist who uses his art to address social and political issues. He has exhibited throughout Europe, the United States, and Canada, and his work has been featured in publications like The New York Times.

In 2007, Daniel Stephan was elected to the Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR) Foundation Board of Trustees. He currently lives and works in Berlin, Germany Stephan represented Germany at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, where they finished in 4th place.

Stephan is a skilled handball player, and has been for many years. He was part of the team that won silver medals at the 2002 European Championships and gold medals at the 2007 World Championships. Stephan retired from international play after the 2012 Summer Olympics but still competes in domestic competitions.

Stephan works as a sports journalist for German television network ARD, providing coverage of various sporting events around Europe.

35. Jasna Kolar-Merdan

Jasna Kolar-Merdan was born in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina on October 19th, 1956. She competed in the 1980 Summer Olympics, 1984 Summer Olympics and 1992 Summer Olympics as a handball player.

Jasna Kolar-Merdan is best known for her participation in the 1980 and 1992 Olympic games where she won a silver medal with Yugoslavia's team. After retiring from competitions, Jasna Kolar-Merdan became a successful coach of young handball players in her home country Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Jasna Kolar-Merdan is a Slovenian journalist and author. She has written several books, including the novel "The Book of Life." In 2006 she was awarded the prestigious Erasmus Prize for her work as a journalist. She is also known for her reporting on human rights issues in Kosovo and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In 2012 she was appointed director of RSF's Europe office.

36. Zhai Chao

Zhai Chao started playing handball at the age of eight and quickly became a star player in his home country. Zhai Chao competed in both the 1996 and 2004 Summer Olympics, but was unable to win a medal.

His best performance came in the 1999 World Championships where he won a silver medal with China behind Norway's Morten Verner Johansen. Zhai Chao retired from competitive handball after the 2003 World Championship, but continues to play professionally for Beijing Haba Handball Club.

Zhai Chao is a very talented and skilled player. She has won many awards, including the IHF World Player of the Year 2002. Zhai Chao is a great scorer and can put up big numbers on both offense and defense. She is known for her quick hands and sharp shooting ability, making her an extremely dangerous opponent to face off against.

Zhai Chao has been playing professionally since 1998, which shows just how successful she has been at this point in her career.

37. Nadine Krause

Eduarda Amorim is a Brazilian handball player who has been awarded the IHF World Player of the Year title in 2009. She has played for Brazil throughout her career and was part of the team that won silver at the 2004 Olympic Games.

In 2007, she joined Danish club Aalborg Håndbold and helped them reach their first European Cup final, where they were beaten by eventual champions FC Barcelona Handbol. 

She left Aalborg after one season to sign with German side THW Kiel, where she helped them win both the Bundesliga and Champions League titles in 2011–12 season as well as reaching another Champions League Final that year – this time losing to Olympiacos Piraeus.

Amorim then moved back to her homeland to join Portuguese club Belenenses Handball prior to returning once more abroad in 2015 when she signed for French side Montpellier HB on a two-year contract. 

After just one season at Montpellier, Amorim returned home again signing for Russian outfit Dinamo Kazan ahead of 2018/19 Women's EHF Champions League Season which saw them make it all the way through to their first-ever Women's EHF Continental Cup Final before eventually being beaten by defending champion MN Zagreb 78:72 (25:23, 25:22, 21:18).

38. Cecilie Leganger

Cecilie Leganger is a goalkeeper who has played for several clubs in Norway. She was most recently with Larvik HK. Leganger joined Tertnes HE after playing youth football for Bækkelagets SK and RK Krim.

In 2003, she transferred to Slagelse FH where she spent five seasons before moving abroad to play in Sweden with FCK Håndbold from 2008-2010. After two seasons back at Larvik HK, Leganger rejoined her former club Tertnes in 2014 as their new goalkeeper coach, but she retired from the sport shortly thereafter due to injury problems.

Cecilie Leganger is a Norwegian handball player who has represented her country at the Olympic Games and on the world stage. In 2000, she competed with Norway in Sydney for its first ever medal in women's handball - a silver. 

Cecilie Leganger was part of the Norwegian team that won back-to-back European Championships in 1998 and 1999, as well as gold medals at both the World Championship (1999) and Universiade (2001).

After retiring from international play following 2003, Cecilie Leganger took up coaching duties with her former national side before joining new club Fana IL midway through their inaugural season in 2012/13 Handball League A.

39. Kim Hyun-mee

Kim Hyun-mee is a prominent actress and singer in South Korea. She has starred in many popular films and television series over the years, earning critical acclaim for her work.

Kim is also a respected advocate for women's rights in her country, speaking out against sexual harassment and gender inequality on numerous occasions. In 2018, she was awarded the UNESCO Artist of Peace award for her efforts to promote global understanding through artistry.

Kim resides in Seoul with her husband and two children Kim Hyun-mee is a handball player from South Korea who competed in the 1988 Olympic games. She was part of the team that won the gold medal. Kim also played for her country at several other international tournaments, including the World Championships and Asian Games.

In 2002 she retired from playing handball after winning two silver medals at the World Championship and an Olympic bronze medal in Seoul four years earlier.

40. Mia Hermansson-Högdahl

Mia Hermansson-Högdahl is a Swedish football player who has played for Göteborgs FF and Malmö FF in the Sweden women's national team. Mia was born in 1965 in Göteborg, Sweden and started playing football at an early age with her local club IFK Lidingo.

After impressing during trials with both Malmö FF and FC Rosengård, Mia signed with Malmö ahead of the 1987 season where she spent eight years before joining Göteborgs FF in 1994. 

In 323 appearances for Göteborgs FC (including playoffs), Mia helped the club reach two Svenskt Cup finals, winning one title in 1997 against AIK Stockholm on penalties after a goalless draw after 120 minutes plays.

This made her only UEFA Women's Cup winner as part of her international career to date alongside silverware from the 1991 Algarve Tournament Feminine U20 European Championship and 1993 Nordic Games Women's Football tournament respectively).

Outside of football, Mia has worked as a physiotherapist since 2000 and also volunteers for various charities within Gothenburg such as "SOS Kids" which helps disadvantaged children living alone or those affected by violence within their families/communities). 

Married to fellow footballer Mikael Häggstrand since 2001, they have three daughters together - Linnea (born 2002), Emma (2004) and Nellie (2007)—who all currently play soccer themselves either professionally or semi-professionally while Luna attends dance school full-time.

41. Ausra Fridrikas

Ausra Fridrikas was born in Varėna, Soviet Union on 30 April 1967. Ausra started her career at Eglė Vilnius before joining CB Mar Valencia in 1992. She spent two seasons with Hypo Niederösterreich before moving to Bækkelagets SK in 2000.

Ausra then played three seasons for Slagelse DT before signing for ZVH Wiener Neustadt in 2005. Aušrelė retired from professional football in 2006 and now works as a fitness coach with the Lithuanian national team Ausra Fridrikas played for the Austrian national team from 1991-1993.

Ausra Fridrika was a prolific scorer during his time with Austria, netting 133 goals in 134 appearances. Ausra is best remembered for his contribution to the Soviet Union's World Championship victory in 1990. 

He scored two crucial goals in that competition - one of which put the Soviets 2-1 up against South Korea in the final stages of proceedings.

After leaving Austrian duty, Ausra joined Lithuanian club Apollon Limanikos where he spent four seasons before joining Niederösterreich side Hypo Niederösterreich midway through 2006/07 season.

Scoring sixteen times en route to being named league MVP and helping them reach both domestic cup finals as well as their first ever UEFA Europa League qualification spot (albeit narrowly losing out on an entry into Europe's top football competition).

42. Rafael Guijosa

Rafael Guijosa was born on 31 January 1969. He competed in Men's Handball at the 1996 Summer Olympics, where he finished as runner-up to Sweden's Patrik Söderberg.

He also participated in the 1998 World Championships and reached the semifinal stage before being eliminated by Denmark's Peter Madsen. In 2001, Rafael won his first title with FC Barcelona (Spain) after beating Real Madrid 3–1 in the final of La Liga playoffs; he then went on to win two more league titles (2003, 2005).

On club level, Guijosa has also represented Valencia CF (1996–1998), CAI Zaragoza (1999), Olympiacos Piraeus FCA(2001–2004), and BCM Gravelines Hérault Var Basket(2005). 

With these clubs he helped them win several domestic championships including three Spanish League Titles with Valencia CF from 2000-2002 and 2006-2007 plus a Copa del.

Rey Title with Olympiacos Piraeus FCA in 2002 whilst playing for that club from 2003 until 2004 when he transferred to BCM Gravelines Hérault Var Basket where they would eventually be crowned LNB Pro A Champions for 2007/2008 season. 

After defeating Limoges CSP 92 – 86 in five games series played over 2 legs.(info taken from wikipedia article "Rafael Guijosa").

43. Stéphane Stoecklin

Stéphane Stoecklin is a handball player who competed for France at the 1996, 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games. He was born on January 12th, 1969 in Strasbourg, France.

In 1992 he won the European Championship with HC Davos of Switzerland and also played in the World Championships that year. 

At the 1996 Olympics he finished seventh with his countrymen but at the 2000 games he became world champion as part of the French team alongside Tony Meilhan and Ludovic Campion-Noguier (he also claimed bronze medals at both events).

He retired from international play after playing his last match against Norway in February 2004 - although he made a brief comeback to compete in two more club tournaments later that year before retiring again for good afterwards.

After retirement from competition, Stoecklin has moved into coaching and currently coaches Handball Club Dijon Metropole of Division 1 Nationale (France's top men's amateur league).

44. Yoon Kyung-shin

Career

• Team
• : Kyung Hee University

Yoon Kyung-shin has played for both HSV Hamburg and VfL Gummersbach in the German Bundesliga. He was a member of the South Korean national team that competed at the 2004, 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games.

In 2011, he joined Doosan Handball as their manager. Yoon is known for his strong right back play which has seen him pick up numerous awards throughout his career including being named Asian Player of The Year twice (2005 and 2007).

Yoon Kyung-shin is one of the most decorated handball players in South Korean history, having won medals at every major international event. Yoon was part of the team that won gold at the Asian Games in 1990 and 1994. He also claimed a silver medal at the same tournament four years later.

In 1998, he helped South Korea to win their first ever Olympic gold medal by winning both the Men's and Women's tournaments in Busan. 

Following his success at the Olympics, Yoon went on to captain his country to victory at the 2002 World Championships - becoming only the second player (after Denmark's Soren Kragh Andersen) to achieve this feat whilst playing for his national side.

Since retiring from active play in 2012, Yoon has served as head coach of both Doosan Handball Club and KCC Egis during various stages of their respective development programmes - helping them reach top league status within South Korea each time around.

45. Kang Jae-won

Kang Jae-won is a South Korean football defender. He started his career with Grasshopper in 1989 and played for them until 1992. He then moved to Pfadi Winterthur, where he spent the next six years before retiring from playing in 2002.

During his time at Pfardi, Kang won two Swiss Super League titles and one Swiss Cup title. After retirement, Kang has gone on to become a coach at various clubs including Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors (2002–2004), Gwangju Sangmu FC(2005) and Suwon Samsung Bluewings (2006).

In 2009, he was appointed as manager of national team by new head coach Kim Ho Jung but could not lead the side to any success. On 11 December 2013 it was announced that Kang had been hired as assistant manager of K League 1 club Ulsan Hyundai FC ahead of their 2014 season campaign which got underway in March 2014. 

As an assistant manager with Ulsan Hyundai FC, Kang helped steer the side to 2nd place in league standings midway through 2016 season; however this did not result in promotion as they lost against Seoul Estevens Park 3–0 on aggregate playoff match following their final matchday regular season fixture having accumulated 97 points overall.

On 9 July 2017 it was announced that Kang had signed with current club South Korea's top division J1 League outfit Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma starting from the 2018 season.

46. Daniel Narcisse

France men's national handball team

Narcisse started his career at Chambéry Savoie Handball, before moving to VfL Gummersbach in 2007. He was a member of the French national team from 2004 to 2018, playing 321 games and scoring 94 goals.

In 2013 Narcisse joined Paris Handball, where he currently plays as captain. Daniel Narcisse is a French judoka who has competed in the Olympics, World Championships, and European Championship. He was born on October 7th, 2000 in Saint-Mandé, France.

At the age of just 18 years old he became one of the youngest athletes to ever win a world title when he won gold at the 2017 European Judo Championships. 

Daniel also played football as a youngster before turning his attention towards judo at the age of 10 after being influenced by two Olympians – Sébastien Rochus and Fabrice Martinot-Lagarde – both of whom are now coaches within his sportive career path.

In 2016 Daniel made history as part of France’s Olympic team for their debut appearance at Rio de Janeiro where they came home with silver medals after losing to Japan in the final match 0–3; this success cemented him firmly as one of Europe’s top fighters. 

Outside competition Daniel enjoys spending time with family and friends alongside practicing his chosen discipline – judo - which has seen him achieve great things throughout his young sporting career so far.

47. Linn-Kristin Riegelhuth Koren

Career

• Team
• : Ski
• : Holmlia
• : Furuset

Linn-Kristin Riegelhuth Koren is a Norwegian professional footballer who plays as a right winger for Larvik HK. She began her career at hometown club Furuset, before transferring to Larvik in 2002.

At Larvik, she won two titles and was voted player of the year twice during her eleven seasons with the club. Riegelhuth has also represented Norway at youth level, including at the 2001 Uefa Women's Under-19 Championship and 2003 Nordic Championships, where she earned silver medals both times.

In January 2019, it was announced that Riegelhuth had signed for Glasgow City on loan until May 2020.[1] Linn-Kristin Riegelhuth Koren is a Norwegian handball player who has played for Larvik HK since 2010. She has represented Norway at the Olympics, World Championships and European Championship.

Her first major international tournament was the 2009 Champions League where she helped her team to reach the final. In 2013, LK won their domestic championship with Riegelhuth playing a big role in midfield alongside veteran goalkeeper Anne Kjersti Fløtten Larsen.

48. Allison Pineau

Career

• Years: Team
• 2001–2003: CM Aubervilliers
• 2003–2006: Villemomble

Allison Pineau was born on May 2, 1989 in Chartres, France. She is currently a centre back for RK Krim in the French Women's Ligue 1. Allison has played for CM Aubervilliers from 2001-2003 and Villemomble from 2003-2006.

In 2017, she made her debut with the senior team of the French national women's football team and helped lead them to their first ever victory at an international tournament - the UEFA Women's Euro 2017 Final against Sweden which they won 4–1 after extra time.

Allison is married to fellow footballer Benjamin Moukandjo who also plays professionally for Lyon FC and internationally for Cameroon as well as representing his country at various youth levels up until now including playing at Copa America Centenario this year where he captained Cameroon to their first ever win over Chile.

49. Trine Haltvik

Trine Haltvik is a Norwegian football midfielder who has played for clubs in both Norway and Spain. She started her career with Byåsen IL, before joining Remudas Gran Canaria in 2000.

Trine Haltvik made her international debut for Norway in 1996, and went on to play at the 1999 World Cup and Euro 2004 tournaments. In 2006, Trine Haltvik retired from professional football after 14 seasons of playing for Byåsen IL Trine Haltvik was born in 1984 and is a Norwegian cross-country skier.

She competed at the 2002 Winter Olympics, where she placed 23rd in the 5k classic event. In 2003, Trine won her first World Cup title, finishing second behind Marit Bjoergen in Oslo. At the 2006 Winter Olympics, Trine finished 10th in the 5k classical event; Norway's best result until Linn Kristin Aalbu took silver four years later.

After failing to win a medal at either of her subsequent Olympic appearances (2010 & 2014), Trine became Norway's most successful Olympian when she claimed silver on home soil at the 2018 Games behind Sweden’s Charlotte Kalla.

50. Luka Cindrić

RK Vardar

Career

• Team
• : RK Ogulin
• : RK Senj

Luka Cindrić is a Croatian centre back who currently plays for Barcelona. He started his youth career at RK Ogulin before moving on to Senj in 2009. After making over 100 appearances for Senj, Cindrić signed with Barcelona in 2013 and has since made over 50 appearances for the Spanish side.

At international level, Cindrić has represented Croatia at under-16, under-17 and under-19 levels before making his full debut in 2012. Luka is known as an expert defender who is very strong in the air and good on the ball; he was also named captain of Croatia's U21 team earlier this year.

Born in Karlovac, Croatia on July 3rd 1994, Luka Cindrić is a young footballer who has been playing for Croatian clubs since the age of 18.

In 2014 he joined Serbian side RK Metalurg Skopje where he made 42 appearances and scored 5 goals before moving to Macedonian club RK Vardar in 2015. 

He was then snapped up by Polish side PGE Vive Kielce where he made 68 appearances and scored 9 goals during his two-year stay at the club before signing for Spanish giants FC Barcelona this January 2019. So far in his career, Cindrić has won 4 trophies including 2 European Championships with Croatia (2016 & 2020).

His impressive displays have seen him called up to the senior Croatian squad numerous times over the last few years and there's no doubt that he will continue dominating footballing scenes for many years to come.

51. Aron Pálmarsson

Career

• Years: Team
• –2005: FH

A left back, Aron Pálmarsson has played for Aalborg Håndbold since the summer of 2016. He made his senior debut with FH in 2005 and went on to make over 100 appearances for the club before joining Aalborg Håndbold in the summer of 2016.

Playing at both centre-back and left back during his youth career, Aron Pálmarsson is experienced when it comes to playing in defence. In total, he has scored nine goals during his time in professional football – all of which have come as a defender or midfielder for either FH or Aalborg Håndbold.

Despite being primarily known as a full-back, Aron Pálmarsson is also comfortable playing further upfield if required; he was an integral part of Iceland’s successful campaign at Euro 2016 where they reached the semi-finals stage before losing out to France afterwards. 

With experience from both Europe and domestically throughout his career so far, there is no doubt that Aron Pálmarsson will continue making an impact on Icelandic football going forward.

Final Words

. . Handball is a very fast-paced and physically demanding sport that requires agility, strength and skill. The best players of all time include stars like Stefan Kappus, Steffi Jones and Doris Dragović.