Description: (Croatian Former Professional Handballer)
Ivano Balić is a Croatian retired professional handball player renowned for his speed, creativity, and charisma on the court. He achieved notable success with the Croatian national team, securing the 2003 World Championship and the Olympic gold medal in 2004. Balić also garnered multiple titles while playing for clubs in Croatia, Spain, and Germany. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in handball history, winning numerous MVP awards and the prestigious IHF World Player of the Year award twice. In 2010, he was voted the best handball player in history in an IHF poll and was later inducted into the European Handball Hall of Fame in 2023.