Antun Stipancic
Encyclopedia
Antun "Tova" Stipančić was a top Croatia
n professional table tennis
player and one of the most renowned personalities in the history of the competition, earning him the nickname "the golden left hand of Croatian sport". A table tennis child prodigy who was proclaimed "Best Croatian Sportsman" in 1975, he was National Championship winner numerous times, three times European Champion
in doubles, World Champion
in men's doubles in 1979 (Stipančić–Šurbek
), and World Championship
silver medalist in singles in 1975.
, a small industrial town in central Croatia's Karlovac County
(at the time of his birth, and until summer-autumn 1991, Croatia was one of six republics constituting Yugoslavia
). His family of five—father Ivan, a janitor at the football club, mother Franca and two younger brothers, Marijan and Ivica, had a difficult time trying to make ends meet. They lived in very modest circumstances in a damp spartment located at the football (soccer) playground which shared its location with the hall of the Table Tennis Club (TTC) "Duga Resa".
At the end of the 1950s, a group of sport enthusiasts led by Josip Trupković, Josip Stojković and Dragutin Vrana brought inspiration to the little-noted town and its young people with a new sport - table tennis. The TTC "Pamučna industrija" was born and its priority was to coach the next generation.
As time passed and word began to spread, more and more curiosity seekers began to visit the table tennis halls to see with their own eyes the Duga Resa youngster, called "the wonder kid". "Tova" Stipančić won his first tournament at the age of 12 in 1961, playing in Karlovac League's cadet category and, a few months later, was the best at Zagreb's "Ribnjak".
The crucial year was 1965. In that year the famous Japan
ese expert Ichiro Ogimura visited Duga Resa, leading a strong selection which enraptured the overcrowded table tennis hall. Stipančić recalled that "Ogimura impressed me with his easy way of moving around and attacking although at that time he passed his best days in table tennis". Another direct contact with a great player occurred at the world championships in Ljubljana
in which Tova played for the first time. As chosen by lot, or by accident, he had to play against the world champion Zhuang Zedong. He later confessed that his knees could not hold him, but nevertheless he scored some very good points, which brought him compliments from the Chinese
champion. He tapped Tova on the shoulder and they were photographed together, despited the lopsided result (8:21, 11:21, 14:21). After a passage of only five years, at the very same Tivoli hall, Stipančić would now be the champion, thoroughly defeating the legendary Chuang Tse Tung.
In 1965, at the age of 16, was no longer a youngster—he grew a few centimeters and became stronger for a few points. At the Open Championships of Poland
in Krakow
he won his first important international match — in the second round he defeated the European champion Swede Kjell Johanson 24:22 in the fifth set, winning Johanson's two match balls. And as Antun Stipančić firmly stepped forward onto the world table tennis scene, the highest world authorities agreed that he would have a brilliant career. In 1966 Tova was a member of the national team to the European Championships in Wembley
. That year he won two medals on The Youth European Championships in Szombathely
—gold, playing mixed doubles with Mirjana Resler and silver, playing doubles with Zlatko Čordaš.
At that point, Tova devoted all his attention to studying and graduating from Textile High School. He succeeded and then felt free to turn all his effort to sport and the excitement that sport brings.
He played with a great deal of enthusiasm at the 1968 Championat de Europe at Lyon
Sport Hall. He was very good in team events and still better in a completely unplanned double. The Association at the time made a new combination Korpa - Šurbek which was triumphant in Europe, while Tova, they decided, should play with Edvard Vecko, although they never trained or played before. Tova recalled, "...unburdened, without high pretensions we played you can say for our pleasure. In the final "round" we played against Swedish experts Johanson and Alser who did not lose a single match in two last world championships. We played the whole match offensively, well, firmly. The result went like this, 21:17, 20:22, 22:20 and 21:14! A big applause from the objective spectators in Palais des Sportes was a great reward. What an unforgettable reception at the Pleso airport and again in Duga Resa! I had to make a speech at the improvised platform, everyone was there...."
or Čordaš), as well as the great challenge of taking part in The European Cup. With the new uniform he put on, there was still another major event: not long afterwards Tova Stipančić was married... As 1971 began, he moved to Zagreb, recalling that "...the new surrounding, new habits, days of great changes... was time for thinking".
The year's end was topped off with a glamorous prize: Stipančić celebrating a first class victory at the International Tournament in Zagreb's "Box of Matches" Hall. Journalists lavished him with headlines - "Tova's Scalping Chinese", "Stipančić Over the Chinese Great Wall", "The Ball Caught Fire". Stipančić smashed Chinese Chou Lan Sun and Li Fu Jung, in the semi-finals he defeated Šurbek and, in the finals, the celebrated Chuang Tse Tung: 16:21, 21:12 and 21:12, experiencing ecstatic ovations from the overjoyed Zagreb spectators.
In 1972 Zagreb played host to a tournament which brought together the top European table tennis players. It was a complete success in organization and results. It was a top show, with "Europe's Top Twelve" in Zagreb's Trešnjevka
sport hall.... and Tova was in the leading role! He broke all the barriers and won the trophy which was presented to him by Reno Vinek, the editor of Sportske Novosti.
built the Netaji Indoor Stadium
, a 12,000-seat domed arena, specifically for the World Championships at the Eden Gardens
, Kolkata
. There, Tova is considered to have played the matches of his life... At the quarter-finals - a "match for the gourmet" - Hsi En Ting, the title defender left the arena totally defeated by Tova in a rarely seen match, 3:2. In the next game - and it was the semi-final, Antun played against the excellent Japanese defender Takashima. Antun's superior play brought victory in 5 sets !
Then came the long-awaited finals. In the crowded hall, "the war" between 25-year-old Antun Stipančić and the year-younger Istvan Jonyer. It was an excellent opportunity Tova's expertise, but some had doubts. Since Tova had defeated the robust "Hungarian Hussar
" only a few days earlier in the team events, he had a certain psychological advantage, but there was uncertainty whether he would be able to use it. In the first set Jonyer started nervously and "hard", and Stipančić collected points from semi distance, 4:2, 9:5, 13:7, 18:15 and 21:17. There was happiness on Stipančić's bench as the Hungarian seemed nervous and played shackled, while Stipančić was winning his points "by blocking and controlling the situation firmly" winning the second set 21:12. 2:0! But Jonyer succeeded in catching up with Stipančić, 2:2! There was palpable drama in the deciding fifth set! The Zagreb player from Duga Resa inched closer to victory as he led 16:15, 18:17... but Istvan played well, took risks, returned undependable balls, came to 18:20, and then missed one counter ball, 19:20. There was silence in the hall. Again a strong top spin attack, Tova's ball hit the net... Jonyer was the winner, Tova the silver medalist.
In 1979 Tova flew to Pyongyang
with his national team to the World Championship in Pyongyang
with his national team. "Why not try again?", he explained. "I always fought more with my hand and heart than with my legs" and the medal hunters, the experienced double Šurbek
– Stipančić were off to win the table tennis Mount Everest
! At the finals of the men's doubles, Tova and Šurba
were on one side and two very well known competitors, Hungarian aces Klampar and Jonyer, were on the other. European finals held on Asian grounds. Victory for the Yugoslav team came with 3 sets to 0, and they were acclaimed as table tennis immortals for all time. The victors searched for appropriate words, and Tova, raising his voice said, "Men, I finally experienced it, we are the real champions. Nobody could take us a set."
The following year, at the 1980 European Championships in Bern Tova won two medals playing doubles, but sportswriters pointed out that he showed his true sport greatness in the fifth set. At 19:19 he gave up the ball in favor of the English
player Paul Day, although the referee decided the opposite. For that sport gesture he got "The Fair Play Trophy R. Bergmann".
Antun Stipančić died in Zagreb
at the age of 42.
He won 27 medals, 11 medals from world championships; 1 gold, 4 silver, 6 bronze; and 16 medals from European championships (4,3,9). Additionally, he won 48 medals at international tournaments in all categories.
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
n professional table tennis
Table tennis
Table tennis, also known as ping-pong, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight, hollow ball back and forth using table tennis rackets. The game takes place on a hard table divided by a net...
player and one of the most renowned personalities in the history of the competition, earning him the nickname "the golden left hand of Croatian sport". A table tennis child prodigy who was proclaimed "Best Croatian Sportsman" in 1975, he was National Championship winner numerous times, three times European Champion
Table Tennis European Championships
The European Table Tennis Championships were first held in 1958. Between 1958 and 2002, the European Championships were held every two years in the even years. From 2003 they were held in odd years. Since 2008 the tournament has been held annually...
in doubles, World Champion
World Table Tennis Championships
The World Table Tennis Championships are held since 1926, biennially since 1957. Seven events were included in the Championships. The World Team Table Tennis Championships, which include men's team and women's team events, were first their own competition in 2000. The Team Championships are held in...
in men's doubles in 1979 (Stipančić–Šurbek
Dragutin Šurbek
Dragutin Šurbek is a legendary former table tennis player from Croatia. He is one of the most successful Croatian table tennis players ever....
), and World Championship
World Table Tennis Championships
The World Table Tennis Championships are held since 1926, biennially since 1957. Seven events were included in the Championships. The World Team Table Tennis Championships, which include men's team and women's team events, were first their own competition in 2000. The Team Championships are held in...
silver medalist in singles in 1975.
Early years
Antun Stipančić was born in Duga ResaDuga Resa
Duga Resa is a town in Karlovac County, Croatia. It is located east of Rijeka.-Name:The earliest reference to Duga Resa is from the year 1380...
, a small industrial town in central Croatia's Karlovac County
Karlovac County
Karlovac County is a county in central Croatia, with the administrative center in Karlovac.The city of Karlovac is another fort from the times of the Military Frontier...
(at the time of his birth, and until summer-autumn 1991, Croatia was one of six republics constituting Yugoslavia
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was the Yugoslav state that existed from the abolition of the Yugoslav monarchy until it was dissolved in 1992 amid the Yugoslav Wars. It was a socialist state and a federation made up of six socialist republics: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia,...
). His family of five—father Ivan, a janitor at the football club, mother Franca and two younger brothers, Marijan and Ivica, had a difficult time trying to make ends meet. They lived in very modest circumstances in a damp spartment located at the football (soccer) playground which shared its location with the hall of the Table Tennis Club (TTC) "Duga Resa".
At the end of the 1950s, a group of sport enthusiasts led by Josip Trupković, Josip Stojković and Dragutin Vrana brought inspiration to the little-noted town and its young people with a new sport - table tennis. The TTC "Pamučna industrija" was born and its priority was to coach the next generation.
As time passed and word began to spread, more and more curiosity seekers began to visit the table tennis halls to see with their own eyes the Duga Resa youngster, called "the wonder kid". "Tova" Stipančić won his first tournament at the age of 12 in 1961, playing in Karlovac League's cadet category and, a few months later, was the best at Zagreb's "Ribnjak".
Fame at the age of 16
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese expert Ichiro Ogimura visited Duga Resa, leading a strong selection which enraptured the overcrowded table tennis hall. Stipančić recalled that "Ogimura impressed me with his easy way of moving around and attacking although at that time he passed his best days in table tennis". Another direct contact with a great player occurred at the world championships in Ljubljana
Ljubljana
Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia and its largest city. It is the centre of the City Municipality of Ljubljana. It is located in the centre of the country in the Ljubljana Basin, and is a mid-sized city of some 270,000 inhabitants...
in which Tova played for the first time. As chosen by lot, or by accident, he had to play against the world champion Zhuang Zedong. He later confessed that his knees could not hold him, but nevertheless he scored some very good points, which brought him compliments from the Chinese
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
champion. He tapped Tova on the shoulder and they were photographed together, despited the lopsided result (8:21, 11:21, 14:21). After a passage of only five years, at the very same Tivoli hall, Stipančić would now be the champion, thoroughly defeating the legendary Chuang Tse Tung.
In 1965, at the age of 16, was no longer a youngster—he grew a few centimeters and became stronger for a few points. At the Open Championships of Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
in Krakow
Kraków
Kraków also Krakow, or Cracow , is the second largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in the Lesser Poland region, the city dates back to the 7th century. Kraków has traditionally been one of the leading centres of Polish academic, cultural, and artistic life...
he won his first important international match — in the second round he defeated the European champion Swede Kjell Johanson 24:22 in the fifth set, winning Johanson's two match balls. And as Antun Stipančić firmly stepped forward onto the world table tennis scene, the highest world authorities agreed that he would have a brilliant career. In 1966 Tova was a member of the national team to the European Championships in Wembley
Wembley
Wembley is an area of northwest London, England, and part of the London Borough of Brent. It is home to the famous Wembley Stadium and Wembley Arena...
. That year he won two medals on The Youth European Championships in Szombathely
Szombathely
Szombathely is the 10th largest city in Hungary. It is the administrative centre of Vas county in the west of the country, located near the border with Austria...
—gold, playing mixed doubles with Mirjana Resler and silver, playing doubles with Zlatko Čordaš.
He played with a great deal of enthusiasm at the 1968 Championat de Europe at Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
Sport Hall. He was very good in team events and still better in a completely unplanned double. The Association at the time made a new combination Korpa - Šurbek which was triumphant in Europe, while Tova, they decided, should play with Edvard Vecko, although they never trained or played before. Tova recalled, "...unburdened, without high pretensions we played you can say for our pleasure. In the final "round" we played against Swedish experts Johanson and Alser who did not lose a single match in two last world championships. We played the whole match offensively, well, firmly. The result went like this, 21:17, 20:22, 22:20 and 21:14! A big applause from the objective spectators in Palais des Sportes was a great reward. What an unforgettable reception at the Pleso airport and again in Duga Resa! I had to make a speech at the improvised platform, everyone was there...."
High points of career as a professional player
During summer 1970 came the unexpected decision, although not so unexpected among table tennis officials: Tova left his "Pamučna industrija" club and became a member of TTC "Vjesnik". The basic reason for moving from the smaller club to the larger one was the need for an adequately strong sparring partner (and none was more suitable than ŠurbekDragutin Šurbek
Dragutin Šurbek is a legendary former table tennis player from Croatia. He is one of the most successful Croatian table tennis players ever....
or Čordaš), as well as the great challenge of taking part in The European Cup. With the new uniform he put on, there was still another major event: not long afterwards Tova Stipančić was married... As 1971 began, he moved to Zagreb, recalling that "...the new surrounding, new habits, days of great changes... was time for thinking".
The year's end was topped off with a glamorous prize: Stipančić celebrating a first class victory at the International Tournament in Zagreb's "Box of Matches" Hall. Journalists lavished him with headlines - "Tova's Scalping Chinese", "Stipančić Over the Chinese Great Wall", "The Ball Caught Fire". Stipančić smashed Chinese Chou Lan Sun and Li Fu Jung, in the semi-finals he defeated Šurbek and, in the finals, the celebrated Chuang Tse Tung: 16:21, 21:12 and 21:12, experiencing ecstatic ovations from the overjoyed Zagreb spectators.
In 1972 Zagreb played host to a tournament which brought together the top European table tennis players. It was a complete success in organization and results. It was a top show, with "Europe's Top Twelve" in Zagreb's Trešnjevka
Trešnjevka
Trešnjevka is a large neighbourhood in the western part of the city of Zagreb, Croatia.It is administratively divided into two districts:* Trešnjevka - sjever...
sport hall.... and Tova was in the leading role! He broke all the barriers and won the trophy which was presented to him by Reno Vinek, the editor of Sportske Novosti.
On the world stage in 1975-80
In 1975 IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
built the Netaji Indoor Stadium
Netaji Indoor Stadium
The Netaji Indoor Stadium is an indoor sports arena, in Kolkata, West Bengal, India. The facility seats 12,000 people. This indoor stadium is located just beside the Eden Gardens. It is the home of the Sunfeast Open, an annual WTA Tour tennis tournament....
, a 12,000-seat domed arena, specifically for the World Championships at the Eden Gardens
Eden Gardens
Eden Gardens is a cricket ground in Kolkata , India. It is the home of the Bengal cricket team and the Indian Premier League's Kolkata Knight Riders, as well as being a Test and One Day International ground. It is the largest cricket stadium in India by seating capacity...
, Kolkata
Kolkata
Kolkata , formerly known as Calcutta, is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal. Located on the east bank of the Hooghly River, it was the commercial capital of East India...
. There, Tova is considered to have played the matches of his life... At the quarter-finals - a "match for the gourmet" - Hsi En Ting, the title defender left the arena totally defeated by Tova in a rarely seen match, 3:2. In the next game - and it was the semi-final, Antun played against the excellent Japanese defender Takashima. Antun's superior play brought victory in 5 sets !
Then came the long-awaited finals. In the crowded hall, "the war" between 25-year-old Antun Stipančić and the year-younger Istvan Jonyer. It was an excellent opportunity Tova's expertise, but some had doubts. Since Tova had defeated the robust "Hungarian Hussar
Hussar
Hussar refers to a number of types of light cavalry which originated in Hungary in the 14th century, tracing its roots from Serbian medieval cavalry tradition, brought to Hungary in the course of the Serb migrations, which began in the late 14th century....
" only a few days earlier in the team events, he had a certain psychological advantage, but there was uncertainty whether he would be able to use it. In the first set Jonyer started nervously and "hard", and Stipančić collected points from semi distance, 4:2, 9:5, 13:7, 18:15 and 21:17. There was happiness on Stipančić's bench as the Hungarian seemed nervous and played shackled, while Stipančić was winning his points "by blocking and controlling the situation firmly" winning the second set 21:12. 2:0! But Jonyer succeeded in catching up with Stipančić, 2:2! There was palpable drama in the deciding fifth set! The Zagreb player from Duga Resa inched closer to victory as he led 16:15, 18:17... but Istvan played well, took risks, returned undependable balls, came to 18:20, and then missed one counter ball, 19:20. There was silence in the hall. Again a strong top spin attack, Tova's ball hit the net... Jonyer was the winner, Tova the silver medalist.
In 1979 Tova flew to Pyongyang
Pyongyang
Pyongyang is the capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, commonly known as North Korea, and the largest city in the country. Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River and, according to preliminary results from the 2008 population census, has a population of 3,255,388. The city was...
with his national team to the World Championship in Pyongyang
Pyongyang
Pyongyang is the capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, commonly known as North Korea, and the largest city in the country. Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River and, according to preliminary results from the 2008 population census, has a population of 3,255,388. The city was...
with his national team. "Why not try again?", he explained. "I always fought more with my hand and heart than with my legs" and the medal hunters, the experienced double Šurbek
Dragutin Šurbek
Dragutin Šurbek is a legendary former table tennis player from Croatia. He is one of the most successful Croatian table tennis players ever....
– Stipančić were off to win the table tennis Mount Everest
Mount Everest
Mount Everest is the world's highest mountain, with a peak at above sea level. It is located in the Mahalangur section of the Himalayas. The international boundary runs across the precise summit point...
! At the finals of the men's doubles, Tova and Šurba
Dragutin Šurbek
Dragutin Šurbek is a legendary former table tennis player from Croatia. He is one of the most successful Croatian table tennis players ever....
were on one side and two very well known competitors, Hungarian aces Klampar and Jonyer, were on the other. European finals held on Asian grounds. Victory for the Yugoslav team came with 3 sets to 0, and they were acclaimed as table tennis immortals for all time. The victors searched for appropriate words, and Tova, raising his voice said, "Men, I finally experienced it, we are the real champions. Nobody could take us a set."
The following year, at the 1980 European Championships in Bern Tova won two medals playing doubles, but sportswriters pointed out that he showed his true sport greatness in the fifth set. At 19:19 he gave up the ball in favor of the English
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
player Paul Day, although the referee decided the opposite. For that sport gesture he got "The Fair Play Trophy R. Bergmann".
Antun Stipančić died in Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
at the age of 42.
Legacy
Tova was seen as belonging to the entire world. Generations of table tennis players from every continent remember him—whether they played against him or enjoyed his brilliant moves at the green table. With his individuality and outstanding sport results, Tova Stipančić left an indelible trace, becoming part of sport history, of the world, of Croatia and of his Duga Resa.He won 27 medals, 11 medals from world championships; 1 gold, 4 silver, 6 bronze; and 16 medals from European championships (4,3,9). Additionally, he won 48 medals at international tournaments in all categories.
- WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP MEDALS - ( 11 )
- TEAM
- 1969. (München) – 3rd ( bronze medalist ) Šurbek, Korpa
- 1971. (Nagoya) – 3rd ( bronze medalist ) Šurbek, Karakašević
- 1975. (Kolkata) – 2nd ( silver medalist ) Šurbek, Karakašević
- SINGLE
- 1973. (Sarajevo) - 3rd ( bronze medalist )
- 1975. ( Kolkata) - 2nd ( silver medalist )
- MEN DOUBLES
- 1973. (Sarajevo) - 3rd ( bronze medalist ) Šurbek;
- 1975. (Kolkata) - 2nd ( silver medalist ) Šurbek;
- 1977. (Birmingham)- 3rd ( bronze medalist ) Šurbek;
- 1979. (Pyongyang) - 1st ( golden medalist ) Šurbek;
- 1981. (Novi Sad) - 3rd ( bronze medalist ) Šurbek;
- MIXED DOUBLES
- 1971. (Nagoya) - 2nd (silver medalist ) Alexandru;
- EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP MEDALS - ( 16 )
- TEAM
- 1966. (London) - 3rd ( bronze medalist ) Šurbek;
- 1968. (Lyon) - 3rd ( bronze medalist ) Šurbek;
- 1970. (Moscow ) - 2nd ( silver medalist ) Šurbek, Čordaš;
- 1972. (Rotterdam)- 2nd ( silver medalist ) Šurbek, Čordaš;
- 1974. (Novi Sad) - 2nd ( silver medalist ) Šurbek, Čordaš;
- 1976. (Praha) - 1st ( golden medalist ) Šurbek, Jurčič;
- SINGLE
- 1972. (Rotterdam)- 3rd ( bronze medalist )
- MEN DOUBLES
- 1968. (Lyon) - 1st ( golden medalist ) Vecko;
- 1970. (Moscow)- 1st ( golden medalist ) Šurbek;
- 1974. (Novi Sad) - 3rd ( bronze medalist ) Šurbek;
- 1976. (Praha) - 3rd ( bronze medalist ) Šurbek;
- 1978. (Duisburg) 3rd ( bronze medalist ) Šurbek;
- 1980. (Bern) - 2nd ( silver medalist ) Šurbek;
- MIXED DOUBLES
- 1974. (Novi Sad) - 3rd ( bronze medalist ) Alexandru;
- 1976. (Praha) - 1st ( golden medalist ) Palatinuš;
- 1980. (Bem) - 3rd ( bronze medalist ) Palatinuš;
- EUROPEAN CUP ( TEAM )
- 1972/73. (GSTK "Vjesnik") – 1st
- 1973/74. (GSTK "Vjesnik") - 1st
- 1975/76. (GSTK "Vjesnik") - 1st
- EUROPE “TOP 12” ( SINGLE )
- 1972. (Zagreb) - 1st
- 1973. (Böblingen)- 3rd
- 1975. (Wiena) - 2nd