Bojana Radulovics
Encyclopedia
Bojana Radulović (born 23 March 1973 in Subotica
, SFR Yugoslavia, today Serbia
) is a retired Hungarian
handball
player who currently leads the handball academy of Dunaújvárosi NKKSE
.
One of the best players of all time, she was voted World Handball Player of the Year
in 2000 and 2003 by the International Handball Federation
thus becoming the first, and to date the only woman who was honoured with the prestigious award two times. On club level, beside the number of domestic successes she won every major European cup, including the EHF Champions League title in 1999. She obtained an Olympic silver medal with the Hungarian team in 2000 and won another silver medal on the World Championship in 2003. On the European Championship in 2004, that was played on home soil, Radulovics received a bronze medal after beating Russia 29–25 in the placement match.
, followed by a switch to the Hungarian championship. First, she was signed by Caola SE, where her exceptional skills quickly became clear and despite playing for a rather low-table team, Radulovics won the top scorers' award in 1995. Her impressive performances were enough for Dunaújváros
to move on the right back and the recently crowned EHF Cup Winners' Cup champions have secured her services after the end of the season.
She immediately became a key player by her new club, where she excelled with her creative style, intelligent game play and exceptional goalscoring instinct. She achieved the first success in 1998, when Dunaújváros did the treble by winning the EHF Cup
, the Hungarian cup and the Hungarian championship. In the latter one Radulovics finished as the third-best goalgetter with 170 goals. By winning the national title, the Danube-side team entered the EHF Champions League in the following year, for the first time in their history. After a relatively easy early stage, the club battled through the quarterfinals and the semifinals in two close contested match-ups against Ikast FS
(50–48) and Hypo Niederösterreich
(50–49) to face Krim Ljubljana in the finals. On the home leg the reds, who played in front of their 4000 fans, built up a two goal advantage, and the 26–26 draw on the rematch meant they have won the premier European tournament in club handball. Later that year Radulovics obtained the EHF Champions Trophy as well. By doing so, she collected all major continental titles by the age of only 26.
In the subsequent years Dunaújváros remained a top club, but on continental level they did not manage to win another trophy. They were the closest in 2003, when they played against Slagelse DT in the EHF Cup finals, but fell short to their Danish rivals by two goals on aggregate (47–49). In the domestic competitions Radulovics had more success: she has won five championship and as many cup titles during her time by the club. For her services to the team and the city, and her exemplary sportsmanship conduct, Radulovics was made Honorary Citizen of Dunaújváros in 2001.
In March 2006 Radulovics announced her plans to retire from professional handball, however, she received an offer from Győri Audi ETO KC
she could not refuse and joined the Western Transdanubian team on a one-year deal.
On 8 October 2006 she suffered torn shoulder ligament while playing against her former club, which kept her sidelined for months. Although she completely recovered from the injury and what is more, she contributed with goals in the Hungarian cup final to win the title – her sixth, Radulovics decided not to extend her contract at the end of the season and finally quit handball. Not much later she moved back to Serbia to run her own business, an amusement- and safari park for children.
In September 2009 the Hungarian media was overflowed by the news that Radulovics might be reactivated and come back to help Dunaújváros, that lost most of their players due to their economy problems. These news proved to be true, and she played her first competitive match after two years of absence on 18 September 2009 against Hunnia KSK, scoring four goals and giving a number of assists in the fixture. Since her return, Radulovics played in top form, and although had an injury-plagued year behind her, she still ranked eleventh in the league's top scorers' list with 112 goals in the 2010–2011 season.
Following the decision of the Dunaújváros City Council on 28 October 2010, Radulovics has been named to manage the women's section of the newly forming handball academy, which is set to open in September 2011 and will run in co-operation with the College of Dunaújváros.
In accordance with her doctor's advice, Radulovics announced her final retirement from professional sport on 10 August 2011 and going to concentrate fully on her new job in the local handball academy.
and participated on the Olympic Games yet in that year, winning the silver medal after falling short to Denmark
in the final. In the quarterfinals against Austria
her goal saved the match to a regular time draw, coming back from a four goal deficit with only five minutes from time. In the overtime, the Hungarians finally won the match in an epic battle (28–27). The following day in the semifinals they overcame Norway
surprisingly easily (28–23), just to face Denmark in the final. The Hungarian team shown an excellent display and had a comfortable advantage, but suffered a meltdown in the latest part of the match and gave away the title. However, despite lost in the final, Radulovics, who finished fourth on the top scorers' list with 55 goals, was selected to the All-Star team of the tournament. Moreover, she was given both the Hungarian Handballer of the Year
and the IHF World Player of the Year
award in acknowledgement of her outstanding performances throughout the year.
Due to a knee injury she missed the European Championship in 2000, where Hungary won a consolatory gold medal. She went through a surgery and returned to action in the autumn of 2001, in preparation for the World Championship. Everyone expected to repeat her superb goalscoring form, but an ankle injury forced her to leave the field against Spain
, and had to sit out the rest of the tournament, in which Hungary finished in the disappointing sixth position.
Because of her injury and later a maternity leave, Radulovics stayed away from handball until 2003. She returned to the national team on the 2003 World Championship
in style, hitting nine goals against Romania
and eight against South Korea
en route to the final, where Hungary met with France. The Magyars dominated the match until 50 minutes, but the French team fought back and at 28–27 the referee shown on the penalty line with no time left. Leila Lejeune picked the ball and did not miss the 7-metre shot. The match ended up in overtime, where, in spite of Radulovics' 13 goals, Hungary lost 32–29. With an all-time record of 97 goals, the right back topped the top scorers' list, was selected to the All-Star team of the World Championship and later was handed over the IHF World Player of the Year for her accomplishments in 2003.
She was in top form on the 2004 Olympic Games once again, scoring not less than 54 goals, with that she deservedly was crowned as the top scorer of the tournament, on that Hungary finished fifth after two small margin defeats against Ukraine (22–23) and France (23–25). One of the most memorable matches for her was the placement match against Spain, in which she contributed with ten goals to the 38–29 victory.
On 18 October 2004 she was decorated with the SportStars Award, a prize that is given to the greatest individuals of their respective sports. A total of 54 athletes were recognized on the gala night, that was held in the Olympic Museum
in Lausanne, including ones like multiple World and Olympic champion pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva
, tennis stars Roger Federer
and Justine Henin, basketball player Pau Gasol
and fellow Hungarian modern pentathlete Zsuzsanna Vörös
.
Radulovics' final major event was the European Championship in 2004, as she retired from international handball after the tournament. Although she dreamed about winning the gold medal in front of home crowd, Radulovics had to be content herself with a bronze after Hungary lost to Norway in the semifinals and beat Russia in the third place match. The Hungarian team set off with a three match winning run, with that they easily won their preliminary group. Radulovics played in terrific form, especially against Austria, hitting the back of the net 13 times. During the main round phase Hungary continued to play top quality handball, but suffered a one goal defeat against Denmark, which cost them the top spot of the group and as a result, they had to face prime title candidates and eventually winners Norway in the semifinal. Radulovics scored ten goals against the Hammerseng-led Scandinavians, but it was not enough to go through the finals, since the rest of the team slightly underperformed and Hungary suffered a heavy loss (29–44).
On 19 December 2004, in the placement match against Russia, Radulovics wore the national team jersey the very last time. She helped her team with twelve goals to win the bronze medal clash, and also overtook Tatjana Logvin on the list of sharpshooters, collecting the top scorers' award with 72 goals.
In 2010 she got an invitation to the Sportface Handball Gala, where she participated on a show match between the Hungarian Olympic team and the Danish Olympic team of 2000. The rematch of the Olympic Games final, that run under the name Sydney 2000 – Reloaded, ended with a 21–21 draw. However, it may remain more memorable for Radulovics that she was voted the Hungarian Handballer of the Decade and received the title just before the throw-off, in front of thousand of fans in the Főnix Hall
.
Subotica
Subotica is a city and municipality in northern Serbia, in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina...
, SFR Yugoslavia, today Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
) is a retired Hungarian
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
handball
Team handball
Handball is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each pass a ball to throw it into the goal of the other team...
player who currently leads the handball academy of Dunaújvárosi NKKSE
Dunaújvárosi NKKSE
Dunaújvárosi Női Kézilabda Sport, formerly known as Dunaferr, is a Hungarian women's handball club from Dunaújváros, that plays in the Nemzeti Bajnokság I....
.
One of the best players of all time, she was voted World Handball Player of the Year
IHF World Player of the Year
-Men:-Women:-External links:* *...
in 2000 and 2003 by the International Handball Federation
International Handball Federation
The International Handball Federation, often referred to by the acronym IHF, is the administrative and controlling body for International team handball.- Championships :*World Men's Handball Championship*World Women's Handball Championship...
thus becoming the first, and to date the only woman who was honoured with the prestigious award two times. On club level, beside the number of domestic successes she won every major European cup, including the EHF Champions League title in 1999. She obtained an Olympic silver medal with the Hungarian team in 2000 and won another silver medal on the World Championship in 2003. On the European Championship in 2004, that was played on home soil, Radulovics received a bronze medal after beating Russia 29–25 in the placement match.
Club
Radulovics started her career in her hometown club as a youngster and turned professional by ŽRK Radnički Beograd, with them she won the EHF Cup Winners' Cup in 1991. Later she moved abroad to Spanish side BM SaguntoBM Sagunto
Balonmano Parc Sagunto is a Spanish women's handball club based in Sagunto, Valencia. They were previously known as Astroc Sagunto, El Osito L'Eliana Valencia and Mar Valencia....
, followed by a switch to the Hungarian championship. First, she was signed by Caola SE, where her exceptional skills quickly became clear and despite playing for a rather low-table team, Radulovics won the top scorers' award in 1995. Her impressive performances were enough for Dunaújváros
Dunaújvárosi NKKSE
Dunaújvárosi Női Kézilabda Sport, formerly known as Dunaferr, is a Hungarian women's handball club from Dunaújváros, that plays in the Nemzeti Bajnokság I....
to move on the right back and the recently crowned EHF Cup Winners' Cup champions have secured her services after the end of the season.
She immediately became a key player by her new club, where she excelled with her creative style, intelligent game play and exceptional goalscoring instinct. She achieved the first success in 1998, when Dunaújváros did the treble by winning the EHF Cup
Women's EHF Cup
The Women's EHF Cup is an official competition for women's handball clubs of Europe. It takes place every year, from September to May. It was first organized by the European Handball Federation in 1993...
, the Hungarian cup and the Hungarian championship. In the latter one Radulovics finished as the third-best goalgetter with 170 goals. By winning the national title, the Danube-side team entered the EHF Champions League in the following year, for the first time in their history. After a relatively easy early stage, the club battled through the quarterfinals and the semifinals in two close contested match-ups against Ikast FS
FC Midtjylland Håndbold
FC Midtjylland Håndbold is a Danish women's handball club based in Ikast. They play in the Dame Håndbold Ligaen since 1991. In 1998, FCM won the Danish Championship...
(50–48) and Hypo Niederösterreich
Hypo Niederösterreich
Hypo Niederösterreich is an Austrian women's handball club. They are one of the most successful teams on the EHF Champions League, having won the title eight times...
(50–49) to face Krim Ljubljana in the finals. On the home leg the reds, who played in front of their 4000 fans, built up a two goal advantage, and the 26–26 draw on the rematch meant they have won the premier European tournament in club handball. Later that year Radulovics obtained the EHF Champions Trophy as well. By doing so, she collected all major continental titles by the age of only 26.
In the subsequent years Dunaújváros remained a top club, but on continental level they did not manage to win another trophy. They were the closest in 2003, when they played against Slagelse DT in the EHF Cup finals, but fell short to their Danish rivals by two goals on aggregate (47–49). In the domestic competitions Radulovics had more success: she has won five championship and as many cup titles during her time by the club. For her services to the team and the city, and her exemplary sportsmanship conduct, Radulovics was made Honorary Citizen of Dunaújváros in 2001.
In March 2006 Radulovics announced her plans to retire from professional handball, however, she received an offer from Győri Audi ETO KC
Gyori Audi ETO KC
Győri ETO KC is a Hungarian women's handball club from Győr. Since they are sponsored by Audi, the official name for the team is Győri Audi ETO KC.Győr reached the final of the EHF Cup Winners' Cup in 2006 and the final of the Champions League in 2009....
she could not refuse and joined the Western Transdanubian team on a one-year deal.
On 8 October 2006 she suffered torn shoulder ligament while playing against her former club, which kept her sidelined for months. Although she completely recovered from the injury and what is more, she contributed with goals in the Hungarian cup final to win the title – her sixth, Radulovics decided not to extend her contract at the end of the season and finally quit handball. Not much later she moved back to Serbia to run her own business, an amusement- and safari park for children.
In September 2009 the Hungarian media was overflowed by the news that Radulovics might be reactivated and come back to help Dunaújváros, that lost most of their players due to their economy problems. These news proved to be true, and she played her first competitive match after two years of absence on 18 September 2009 against Hunnia KSK, scoring four goals and giving a number of assists in the fixture. Since her return, Radulovics played in top form, and although had an injury-plagued year behind her, she still ranked eleventh in the league's top scorers' list with 112 goals in the 2010–2011 season.
Following the decision of the Dunaújváros City Council on 28 October 2010, Radulovics has been named to manage the women's section of the newly forming handball academy, which is set to open in September 2011 and will run in co-operation with the College of Dunaújváros.
In accordance with her doctor's advice, Radulovics announced her final retirement from professional sport on 10 August 2011 and going to concentrate fully on her new job in the local handball academy.
International
Radulovics has been capped seventy times for the Yugoslavian national team, when in 1999, after playing since many years in Hungary, she has obtained the Hungarian citizenship and decided to represent Hungary on international level. She made her debut on 25 July 2000 against FranceFrance women's national handball team
The France women's national handball team is the national team of France. It is governed by the Fédération Française de Handball and takes part in international team handball competitions.- Olympic games :* 2000 : 6th* 2004 : 4th* 2008 : 5th...
and participated on the Olympic Games yet in that year, winning the silver medal after falling short to Denmark
Denmark women's national handball team
The Denmark women's national handball team is the national team of Denmark. It is governed by the Dansk Håndbold Forbund and takes part in international handball competitions....
in the final. In the quarterfinals against Austria
Austria women's national handball team
The Austria women's national handball team is the national team of Austria. It is governed by the Austrian Handball Federation and takes part in international team handball competitions.- Performance in Olympic Games :* 1984: 6th place...
her goal saved the match to a regular time draw, coming back from a four goal deficit with only five minutes from time. In the overtime, the Hungarians finally won the match in an epic battle (28–27). The following day in the semifinals they overcame Norway
Norway women's national handball team
The Norway women's national handball team is the national team of Norway. It is governed by the Norwegian Handball Federation and takes part in international handball competitions....
surprisingly easily (28–23), just to face Denmark in the final. The Hungarian team shown an excellent display and had a comfortable advantage, but suffered a meltdown in the latest part of the match and gave away the title. However, despite lost in the final, Radulovics, who finished fourth on the top scorers' list with 55 goals, was selected to the All-Star team of the tournament. Moreover, she was given both the Hungarian Handballer of the Year
Hungarian Handballer of the Year
The Hungarian Handballer of the Year award is an annual prize, which is given to the Hungarian handballer who is considered to have performed the best over the previous calendar year....
and the IHF World Player of the Year
IHF World Player of the Year
-Men:-Women:-External links:* *...
award in acknowledgement of her outstanding performances throughout the year.
Due to a knee injury she missed the European Championship in 2000, where Hungary won a consolatory gold medal. She went through a surgery and returned to action in the autumn of 2001, in preparation for the World Championship. Everyone expected to repeat her superb goalscoring form, but an ankle injury forced her to leave the field against Spain
Spain women's national handball team
The Spain women's national handball team is the national team of Spain. It is governed by the Royal Spanish Handball Federation and takes part in international team handball competitions....
, and had to sit out the rest of the tournament, in which Hungary finished in the disappointing sixth position.
Because of her injury and later a maternity leave, Radulovics stayed away from handball until 2003. She returned to the national team on the 2003 World Championship
2003 World Women's Handball Championship
-Final ranking:-All Star Team:*Goalkeeper: *Left wing: *Left back: *Pivot: *Centre back: *Right back: *Right wing: -Top goalscorers:-References:...
in style, hitting nine goals against Romania
Romania women's national handball team
The Romanian women's national team, is the national team of Romania. It is governed by the Romanian Handball Federation and takes part in international team handball competitions.- Current squad :Head coach: Radu Voina-External links:...
and eight against South Korea
South Korea women's national handball team
The South Korea women's national handball team is the national team of South Korea. Since 1984 the Korean team has not only participated constantly in Olympic Games but also ranked among the top four nations every time. Korea grabbed the gold medal in 1988 and 1992, and won the silver medal in...
en route to the final, where Hungary met with France. The Magyars dominated the match until 50 minutes, but the French team fought back and at 28–27 the referee shown on the penalty line with no time left. Leila Lejeune picked the ball and did not miss the 7-metre shot. The match ended up in overtime, where, in spite of Radulovics' 13 goals, Hungary lost 32–29. With an all-time record of 97 goals, the right back topped the top scorers' list, was selected to the All-Star team of the World Championship and later was handed over the IHF World Player of the Year for her accomplishments in 2003.
She was in top form on the 2004 Olympic Games once again, scoring not less than 54 goals, with that she deservedly was crowned as the top scorer of the tournament, on that Hungary finished fifth after two small margin defeats against Ukraine (22–23) and France (23–25). One of the most memorable matches for her was the placement match against Spain, in which she contributed with ten goals to the 38–29 victory.
On 18 October 2004 she was decorated with the SportStars Award, a prize that is given to the greatest individuals of their respective sports. A total of 54 athletes were recognized on the gala night, that was held in the Olympic Museum
Olympic Museum
The Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland houses permanent and temporary exhibits relating to sport and the Olympic movement. With more than 10,000 pieces, the museum is the largest archive of Olympic Games in the world and one of Lausanne's prime tourist draws attracting more than 250,000...
in Lausanne, including ones like multiple World and Olympic champion pole vaulter Yelena Isinbayeva
Yelena Isinbayeva
Yelena Gadzhievna Isinbayeva is a Russian pole vaulter. She is twice an Olympic gold medalist , five-times a World Champion, and the current world record holder in the event...
, tennis stars Roger Federer
Roger Federer
Roger Federer is a Swiss professional tennis player who held the ATP no. 1 position for a record 237 consecutive weeks, and 285 weeks overall. As of 28 November 2011, he is ranked World No. 3 by the Association of Tennis Professionals . Federer has won a men's record 16 Grand Slam singles titles...
and Justine Henin, basketball player Pau Gasol
Pau Gasol
Pau Gasol Sáez is a Spanish professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . He was born to Marisa Sáez and Agustí Gasol, and he spent his childhood in Spain...
and fellow Hungarian modern pentathlete Zsuzsanna Vörös
Zsuzsanna Vörös
Zsuzsanna Vörös is a retired Hungarian modern pentathlete who won gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece...
.
Radulovics' final major event was the European Championship in 2004, as she retired from international handball after the tournament. Although she dreamed about winning the gold medal in front of home crowd, Radulovics had to be content herself with a bronze after Hungary lost to Norway in the semifinals and beat Russia in the third place match. The Hungarian team set off with a three match winning run, with that they easily won their preliminary group. Radulovics played in terrific form, especially against Austria, hitting the back of the net 13 times. During the main round phase Hungary continued to play top quality handball, but suffered a one goal defeat against Denmark, which cost them the top spot of the group and as a result, they had to face prime title candidates and eventually winners Norway in the semifinal. Radulovics scored ten goals against the Hammerseng-led Scandinavians, but it was not enough to go through the finals, since the rest of the team slightly underperformed and Hungary suffered a heavy loss (29–44).
On 19 December 2004, in the placement match against Russia, Radulovics wore the national team jersey the very last time. She helped her team with twelve goals to win the bronze medal clash, and also overtook Tatjana Logvin on the list of sharpshooters, collecting the top scorers' award with 72 goals.
"I don't think so that beside the family and club duties I would have enough power. It's time for the younger generation." – said the 31-years-old Radulovics in a post-match interview with tears in her eyes.
In 2010 she got an invitation to the Sportface Handball Gala, where she participated on a show match between the Hungarian Olympic team and the Danish Olympic team of 2000. The rematch of the Olympic Games final, that run under the name Sydney 2000 – Reloaded, ended with a 21–21 draw. However, it may remain more memorable for Radulovics that she was voted the Hungarian Handballer of the Decade and received the title just before the throw-off, in front of thousand of fans in the Főnix Hall
Fonix Hall
Főnix Hall is a multi-purpose arena in Debrecen, Hungary. Fonix Hall holds 8,500 people and opened in 2002. It hosted the 2002 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships.The arena was named after the Phoenix, a mythical firebird which is the symbol of Debrecen....
.
Achievements
- Nemzeti Bajnokság INemzeti Bajnokság I (Women's handball)The Nemzeti Bajnokság I is the top professional league for Hungarian women's team handball clubs. It is administered by the Hungarian Handball Federation.- History :...
:- Winner: 1998, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2004
- Magyar KupaMagyar Kupa (Women's handball)Magyar Kupa is the main domestic cup for Hungarian women's team handball clubs, which is organized and supervised by the Hungarian Handball Federation. The competition is held annually, starting in September and concluding in April. The teams play in a one-leg knockout system with a final four...
:- Winner: 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2004, 2007
- EHF Champions League
- Winner: 1999
- EHF Cup Winners' Cup:
- Winner: 1991
- EHF CupWomen's EHF CupThe Women's EHF Cup is an official competition for women's handball clubs of Europe. It takes place every year, from September to May. It was first organized by the European Handball Federation in 1993...
:- Winner: 1998
- Finalist: 2003
- EHF Champions Trophy:
- Winner: 1999
- Olympic GamesHandball at the Summer OlympicsTeam handball was introduced as an Olympic sport for men at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, but dropped after that, only to be resumed at the 1972 Summer Olympics, again on German territory...
:- Silver Medalist: 2000
- Fifth Placed: 2004
- World ChampionshipWorld Women's Handball ChampionshipThe World Championship in team handball for women has been organized by the International Handball Federation since 1957.- Championships :- Overall medal count :- Participation history :-Largest winning margin:Source: - External links :*...
:- Silver Medalist: 2003
- Sixth Placed: 2001
- European ChampionshipEuropean Women's Handball ChampionshipThe European Women's Handball Championship is the official competition for senior women's national handball teams of Europe, and takes place every two years. In addition to crowning the European champions, the tournament also serves as a qualifying tournament for the World Championship...
:- Bronze Medallist: 2004
- Fifth Placed: 2002
Awards and recognition
- Nemzeti Bajnokság I Top Scorer: 1995
- All-Star Left Back of the Olympic Games: 2000
- Knight's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary: 2000
- Hungarian Handballer of the YearHungarian Handballer of the YearThe Hungarian Handballer of the Year award is an annual prize, which is given to the Hungarian handballer who is considered to have performed the best over the previous calendar year....
: 2000 - IHF World Player of the YearIHF World Player of the Year-Men:-Women:-External links:* *...
: 2000, 2003 - Honorary Citizen of Dunaújváros: 2001
- All-Star Left Back of the World Championship: 2003
- World Championship Top Scorer: 2003
- European Championship Top Scorer: 2004
- Olympic Games Top Scorer: 2004
- SportStars Award: 2004
- Hungarian Handballer of the Decade: 2010