| Title: | (E) Croatia euphoric after its team wins World Championship |
| Submitted by: | Nenad Bach |
| Date: | Feb 2,2003 |
| Category: | Sports |
Croatia euphoric after its team wins
handball World Championship
|
Sun Feb 2, 2:47 PM ET
|
ZAGREB, Croatia - Celebratory shots exploded as
the Croatian handball team won its first men's world championship on Sunday
an unexpected but cherished victory.
"Magnificent!" shouted Bozo Susec, a sports commentator of the
national TV's third channel, which aired the match live. "Each of them is a
handball maestro!" Croatia beat Germany 34-31 in the championship match, which was played in
Portugal.
When the Croatian team, the Olympic titlist in 1996 and a silver medal winner
at the 1995 worlds, moved to the finals, most Croats, otherwise largely
uninterested in handball, began watching the games.
On Sunday, people hurried home and stayed glued to TV sets. In a shopping
mall, crowded on Sundays, people forgot about shopping and stood in front of TV
sets, commenting and screaming with joy.
"They're just fantastic!" beamed Ivica Darkic, a 31-year-old
computer expert. "No one was paying attention to them, really, and now they
gave us this great victory.
"All my respect and love, boys!" he screamed at the TV.
"I'm so proud! Proud, and arrogant, to be Croat at this moment, because
their victory was pure and without mistake," said Boris Snajder, 36, a
music teacher.
Many braved the cold to go out and celebrate with friends on the streets of
Zagreb, the capital.
The top seven teams at the worlds qualify for the 2004 Olympics.
Despite earlier victories, the Croatian handball team never got much
attention at home. Croatians worshipped Goran Ivanisevic, last year's Wimbledon
champion, ski sensations Janica and Ivica Kostelic and the national soccer team
that finished third at the 1998 World Cup in France.
In the past few days, however, nearly everyone became familiar with Vlado
Sola, the goalie who dyes his hair red; coach Lino Cervar and the names of the
other players. The largest daily, Vecernji list, published their poster for the
Monday edition.
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