President Milanović at Homecoming of Women’s National Handball Team: You Played Smart and Intelligently, Thank You for the Joy of Playing

The President of the Republic Zoran Milanović took part in the homecoming of the Croatian Women’s National Handball Team, winner of the bronze medal at the European Handball Championship in Denmark.

The President of the Republic had already congratulated the Croatian Women’s National Handball Team on Sunday. This time he told them: “Dear players, dear coach, the last time that women’s handball captured my attention seriously was in 1996 when “Podravka” was the European champion. After that – it wasn’t good. I wouldn’t be sincere if I’d say that we followed handball prior to the start of the championship. The attention of the public and of politics is a sure thing when success comes”, the President noted.

“You played smart and intelligently. You were something between Odysseus and Achilles, neither the biggest nor the strongest, yet still the best, and against you were some Cyclops (“Kiklopi”) who underestimated you enormously”, President Milanović said.

Wishing the players and the coach Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, President MIlanović concluded his address by saying: “Thank you for the joy of playing because sport is first of all a game, love, passion, and then only a country and a nation”.

The homecoming of the Croatian women handball players was held in the National and University Library. In addition to President Milanović, congratulations to the bronze medal winners were extended by Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, the Speaker of the Croatian Parliament Gordan Jandroković and the Minister of Tourism and Sport Nikolina Brnjac.

PHOTO: Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia / Dario Andrišek