Sasa Zibulovic, national player of the national handball team at the 2004 Olympic Games, has died

February 9th is now a day of mourning for Greek handball. Sasa Zibulovic, one of the all-time greatest playmakers in Greek handball, died at the age of 51 in the early hours of Thursday (02/09), a dark day for the sport.

Zibulovic was born in Serbia but got a Greek passport in 2004 and wore the jersey of the men’s national team at the 2004 Olympic Games and the 2005 World Cup even won the 6th Women’s Cup.

The Hellenic Handball Federation announcement states in detail:

“A dark day has dawned for Greek handball.

Shocked and with great pain, the Hellenic Handball Federation bids farewell to Olympic champion Sasa Zibulovic, who died early in the morning at the age of 51.

A great sporting figure, great person, exemplary athlete, charismatic coach, accomplished professional and family man, Sasa Zibulovic loved and was deeply loved by Greece and the Greeks, despite not being born here.

He obtained Greek citizenship in 2004 and competed with the men’s national team at both the 2004 Olympic Games and the 2005 World Championships, contributing to two 6th places.

He honored the Greek colors and respected the national emblem from his first game to his last.

Just a few 24 hours have passed since Sunday afternoon when she led Nea Ionia to the 6th Greek Women’s Cup in their history in the 19th Final Four of Igoumenitsa.

This was his 5th title as a coach, all with Nea Ionia, preceded by two championships and two more Greek Cups.

Sasa Zibulovic was born on April 14, 1972 in Zajetar, Serbia and in 1998 he made the big decision to come to Greece and leave Metaloplastika. “Greece helped me a lot. If I could turn back time, I would do the same route all over again,” he said in an interview in 2010.

His wits, his wit, his athleticism gave him the reputation of being one of the best playmakers to ever walk the Greek handball courts.

He participated 2 years in Panhellenic and 10 years in Doukas and as an athlete he won 3 Championships (PGS 1999, Doukas 2001, 2008) and 2 Greek Cups (PGS 1999, Doukas 2008).

In June 2010, after a serious supraspinatus injury, he decided to retire at the age of 38, having started coaching the Dukes age groups the year before.

In summer 2016 he took over Nea Ionia and led them to two doubles until 2019 (2017, 2018). He returned in 2020 and led them with a renewed team to the Greek Cup, the team’s first title in 5 years.

The President Kostas Gandis, the members of the Board of Directors of the OHE, the First Vice-President of the EOE Stelios Angeloudis, the staff and the Press Office of the Federation express their deep sorrow and sincere condolences to his wife Selena and his son Uros, athlete of the 1986 drama sorry out.

The void left by Sasha Zibulovic in Greek handball is hard to fill.

Our thoughts are with his family.”