There are more than 400,000 active sportspeople in Croatia. Out of that number, 277,000 are members of sports associations and nearly 4,000 are members of chess and contract bridge associations. Association football is the most popular sport. The Croatian Football Federation (), with more than 118,000 registered players, is the largest sporting association in the country. The Prva HNL football league attracts the highest average attendance of any professional sports league in the country. In season 2010–11, it attracted 458,746 spectators. Croatian athletes competing at international events since Croatian independence in 1991 won 44 Olympic medals, including 15 gold medals—at the 1996 and 2004 Summer Olympics in handball, 2000 Summer Olympics in weightlifting, 2002 and 2006 Winter Olympics in alpine skiing, 2012 Summer Olympics in discus throw, trap shooting, and water polo, and in 2016 Summer Olympics in shooting, rowing, discus throw, sailing and javelin throw.
Sports
Croatia
Croatia | Sports
Yes. There are more than 400,000 active sportspeople there Association football is the most popular sport. Yes, Association football. Yes, Association football
which cities in croatia are famous for their protective walls and forts
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Dubrovnik
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in which country is this state located in ?
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Sorry. I cannot find the answer based on the context.
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which country is this city located in ?
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Croatia
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how is the weather in this country ?
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Moderately warm and rainy continental climate
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what is the capital of the country ?
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Zagreb
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does the country play any sports ?
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Since independence Croatia has been a fairly successful sporting country. The most popular team sports have been association football (soccer). The Croatian Football Federation (), with more than 118,000 registered players, is the largest sporting association in the country. Other popular sports are handball, basketball and to some extent water polo. The most popular sports played mainly by individuals are tennis, skiing, swimming, and to some extent table tennis and chess. The nation's arenas are primarily used for handball and basketball games.
Culture of Croatia | Sports
There are more than 400,000 active sportspeople in Croatia. Out of that number, 277,000 are members of sports associations and nearly 4,000 are members of chess and contract bridge associations. Association football is the most popular sport. The Croatian Football Federation (), with more than 118,000 registered players, is the largest sporting association in the country. The Prva HNL football league attracts the highest average attendance of any professional sports league in the country. In season 2010–11, it attracted 458,746 spectators. Croatian athletes competing at international events since Croatian independence in 1991 won 44 Olympic medals, including 15 gold medals—at the 1996 and 2004 Summer Olympics in handball, 2000 Summer Olympics in weightlifting, 2002 and 2006 Winter Olympics in alpine skiing, 2012 Summer Olympics in discus throw, trap shooting, and water polo, and in 2016 Summer Olympics in shooting, rowing, discus throw, sailing and javelin throw.
Croatia | Sports
Croatia hosted several major sport competitions, including the 2009 World Men's Handball Championship, the 2007 World Table Tennis Championships, the 2000 World Rowing Championships, the 1987 Summer Universiade, the 1979 Mediterranean Games and several European Championships. The governing sports authority in the country is the Croatian Olympic Committee (), founded on 10 September 1991 and recognised by the International Olympic Committee since 17 January 1992, in time to permit the Croatian athletes to appear at the 1992 Winter Olympics in Albertville, France representing the newly independent nation for the first time at the Olympic Games.
Croatia | Sports
Sport in Croatia has significant role in Croatian culture, and many local sports clubs as well as the Croatian national squads enjoy strong followings in the country. The most enduring sport by far in Croatia is football, and is played on amateur and professional levels amongst all age groups across the entire country. Several other major team sports are handball, basketball and water polo, with clubs in all parts of Croatia. Ice hockey is another popular team sport, namely in the Croatian interior. The most popular individual sports in Croatia are tennis, alpine skiing, and swimming, and to some extent table tennis and chess.
Sport in Croatia | Introduction
Sports in Croatia
Outline of Croatia | Sports in Croatia
Some of Croatia's more successful national teams include:
Sport in Croatia | National sports teams
National organizations and leagues exist in Croatia for most popular sports. Some of these include:
Sport in Croatia | Sports and leagues
Ana Konjuh, a young tennis player, new superstar to some.
Sport in Croatia | Individual sports
It also hosts music events. Arena Zagreb was finished in 2008. The 16,500-seat arena hosted the 2009 World Men's Handball Championship. The Dražen Petrović Basketball Hall seats 5,400 people. Alongside the hall is the high glass Cibona Tower. Sports Park Mladost, situated on the embankment of the Sava river, has an Olympic-size swimming pool, smaller indoor and outdoor swimming pools, a sunbathing terrace, 16 tennis courts as well as basketball, volleyball, handball, football and field hockey courts. A volleyball sports hall is within the park. Sports and Recreational Center Šalata, located in Šalata, only a couple hundred meters from the Jelačić Square, is most attractive for tennis players.
Zagreb | Recreation and sports
Croatia has hosted many international sporting events. Until 1992 Croatia hosted the events as a part of Yugoslavia.
Sport in Croatia | Hostings of international sporting events
Zagreb is home to numerous sports and recreational centres. Recreational Sports Center Jarun, situated on Jarun Lake in the southwest of the city, has fine shingle beaches, a world-class regatta course, a jogging lane around the lake, several restaurants, many night clubs and a discothèque. Its sports and recreation opportunities include swimming, sunbathing, waterskiing, angling and other water sports, but also beach volleyball, football, basketball, handball, table tennis, and mini-golf. Dom Sportova, a sport centre in northern Trešnjevka features six halls. The largest two have seating capacity of 5,000 and 3,100 people, respectively. This centre is used for basketball, handball, volleyball, hockey, gymnastics, tennis, etc.
Zagreb | Recreation and sports
Football in Croatia, called "nogomet", is the most popular sport in the country and is led by the Croatian Football Federation. It is played in four official components; the domestic league consists of three hierarchical echelons, and a single national team represents the entire state. The first Croat clubs were founded prior to the First World War and participated in the Yugoslavian league structure after Croatia became a part of Yugoslavia following the war. From 1940 to 1944, nineteen friendly matches were played by a Croatia national side representing the Second World War-era puppet states of the Banovina of Croatia and Independent State of Croatia.
Football in Croatia | Introduction
Is gaining popularity mainly due to the University of Zagreb. Four teams currently play out of Zagreb and one out of Slavonski Brod whilst a team from Graz in Austria also competes in the CEAFL. Topper in FIFA 2018 .
Sport in Croatia | Australian Rules Football
Football is the most popular sport, both in terms of participants and spectators, in Zagreb. Zagreb has several of Croatia's significant football clubs.
Football in Zagreb | Introduction
Football is the most popular sport in Croatia, and is governed by the Croatian Football Federation. The Prva HNL is the top division of the country's football league system, and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Druga HNL. Dinamo Zagreb is the country's most successful football club and the 2019 champion, with 20 total championships, followed by Hajduk Split with 6 championships (last one in 2005). The rivalry between these two clubs is known as the Eternal Derby in Croatia, with the two clubs combining to win all but one of the 20 championships ever contested in the league's history.
Sport in Croatia | Association football
Table tennis player and Olympic silver medalist Zoran Primorac became the first Croatian athlete to participate in seven Olympic Games as an individual athlete (his first appearance competed under the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia), and was also the oldest athlete of the team, at age 43. Venio Losert, captain of the men's handball team, was appointed by the committee to carry the nation's flag at the opening ceremony.
Croatia at the 2012 Summer Olympics | Introduction
The Croatian Sports Association was formed in 1909 with Franjo Bučar as its president. While Austria-Hungary had competed in the modern Olympics since the inaugural games in 1896, the Austrian Olympic Committee and Hungarian Olympic Committee held the exclusive right to send their athletes to the games. The association organized a national football league in 1912.
Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia | Sports
Croatia has participated in the following Summer Olympic Games to date: Croatia has participated in the following Winter Olympic Games to date:
Sport in Croatia | Olympic Games
Since 2008, however, all of the national team's matches are again broadcast by Croatia's public broadcaster HRT.
Robert Jarni | Other activities
Various amateur sport games are popular in Croatia, notably picigin.
Sport in Croatia | Introduction
Football (soccer) competitions: Prva HNL, Druga HNL, Croatian Cup. For more in football (soccer) see: 2010–11 in Croatian football. In motorsports, Croatia will host the 2011 Speedway Grand Prix of Croatia.
2011 in Croatia | Sports
NK Croatia Zmijavci are the local football club.
Zmijavci | Sport
The team has developed an extensive fan base since its formation in 1991. Following their run at the 1998 FIFA World Cup, there was a rise in domestic and global attention for the side. Balkan Insight commented that the national team became a symbol of Croatian independence from Yugoslavia. However, after the death of former-president Franjo Tuđman, local political ties with the national team have loosened. All matches are followed and televised throughout the country, particularly during tournaments. A part of the team's support base consists of fans of Hajduk Split and Dinamo Zagreb, the two best-supported clubs in the Croatian domestic league, the Prva HNL.
Croatia national football team | Supporters
Croatia competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, United Kingdom, from 27 July to 12 August 2012. This was the nation's sixth consecutive appearance at the Summer Olympics. The Croatian Olympic Committee (, "HOO") sent the nation's largest delegation to the Games. A total of 108 athletes, 64 men and 44 women, competed in 17 sports. Women's basketball, men's water polo, and handball were the only team-based sports in which Croatia had its representation in these Olympic Games. Among the sports played by athletes, Croatia also marked its Olympic debut in judo and fencing. Croatian athletes featured two sets of twins (taekwondo jins Lucija and Ana Zaninović, and Greco-Roman wrestlers Neven and Nenad Žugaj).
Croatia at the 2012 Summer Olympics | Introduction
The first student sports club was founded 112 years ago at the University of Zagreb. The Federation of Academic Sports Clubs at the University of Zagreb was founded 92 years ago. Mandatory physical education classes were introduced in Croatian universities 52 years ago. Twenty eight years ago the first University Games, also known as Universiade was organized in Zagreb. The Croatian Academic Sports Federation was founded 22 years ago. Organized primarily as a cultural and a social event, the 1987 Universiade in Zagreb helped bring infrastructural renaissance to the capital city of Croatia and created the prerequisites for the significant advancement of Croatian sport as a whole.
2016 European Universities Games | Tradition of university sports in Croatia
Dom sportova (), is a multi-purpose indoor sports arena located in Zagreb, Croatia. The venue was built in 1972 on Trešnjevka, in the western part of the city. It has 32,000 m² of floorspace, and it features six halls. The seating capacity of the biggest two halls is 5,000 and 3,100. It is used for basketball, handball, volleyball, ice hockey, gymnastics, tennis, as well as concerts. It is the venue for the PBZ Zagreb Indoors men's tennis tournament. It also hosted the final tournament of the 1989 European Basketball Championship, in which the home team of Yugoslavia won the gold medal, the 2000 European Men's Handball Championship, the 2003 World Women's Handball Championship, the 2005 Women's European Volleyball Championship as well as the 2008 and 2013 European Figure Skating Championships.
Dom Sportova | Introduction
However, these venues are rarely used due to their remote locations and smaller seating capacity, despite objections from local residents and some players. The following table provides a summary Croatia results at various venues used for home games. Since Croatia's first match in October 1990, they played home games at eleven stadiums around the country. The following table provides a summary of Croatia's results at home venues.
Croatia national football team | Stadiums
"As of 18 Aug 2016, after 2016 Olympics" "* includes games against Czechoslovakia" "** includes games against CIS and Soviet Union" "*** includes games against Serbia and Montenegro"
Croatia men's national basketball team | Record against other teams
The majority of Croatia's home matches take place at the Stadion Maksimir in Zagreb, which is also the home-ground of local football club Dinamo. The venue, built in 1912 and refurbished in 1997, is named after the surrounding neighbourhood of Maksimir. It was one of two venues for UEFA Euro 1976, hosted by Yugoslavia, alongside Red Star Stadium in Belgrade. It has been hosting national team games since Croatia's competitive home debut against Lithuania. The Croatian Football Federation (HNS) previously agreed on extensive plans with the government to renovate the stadium and increase its current forty-thousand seating capacity, however the proposal was eventually rejected by Mayor of Zagreb Milan Bandić in 2008 due to high construction costs.
Croatia national football team | Stadiums
The city has its own football club, the Tiszakécske FC.
Tiszakécske | Sports
The most popular sport in the Kingdom was association football. The Yugoslav Football Association was founded in Zagreb in 1919. It was based in Zagreb until the 6 January Dictatorship, when the association was moved to Belgrade. From 1923, a national championship was held annually. The national team played its first match at the 1920 Summer Olympics. It also participated in the inaugural FIFA World Cup, finishing fourth. Other popular sports included water polo, which was dominated nationally by the Croatian side VK Jug. The Kingdom participated at the Olympic Games from 1920 until 1936. During this time, the country won eight medals, all in gymnastics and six of these were won by Leon Štukelj, a Slovene who was the most nominated gymnast of that time.
Kingdom of Yugoslavia | Sport
The Croatian Football Federation was the governing body of football within the Banovina. It organized a domestic league and a national team. The Banovina of Croatia had four international matches: two pairs of home-and-away matches against Switzerland and Hungary. The Croatian Rowing Championships were held on 29 June 1940. Croatia men's national ice hockey team played its first friendly game against Slovakia on February 9, 1941 in Bratislava and lost 6-1. The Croatian Boxing Federation was reconstituted on 5 October 1939 as the governing body of boxing within the entire Banovina of Croatia.
Banovina of Croatia | Sports
Rugby union in pre-independence Croatia was a moderately popular sport, but due to its recent international successes, it is gaining more recognition. Some people date the start of Croatian rugby to 17 January 1954 when the Mladost team from Zagreb was formed to become Croatia's first Rugby Club. Croatian sides competed in the Rugby Championship of Yugoslavia, which ran from 1957–1991. Croatia was something of a centre of rugby union in Yugoslavia before it gained its independence. The biggest rugby "scrum" in the world was made on 14 Oct 2007, in Croatia, with over 200 players of all categories from Croatian rugby club Nada, for a Millennium Photo.
Sport in Croatia | Rugby union
After the war, most of the prominent Yugoslavian clubs, including clubs in Croatia, were dissolved and replaced with new sides by Marshal Tito's Communist regime. Today, club football in Croatia is dominated by Hajduk Split, HNK Rijeka and Dinamo Zagreb. Since independence, the country has produced a string of players who have performed well in many of Europe's most highly regarded leagues and who took the national team to third place at the 1998 World Cup and the final at the 2018 World Cup.
Football in Croatia | Introduction
It comprises a big tennis court and eight smaller ones, two of which are covered by the so-called "balloon", and another two equipped with lights. The centre also has swimming pools, basketball courts, football fields, a gym and fitness centre, and a four-lane bowling alley. Outdoor ice skating is a popular winter recreation. There are also several fine restaurants within and near the centre.
Zagreb | Recreation and sports
They also played in semi-finals of UEFA Euro 1976, hosted in home cities of Belgrade and Zagreb.
Sport in Yugoslavia | Football
The Croatia national football team () represents Croatia in men's international association football matches. The team is controlled by the Croatian Football Federation (HNS). Most home matches are played at the Stadion Maksimir in Zagreb, although other smaller venues are also used occasionally. This is one of the youngest national teams (since formation) to reach the knockout stage of a major tournament, as well as the youngest team to occupy the top 10 in the FIFA World Rankings. The team was recognised by both FIFA and UEFA following dissolution of Yugoslavia. However, national sides were active during periods of political upheaval, representing sovereign states such as the Banovina of Croatia from 1939 to 1941, or the Independent State of Croatia from 1941 to 1944.
Croatia national football team | Introduction
Leagues: Cups:
Sports broadcasting contracts in Croatia | Football
Futsal Dinamo does not have a permanent home. Club plays its home matches at various sports halls in Zagreb City. Dinamo played most of the matches in Dom Sportova sports hall, but it also played at Dražen Petrović Basketball Hall, Sutinska Vrela, Martinovka, SD Trešnjevka, sports hall in Dubrava and two times in Karlovac.
Futsal Dinamo | Sports Hall
The Prva HNL is ranked 17th league in Europe by UEFA, and Dinamo Zagreb is the highest-ranked Croatian club in Europe, occupying the 77th spot. The Croatian Cup is the main knock-out tournament in Croatian football, and has also been dominated by Dinamo Zagreb and Hajduk Split. The Croatian Supercup is contested between the champions of the Prva HNL and the Croatian Cup.
Sport in Croatia | Association football
Introduced at the start of the 20th century, ice hockey became one of Croatia's first organized and federated sports, with Franjo Bučar's founding of the "Association for Skating and Ice Hockey", the precursor to the modern Croatian Ice Hockey Federation. From the late 1930s until Croatia's independence, Croatian ice hockey clubs competed in the Yugoslav Hockey League, with Croatia's most successful club KHL Medveščak Zagreb winning the championship three consecutive times from 1988 to 1990. Ice hockey is particularly popular in the interior regions of Croatia's Pannonia, Slavonia, Zagreb and Zagorje, where winters are as cold as in more prolific hockey nations such as Slovakia and Czechia.
Sport in Croatia | Ice hockey
Facilities for sports activities are limited, although there is a stadium for football and school facilities are used for volleyball and basketball.
İkizce | Sport
Franjo Bučar (1866–1946) is widely considered to be the father of modern Croatian sport. He founded the Croatian Sports Association in 1909 within what was then the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Bučar introduced a multitude of mainstream sports in Croatia, such as football, alpine skiing, ice skating and ice hockey, as well as gymnastics and fencing. The Franjo Bučar State Award for Sport, the Republic of Croatia's highest award in the development of sport, is named in his honor. With the exception of the years during the World War Two Independent State of Croatia, Croatian club and national teams first represented the Republic of Croatia at the start of the 1990s, with the formation of the Croatian national football team and its first match against the United States in 1990.
Sport in Croatia | History
VK Jug from Dubrovnik and VK Jadran from Split are both three time European champions, while POŠK, also from Split, is a European champion from 1999.
Sport in Croatia | Water polo
In the modern era, the nation played three matches shortly before its independence from Yugoslavia, listed at Croatia national football team results (1940–91).
Croatia national football team results (1992–99) | By year
Športska dvorana Gospino polje (, ) is a multi-purpose indoor sports arena located in Dubrovnik, Croatia. The arena hosts basketball, including occasional Croatian national team matches and basketball club KK Dubrovnik. It has also hosted international futsal qualifiers.
Športska dvorana Gospino polje | Introduction
In 2006 she won Laureus World Sports Award for Sportswoman of the Year. Her elder brother Ivica Kostelić was the 2003 World Champion in slalom and the Men's Overall Champion at the 2011 Alpine Skiing World Cup, and as of 14 February 2014 is a four-time Winter Olympic silver medalist himself. Blanka Vlašić is the best-known Croatian track and field athlete; she specialises in the high jump. She is 2007 and 2009 World Champion. Blanka is also 2008 World Indoor Champion, 2008 Olympic silver medalist and 2016 Olympic bronze medalist. Her personal best is (which is only 1 cm less than the world record) set in Zagreb on August 31, 2009.
Sport in Croatia | Individual sports
After the fall of communism and in the midst of the breakup of Yugoslavia, the club was reactivated and officially registered in November 1990, but in name only – no sports activities were started as the new club leadership centered their activities on promoting HAŠK's legacy and organizing events intended to raise the public awareness of the contribution HAŠK has made to the development of sports in Croatia. In an attempt to revive their glory days, the newly restarted club decided to enter competition sports again in 1993 so they merged with a local amateur football side called "NK TPK" from the Peščenica neighbourhood of Zagreb.
HAŠK | Post-Yugoslavia
Antun Stipančić was born in Duga Resa, 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 apartment 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.
Antun Stipančić | Early years
Sportsmen are traditionally held in high regard in Split, and the city is famous for producing many champions. The most popular sports in Split are football (soccer), tennis, basketball, swimming, rowing, sailing, waterpolo, athletics, and handball. Residents of Split prefer to call their city as "The sportiest city in the world". The main football (soccer) club is HNK Hajduk, one of the most popular clubs in Croatia supported by a large fan association known as Torcida Split, while RNK Split is the city's second club. Torcida Split is the oldest fan group in Europe est. 1950. The largest football stadium is the Poljud Stadium (HNK Hajduk's ground), with around 35,000 capacity (55,000 prior to the renovation to an all-seater).
Split, Croatia | Sports
The basketball club is KK Zadar, the football club NK Zadar, and the local handball club RK Zadar. The bowling club Kuglački klub Zadar is also very successful. Zadar is also the hometown of Croatian handball player Ivan Ninčević and football players Luka Modrić, Šime Vrsaljko and Danijel Subašić.
Zadar | Sports
All the players who scored for Croatia at Koturaška in 1940 were footballers of Građanski. Following the 1941 Invasion of Yugoslavia the fascist puppet state Independent State of Croatia came into existence and formed a national team recognized by FIFA which hosted a number of international friendlies in Zagreb during World War II. However, the team's preferred stadium was Concordia's ground, so Koturaška never hosted another international game as in 1945 both the Independent State of Croatia and Građanski ceased to exist and the stadium fell into disrepair before it was completely abandoned in 1948.
Stadion Koturaška | International matches
The home team is on the left column; the away team is on the right column.
2008–09 in Croatian football | National team
Dario Šimić, 20 August 2008, Slovenia 2–3 Croatia Ivan Rakitić, 9 years 4 days, 8 September 2009 – 11 September 2018
Croatia national football team records and statistics | Appearances
Zagreb (Sljeme) has organized many FIS races apart from the World Cup races held every year from 2005. The first ever FIS alpine ski race was held in 1995 and included 94 racers from 7 different countries.
Sport in Croatia | Alpine skiing
There is no official national stadium. The following two stadiums are the largest and most commonly host international events:
List of national stadiums | Croatia
The Croatian Olympic Committee (, "HOO") fielded a team of 87 athletes, 68 men and 19 women, across eighteen sports at the Games; it was the nation's fourth-largest delegation sent to the Olympics, but the smallest since 2004. More than 50 percent of the men's side competed in traditional team sports, with the water polo players looking to defend their Olympic title from the London Games four years earlier. Track and field accounted for the largest number of athletes on the squad by an individual-based sport, with 10 entries. There was a single competitor each in diving, judo, table tennis, weightlifting, and wrestling.
Croatia at the 2016 Summer Olympics | Competitors
The club played its first official game on 16 October 1906 against PNIŠK Zagreb ("Prvi nogometni i športski klub Zagreb, First football and sports club Zagreb") which ended in a 1–1 draw in front of 800 spectators. The club played many non-league games against local sides and against foreign opponents in the following years, such as the game against BEAC (The University of Budapest sports club) in 1909. When the first Croatian football championship was started in 1912, HAŠK were heading the table in mid-season and were later declared champions as the competition was abandoned after the winter break due to poor organization.
HAŠK | Early days
In the 1970s, Bjelovar was known as the handball capital of Europe, when its local squad RK Bjelovar (under the name Partizan) dominated Croatian, Yugoslav, and European handball. The team came solely from Bjelovar and its environs.
Bjelovar | Sport
The side, led by Rudolf Hitrec, went on to play 15 friendly matches, 14 of those as a member of FIFA. Croatia's first recorded result as a FIFA member was a 1–1 draw with Slovakia on 8 September in Bratislava. The Independent State of Croatia continued playing matches until 1945 and the end of World War II, when SR Croatia was formed as constituent part of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. From 1950 to 1956, unofficial Croatian teams were briefly active once again—winning games against Indonesia and a Yugoslav team playing as "Serbia". The Yugoslavia squad at the 1956 Summer Olympics included Croatian footballers, as did Yugoslavia in World Cup and European Championship tournaments up to 1990.
Croatia national football team | Pre-independence
The home team is on the left column; the away team is on the right column.
2009–10 in Croatian football | National team
In 1947 Kranjčevićeva hosted their single international game in the SFR Yugoslavia period, a 2–1 Balkan Cup win against Bulgaria, with both Yugoslavia's goals scored by Prvoslav Mihajlović. Following Croatia's independence in 1991, the Croatia national football team played at Kranjčevićeva only once, in a 1996 friendly against South Korea which Croatia won 3–0 through a hat-trick from Goran Vlaović.
Stadion Kranjčevićeva | International matches
Historically, Croatia has been a prolific nation in handball, both in the success of its club handball, as well as with the achievements of the Croatian national squad. At the start of the 2nd half of the 20th century, RK Bjelovar dominated Croatian handball, and in the 1970s won five Yugoslav league championships. In 1972 RK Bjelovar won the EHF Champions League, Europe's greatest handball competition, and reached the final the following year. A smaller city, Bjelovar's reign of successes can be likened to that of the storied Vince Lombardi–era Green Bay Packers of the National Football League, as the town of Green Bay, Wisconsin, the smallest NFL market in the United States, brought home five league championships in the 1960s.
Sport in Croatia | Team handball
Since the very beginnings, RTL Televizija have been broadcasting daily sports news during all of their daily news programs. The majority of their sports program has otherwise always consisted of various association football matches. Between 2004 and 2007, they were regularly broadcasting the away matches of the Croatian national football team, but since 2008 these matches are again broadcast by Croatia's public broadcaster HRT. RTL Televizija occasionally also broadcast boxing bouts and the highlights of the Red Bull Air Race events. They also bought the TV rights for all the matches of the 2009 World Men's Handball Championship, which was held in Croatia.
RTL (Croatian TV channel) | Sports
This is a list of the Croatia national football team results from 1940 in Yugoslavia up to the country's independence in 1991. The 1940s matches include four played by the Banovina of Croatia and another fifteen by the Independent State of Croatia. Then, the Socialist Republic of Croatia played a 1956 match against Indonesia. In the modern era, the nation played three friendly matches under its new name, the Republic of Croatia, shortly before its independence from Yugoslavia, the first being against the United States in 1990.
Croatia national football team results (1940–91) | Introduction
In addition, Croatian athletes won 16 gold medals at world championships, including four in athletics at the World Championships in Athletics held in 2007, 2009, 2013 and 2017, one in handball at the 2003 World Men's Handball Championship, two in water polo at the 2007 World Aquatics Championships and 2017 World Aquatics Championships, one in rowing at the 2010 World Rowing Championships, six in alpine skiing at the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships held in 2003 and 2005 and two at the World Taekwondo Championships in 2011 and 2007. Croatian athletes also won Davis cup in 2005 and 2018. The Croatian national football team came in third in 1998 and second in the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
Croatia | Sports
Sportnet.hr is a Croatian sports news website. It was launched in 2000 and covers sports news from both Croatia and the rest of the world. It is considered the largest and most detailed sports news website in Croatia and the region as well, primarily covering the country's most popular sports such as football, basketball, handball, tennis, water sports and winter sports. Owner is Mariposa Negra. The site's editor-in-chief is Tomislav Pacak.
Sportnet.hr | Introduction
Before the nation's independence, Croatian footballers played for the national teams of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia (1919–39) and the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (1945–92), though during periods of political upheaval, ethnically Croatian sides occasionally formed to play unofficial matches. A hastily arranged Croatian side, managed by Hugo Kinert, played a few matches in 1918–19. In 1940, Jozo Jakopić led an unofficial national team representing the Banovina of Croatia (part of Kingdom of Yugoslavia) in four friendly matches, against Switzerland and Hungary. Following invasion by the Axis powers, the Croatian Football Federation became briefly active, joining FIFA on 17 July 1941, representing the Independent State of Croatia.
Croatia national football team | Pre-independence
In the early beginnings of the Croatian handball, venues played field handball and handball. Students were still more attracted to field handball, because the little handball were played on makeshift courts without the right door, as opposed to the field handball, which is played on the existing football fields. During the Kingdom of Yugoslavia first public handball match in the Croatian region was played and in the wider neighborhood. It was played in a high school in Varaždin 29 May 1930 under the guidance of physical education teachers Zvonimir Šuligoj. Since that game, until 1950, in Croatia and Yugoslavia publicly played exclusively field handball, on the football field with eleven players on each side.
Croatia national handball team | Between the two world wars (1918–1941)
In the 1920s and 1930s the Kingdom of Yugoslavia national team often hosted matches in Zagreb, but the main venues used for these were grounds owned by Concordia and HAŠK football clubs (the present-day Stadion Kranjčevićeva and Stadion Maksimir). However, in May 1932 Koturaška hosted a friendly between Kingdom of Yugoslavia and Poland, which attracted a crowd of 6,000 and ended in Poland's 3–0 win. In 1940 the team of Banovina of Croatia (at the time province of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia) played two unofficial international matches at the stadium, beating Switzerland 4–0 in April (through goals from Florijan Matekalo, August Lešnik and a brace by Zvonko Cimermančić) in front of a crowd of 10,000, and drawing 1–1 against Hungary in December, with Franjo Wölfl scoring the single goal for the home team, in front of 8,000 spectators.
Stadion Koturaška | International matches
The main football club in Knin is NK Dinara, formed in 1913. NK Dinara's colours were black and white until 2005 when the club changed its colours to red, white and blue. NK Dinara plays in the 4th division in Croatia (1. Županijska liga Šibensko-kninska). The logo of NK Dinara is red, white, and blue (in that order) with the letter "D" in the middle of the logo. Knin has a sports association which was formed in 1998. Basketball is also popular in Knin. The Croatian National basketball team has played a match in Knin. They played against Israel in 1999 where Croatia won the match 78:68.
Knin | Sport
Croatia competed at the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics in Singapore. The Croatian squad consisted of 25 athletes competing in 12 sports: aquatics (swimming), athletics, basketball, canoeing, gymnastics, judo, rowing, shooting, table tennis, taekwondo, tennis, and triathlon.
Croatia at the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics | Introduction
Croatia competed in the Summer Olympic Games for the first time as an independent nation at the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. Previously, Croatian athletes had competed for Yugoslavia at the Olympic Games.
Croatia at the 1992 Summer Olympics | Introduction
Its name literally means "Croatian Sports Club "Citizens' "".
Građanski Zemun | Name
This article lists various football records in relation to the Croatia national football team.
Croatia national football team records and statistics | Introduction
At the following 1992 Barcelona Summer Olympic Games, he got the silver medal after Croatia lost to the USA in the men's final against "The Dream Team", while playing for the senior Croatian national team.
Stojko Vranković | Croatia (after independence)
After that in 1966 Zagreb got the organization of a World Championship, group B. Due to completion of Dom Sportova in 1972 players got second artificial ice and in 1984 Croatian Ice Hockey Federation became independent.
Ice hockey in Croatia | After World War II
The Croatian Football Federation also organises national football teams representing Croatia at all age levels:
Croatian Football Federation | National teams
Njivice has a Boules club named "Trstena".
Njivice, Croatia | Sports
National Championships – 1 National Cups – 1
ŽKK Novi Zagreb | Domestic
By far the most popular club in the country is Hajduk (Split)
Football in Croatia | Teams
The following matches have been played within the past 12 months. Times are CET/CEST, in accordance with Croatian local time (local times if different, are in parentheses).
Croatia national football team | Results and fixtures
No points are awarded for words that none of the players could connect. Ten general knowledge questions are asked, the first one always being related to the Serbian language, and the last one always being related to sport. When the question is asked, players can apply to apply to answer. If players apply, the player that applied first gets the opportunity to answer first. Each question is worth 10 points. If the first applied contestant does not know the answer, and the second contestant applied as well, the second contestant gets a chance to answer and vice versa. If a contestant answers incorrectly, they lose five points.
TV Slagalica | The Games
Some home matches are occasionally played at other, smaller venues around the country. The Stadion Poljud in Split has hosted several qualifying fixtures since 1995, the first being a 1–1 draw with Italy. In the period between 1995 and 2011, Croatia never won a competitive match at Poljud, which the local media dubbed ""Poljudsko prokletsvo"" ("the Poljud curse"). The run was finally ended after the team came from behind to beat Georgia on 3 June 2011. Qualifying fixtures have also been played at the Stadion Kantrida in Rijeka, along with Stadion Gradski vrt in Osijek and the Stadion Anđelko Herjavec in Varaždin.
Croatia national football team | Stadiums
The national team has been competing since the early 1990s. As of April 2009, the national team is currently competing in the European Nations Cup and is attempting to qualify for the 2011 Rugby World Cup. Croatia have a host of players who are New Zealanders, Australians and South Africans of Croatian origin who play the game and have played internationally for these countries. Frano Botica was a one time Croatian rugby coach and former All Black, whose grandparents were born in Korčula. Another former All Black who turned out for the Croatian side at the same time was Matthew Cooper.
Rugby union in Croatia | National team
Banić was part of the Croatian national basketball teams at the EuroBasket 2007, the 2008 Olympic Basketball Tournament, the EuroBasket 2009.
Marko Banić | Croatian national team
The governing body of football in Croatia is the Croatian Football Federation. It oversees the organization of: Note: the aforementioned competitions are for men if not stated differently. Women's football exists but is much less developed or popular.
Football in Croatia | Format
The municipality hosted the start of the first stage of the 2012 and 2013 Gracia-Orlová.
Dětmarovice | Sport
The local football club is NK Vrbovec, of the Croatian Third League. There is also the KK Petar Zrinski basketball club and the HK Vrbovec wrestling club.
Vrbovec | Sport
Arena Sport Croatia airs MAXtv Prva Liga's matches, UEFA Champions (until 2018) and Europa League, and since 2014, Formula One, first via their motorsport channel Max GP, then since 2015 on regular Arena Sport channels. In addition, reports and other football leagues as well as in Serbia.
Arena Sport | Croatia
Vulić was capped in the only international game the Croatian national team played while Croatia was part of Yugoslavia, a 5–2 win against Indonesia in Zagreb, on 12 September 1956.
Ante Vulić | International career
Croatia competed at the Olympic Games for the first time as an independent nation in 1992, and has participated in every Games since then. The National Olympic Committee for Croatia is the Croatian Olympic Committee, which was created in 1991 and recognized in 1993. Croatian athletes have won thirty-three medals at the Summer Olympic Games, including multiple gold medals by the men's handball team in 1996 and 2004, as well as discus-thrower Sandra Perković in 2012 and 2016. At the Winter Olympic Games, Janica Kostelić won six medals (four gold) between 2002 and 2006, her brother Ivica won four silver medals (in 2006, 2010 and 2014), and Jakov Fak won a bronze in 2010.
Croatia at the Olympics | Introduction
Football: Basketball: Volleyball:
Sport in Serbia | National sports teams
It all started in 1953 when the part of the athletes and rowers of Mladost conceived the idea of playing rugby, which was known only from stories of those who at the time traveled to the United Kingdom or France. The first teacher and coach was Nikola Nick Kopajtić who returned to Zagreb from Canada with knowledge about the game and taught students that were willing to learn. At that time they played only friendly matches because there was no official competition. A significant date in the history of the club was 11.29.1954. when the Maksimir stadium in Zagreb before more than 10,000 spectators played its first international match.
HARK Mladost | History
HAŠK was founded as a multi-sports club in November 1903 by nine Zagreb students (August Adam, Dragutin Albrecht, Petar Čerlek, Vjekoslav Jurković, Marko Kostrenčić, Krešimir Miskić, Oskar Mohr, Lav Wodwarška and Hinko Würth) who are today seen as pioneers of organized sports at the University of Zagreb. The club's purpose was to popularize sports among Croatian students, as well as to counter the ongoing magyarization of Croatian public life, since Croatia was at the time part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. The club's colours were red, white and golden, chosen to represent the colours of Croatian provinces. At first, the club had sections for fencing, ice-skating, skiing, sledding and sports shooting, but ever since football was introduced in the spring of 1904, it became the most popular and well-known department of the club.
HAŠK | Early days
The Croatia national basketball team has won a silver medal at the 1992 Olympic basketball tournament, bronze medal at the 1994 World Championship and bronze medals at EuroBasket 1993 and EuroBasket 1995. Croatian basketball clubs were EuroLeague champions five times: KK Split three times (1989, 1990 and 1991) and KK Cibona in 1985 and 1986. Croatian basketball players such as Krešimir Ćosić, Dino Rađa and Toni Kukoč were amongst the first foreign players to succeed in the National Basketball Association (NBA) in the United States. One of the most notable Croatian basketballers was Dražen Petrović, who died in a car accident in June 1993.
Sport in Croatia | Basketball
Having been invaded by the Axis Powers in 1941, the Kingdom of Yugoslavia was dissolved and sports competitions in the nation were suspended. One exception was the Independent State of Croatia (NDH), which enjoyed peace as an Axis member, so the NDH continued to hold national competitions featuring prominent Croatian clubs. Four of these seasons were started (1941, 1941–42, 1942–43 and 1943–44) but only the second and third editions were finished, with Građanski winning the 1942–43 season. When war ended in 1945 the club was disbanded by the new communist government (along with city rivals HAŠK and Concordia Zagreb) and its archives were destroyed in retribution for competing in the wartime fascist-sponsored football league.
HŠK Građanski Zagreb | World War II
Croatia qualified one athlete based on the ITF ranking.
Croatia at the 2014 Summer Youth Olympics | Tennis
Clubs in bold currently compete in the Croatian First Football League.
List of football stadiums in Croatia | Current stadiums
In 1927, Hajduk Split took part in the inaugural Mitropa Cup for Central European clubs.
Football in Croatia | History