The International Handball Federation is pleased to announce the GRUNDFOS World Handball Players of the Year 2012: fans, media representatives and an IHF expert group have decided – and two debutants are the winners: Alexandra do Nascimento is the first ever Brazilian GRUNDFOS World Handball Player of the Year and Daniel Narcisse is the sixth Frenchman to win this award since the first vote in 1988 - and the fourth player of German club THW Kiel to become GRUNDFOS World Handball Player of the Year since 2007 after Nikola Karabatic (2007), Thierry Omeyer (2008) and Filip Jicha (2010).
Right wing do Nascimento, playing for Austrian club Hypo Niederösterreich, and left back Narcisse overcame the 2011 GRUNDFOS World Handball Players of the Year, Heidi Löke (Norway, Audi ETO Györ/Hungary) and Mikkel Hansen (Denmark, Paris Handball/France) in this year’s vote.
Alexandra do Nascimento obtained 28% of votes to be ahead of Löke and Montenegrin Bojana Popovic (Buducnost Podgorica, 24 % each). Andrea Penezic (Croatia, Krim Mercator Ljubljana/Slovenia) and Katarina Bulatovic (Montenegro, Oltchim Valcea/Romania) each earned 12% of votes to both rank fourth.
Daniel Narcisse obtained 25% of votes to outclass Hansen (21%). Filip Jicha (Czech Republic, THW Kiel/Germany), Kim Andersson (Sweden, KIF Kolding/Denmark) and Julen Aguinagalde (Spain, Atletico Madrid/Spain) share the third rank with 18% each.
The award ceremony, organized by the IHF and their voting partner Grundfos, will take place prior to the gold medal match of the 2013 Men’s World Championship in Spain on 27 January in Barcelona. Narcisse and do Nascimento will receive both a precious trophy and a cheque for 10,000 euros presented by IHF partner Grundfos.
Results of the GRUNDFOS World Handball Player of the Year 2012:
Female:
1. Alexandra do Nascimento (Brazil, Hypo Niederösterreich/Austria) 28%
2. Heidi Löke (Norway, Audi ETO Györ/Hungary) 24%
2. Bojana Popovic (Montenegro, Buducnost Podgorica) 24 %
4. Andrea Penezic (Croatia, Krim Mercator Ljubljana/Slovenia) 12%
4. Katarina Bulatovic (Montenegro, Oltchim Valcea/Romania) 12%
Male:
1. Daniel Narcisse (France, THW Kiel/Germany) 25%
2. Mikkel Hansen (Denmark, Paris Handball/France) 21%
3. Filip Jicha (Czech Republic, THW Kiel/Germany) 18%
3. Kim Andersson (Sweden, KIF Kolding/Denmark) 18%
3. Julen Aguinagalde (Spain, Atletico Madrid/Spain) 18%
Portraits of the 2012 GRUNDFOS World Handball Players of the Year:
Alexandra do Nascimento (Brazil)
Born on 16 September 1981 in Sao Paolo
Position: right wing
Club: Hypo Niederösterreich (since 2003)
Top scorer of 2011 World Championship
Sextuple Pan-American champion
Olympics participations in 2004, 2008, 2012
All-star team member at the Olympic Games in London
5th place at 2011 World Championship
EHF Champions League finalist in 2008 and 10 Austrian championship and Cup winner titles with Hypo Niederösterreich
Alexandra do Nascimento was the outstanding player and top scorer of the Brazilian team at the Olympic Games in London where she had been elected to the all-star team. But even 37 goals (fourth ranked in the overall top scorer list) could not avoid Brazil’s dramatic elimination in the quarter-finals by later gold medallist Norway although Brazil had been in the lead 15:9. do Nascimento is a brilliant counter-attack specialist and as cold as ice from the penalty spot.
Daniel Narcisse (France)
Born on 16 December 1979 in Saint Denis, La Reunion
Position: left back
Club: THW Kiel (since 2009)
Olympic champion in 2008, 2012
World champion in 2001, 2009
European champion in 2006, 2010
EHF Champions League winner in 2010 and 2012, German champion in 2010, 2012, German Cup winner in 2010, 2011, 2012
IHF Super Globe winner in 2011, IHF Super Globe finalist in 2012
Daniel Narcisse is nicknamed ‘Air France’, as hardly any other backcourt players is able to jump like he does. In more than 200 matches for the French team the left back became one of the keys to success in the past decade. And the year 2012 was a tremendously successful one for Narcisse in every respect: His goals paved the way to Olympic gold in London with France. Then he won all possible titles with THW Kiel – EHF Champions League, German championship with 34 victories in 34 matches and the German Cup.
All GRUNDFOS World Handball Players of the Year:
Women:
1988 Svetlana Kitic YUG
1989 Hyun-Mee Kim KOR
1990 Jasna Merdan-Kolar AUT
1994 Mia Hermansson-Hogdahl SWE
1995 Erszsebet Kocsis HUN
1996 O-Kyeong Lim KOR
1997 Anja Andersen DEN
1998 Trine Haltvik NOR
1999 Ausra Fridrikas AUT
2000 Bojana Radulovics HUN
2001 Cecilie Leganger NOR
2002 Chao Zhai CHN
2003 Bojana Radulovics HUN
2004 Anita Kulcsar HUN
2005 Anita Görbicz HUN
2006 Nadine Krause GER
2007 Gro Hammerseng NOR
2008 Linn-Kristin Riegelhuth NOR
2009 Alison Pineau FRA
2010 Cristina Neagu ROM
2011 Heidi Løke NOR
Men:
1988 Veselin Vujovic YUG
1989 Jae-Won Kang KOR
1990 Magnus Wislander SWE
1994 Talant Dushebajew RUS
1995 Jackson Richardson FRA
1996 Talant Dushebajew ESP
1997 Stephane Stoecklin FRA
1998 Daniel Stephan GER
1999 Rafael Guijosa ESP
2000 Dragan Skrbic YUG
2001 Kyung-Shin Yoon KOR
2002 Bertrand Gille FRA
2003 Ivano Balic CRO
2004 Henning Fritz GER
2005 Arpad Sterbik SCG
2006 Ivano Balic CRO
2007 Nikola Karabatic FRA
2008 Thierry Omeyer FRA
2009 Slawomir Szmal POL
2010 Filip Jicha CZE
2011 Mikkel Hansen DEN