After finishing the regular 2016/17 SEHA – Gazprom League season in top spot, thanks to 47 points from 18 matches, the Macedonian side Vardar won the SEHA – Gazprom League Final 4 trophy in Brest, Belarus last night with an impressive 26:21 (14:14) victory over Telekom Veszprem in the final – their third title since the league began, following victories in 2012 and 2014.

 

The Skopje-based side managed to reverse the result in the final last season, when they lost 28:26 against the Hungarian side, who had won the previous two competitions (2015, 2016).

 

Big shotstopper Arpad Sterbik was ultimately the difference in the defensive game as he saved 15 Veszprem shots for Vardar as they finally pulled away from their opponents with 15 minutes left.

 

Final 4 MVP Joan Canellas (Vardar), Timur Dibirov (Vardar) and Momir Ilic (Veszprem) all top-scored with five goals each in the match.

 

Bronze delight for hosts

Earlier yesterday, host side Meshkov Brest – celebrating 15 years since they were founded – beat PPD Zagreb from Croatia 23:19 (14:10) to grab the bronze medals.

 

Semi-Final drama

On Friday (7 April) in the semi-final matches, Vardar easily beat PPD Zagreb 36:28 (19:12) in the first match, while the fanatical home crowd had their hearts broken as they lost 33:31 (29:29, 14:14) on penalties to Veszprem as the unlucky Dainis Kristopans failed with the decisive penalty, leaving Andreas Nilsson to sink home for the victory.

 

A handball event on and off the court

Aside from the matches on court, the SEHA – Gazprom League Final 4 saw lots of action off court too with the traditional ‘Kids Day’, featuring local young handball players training with players from all four teams, the ‘Journalists Cup’ which saw three teams of journalists – Russia, Belarus and a mixed SEHA team of media covering the tournament, battle on court for glory.

 

In addition, the tournament opened with the ‘Handball Discussion’ streamed live on Facebook and featuring SEHA - Gazprom League Managing Director Sinisa Ostoic, Vardar Skopje coach Raul Gonzales, Slovenian international Simon Razgor from Meshkov Brest, Bozidar Djurkovic of the Serbian Handball Federation and Chairman of EHF Competition Commission as well as leading Macedonian handball journalist Goran Antevski.

 

Awards

Ahead of the conclusion of SEHA – Gazprom League Final 4, the ‘Best 7’players and Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the final tournament were announced.

 

The Best 7 Players of the SEHA – Gazprom League Final4

 

Goalkeeper: Mirko Alilovic (Telekom Veszprem)

Left wing: Timur Dibirov (Vardar)

Left back: Vuko Borozan (Vardar)

Centre back: Joan Canellas (Vardar)

Right back: Dainis Kristopans (Meshkov Brest)

Right wing: Ivan Cupic (Vardar)

Line player: Andreas Nilsson (Telekom Veszprem)

Best defender: Laszlo Nagy (Telekom Veszprem)

 

MVP: Joan Canellas (Vardar)

Season top scorer: Blaz Janc (Celje) 120 goals

 

Final Ranking of the SEHA – Gazprom League Final 4:

 

1. Vardar

2. Telekom Veszprem

3. Meshkov Brest

4. PPD Zagreb

 

For further information about the SEHA – Gazprom League please visit www.seha-liga.com.

 

Photo Credits: SEHA/ Uroš Hočevar