Bojana Popović née Petrović, (born 20 November 1979)[1] is a handball coach and a retired Montenegrin handballer. She is considered by many to be the best female handball player of the past decade, despite not being given any official recognition.[2] After winning the Women's EHF Champions League with Budućnost[3] and a silver medal at the 2012 Olympic Games with the Montenegro national team,[4] Bojana Popović decided to retire from handball. However, in June 2016 Popović announced she would come out of retirement and make herself available for selection by the Montenegro national handball team to compete at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.[5][6][7]
| Bojana Popović | |||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born |
20 November 1979 Niš, SR Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nationality | Montenegrin | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Left back | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior clubs | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | ||||||||||||||||||||||
1994–1998 | RK DIN Niš | ||||||||||||||||||||||
1998–2002 | ŽRK Budućnost | ||||||||||||||||||||||
2002–2007 | Slagelse DT | ||||||||||||||||||||||
2007–2010 | Viborg HK | ||||||||||||||||||||||
2010–2012 | ŽRK Budućnost | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| National team | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||||||||
2009–2016 | Montenegro | 61 | (315) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Teams managed | |||||||||||||||||||||||
2020– | Budućnost (Head coach) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
2021–2024 | Montenegro (Head coach) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
| |||||||||||||||||||||||
Career
editBojana Popović started playing handball at Serbian club HC Naisa Niš when she was eleven years old.[1] She later played for Montenegrin club Budućnost Podgorica for four seasons.[8] In 2002, Popović signed a contract with Danish team Slagelse DT, at that time coached by Anja Andersen. With Slagelse, she experienced great success: three times Champions League winner, EHF Cup winner, three Danish Championship golds and one Danish Cup.
At the end of the 2006/07 season, Popović signed a contract with Viborg HK.[9] Since her arrival at Viborg, she has won two Danish Championship golds and two Danish Cups. In 2009 she won her fourth Champions League title, the first with Viborg.
Achievements
editNational team
editBronze medal EC 2022 as a coach of Montenegro NT
- Olympic Games:
- Silver Medalist: 2012
- World Championship:
- Bronze Medalist: 2001
European
edit- EHF Champions League:
- EHF Cup:
- Winner: 2002/2003
Domestic
edit- Damehåndboldligaen:
- Winner: 2002/2003, 2004/2005, 2006/2007, 2007/2008, 2008/2009, 2009/2010
- Danish Cup:
- Winner: 2001/2002, 2006/2007, 2007/2008
- Serbian and Montenegrin Championship:
- Winner: 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002
- Serbian and Montenegrin Cup:
- Winner: 2000, 2001, 2002
- Prva Liga:
- Winner: 2010/2011, 2011/2012
- Montenegrin Cup:
- Winner: 2011, 2012
Awards and recognition
editDuring her handball career, Bojana Popović was considered to be the best player in the world by many.[8][9][10] She has been chosen Player of the Year by the Danish Handball Federation four times. Popović's individual awards and achievements include:
References
edit- ^ a b "Spillerprofiler, damer - Bojana Popovic" (in Danish). Viborg HK A/S. Archived from the original on 5 February 2009. Retrieved 31 March 2009.
- ^ "Bojana Popovic retires from club handball". EHF. Archived from the original on 9 February 2014. Retrieved 25 May 2012.
- ^ "Buducnost win the EHF Women's Champions League 2011/12". EHF. Archived from the original on 16 August 2016. Retrieved 25 May 2012.
- ^ "Norway beat Montenegro to women's gold". BBC Sport. Retrieved 25 May 2012.
- ^ "Popovic returns to play in Rio". EHF. Archived from the original on 7 August 2016. Retrieved 24 July 2016.
- ^ "EHF Champions League 2008/09 - Bojana Popovic". European Handball Federation. Archived from the original on 18 February 2009. Retrieved 30 April 2009.
- ^ "Spisak "lavica" - od 1979. do 1997. godišta". Vijesti. 17 July 2016. Archived from the original on 23 December 2017. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
- ^ a b Jončić, Saša (21 November 2007). "Popovic experiences Moraca's atmosphere again". European Handball Federation. Archived from the original on 9 August 2012. Retrieved 31 March 2009.
- ^ a b c Bruun, Peter (4 May 2007). "Popovic: Player of the Year". European Handball Federation. Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 31 March 2009.
- ^ Jončić, Saša (24 March 2009). "Successful operation". European Handball Federation. Retrieved 31 March 2009.
- ^ "Bojana årets kvindelige håndboldspiller". Viborg HK (in Danish). 10 January 2009. Archived from the original on 1 January 2009. Retrieved 21 August 2009.
- ^ "Topscorere siden 1965 - Damer" (in Danish). Danish Handball Federation. 9 July 2008. Archived from the original on 21 March 2009. Retrieved 15 March 2009.
- ^ "Golden Goodbye of Top Scorer". European Handball Federation. 22 May 2007. Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 1 April 2009.
- ^ "Pokalfightere gennem tiden" (in Danish). Danish Handball Federation. 6 January 2009. Archived from the original on 28 March 2009. Retrieved 1 April 2009.
External links
edit- Bojana Popović at the European Handball Federation
- Bojana Popović at Olympedia
- Bojana Popović (archive) at Viborg HK (in Danish)
