Vegeta Continues to Ride on Tracks of Success - Vegeta Revives HZ Train
January the 28th, 2020 - Who still remembers the famous fast Podravka train that has been running from Osijek to Zagreb for many years now? Julijana Matanovic also wrote about it, and many travellers dreamed of the soft seats and the friendly conductors who dealt with the tickets with a smile on their faces. Last week, Podravka's most famous brand - the beloved Vegeta - celebrated its sixtieth anniversary.
The guests were taken on a rail journey covering six decades (though the train - however, arrived faster) on the route from Zagreb to Koprivnica, and each of the four specially designed wagons presented a part of the past and the development of this incredibly successful product which is sold worldwide, from Australia to China and all the way to Russia.
Vegeta is present in more than fifty countries, and with their sales abroad, they generate more than sixty percent of their revenue. With their specialities and gastronomic highlights, important guests from the world of politics and business joined forces with Stevo Karapandz, the patron saint of Podravka's cult show, "The Little Secrets of the Great Masters of the Kitchen."
When the train arrived at the railway station in Koprivnica without delay and blew its whistle - it was time to go back to 1959 and see the old Juha (soup) and Vegeta factory, from where Vegeta set out on its great journey around the world.
At this point exactly six decades ago, the most recognisable Croatian brand embarked on its journey, and over the course of its now sixty years of existence, Vegeta has become an indispensable part of cuisines on five continents, in more than fifty countries around the world.
''Vegeta generates over half a billion kuna of newly created value each year to the Croatian economy, and thanks to its results, we have created and continue develop the whole of Podravka as a brand. Therefore, with Vegeta's sixtieth birthday, we would like to pay tribute to Professor Zlata Bartl, her team, and generations of Podravka's people who have built this planetary success for six decades with their knowledge, diligence and love,'' said Marin Pucar, CEO of Podravka, emphasising that Vegeta is rightly placed side by side with Croatian athletes and the beautiful Croatian coast as part of a national image, which is well known throughout the world.
But that is not all! The Croatian Design Society opens in Zagreb on the Night of the Museums (Nov muzeja), on January the 31st, 2020, with the exhibition "Vegeta 60 - A package of history: Vegeta's design and evolution from 1959 to 2019", an overview of six decades of the graphic and packaging design of this famous product in the curatorial concept of Drazenka Jalsic Ernecic. It will present archival material, photographs, old commercials, clips from the legendary ''Little Secrets of the Great Masters of the Kitchen'' and texts that bring to life the story of the brand that generations have lived with.
The museum story of Podravka and Vegeta's industrial heritage is not only a story of packaging and graphic design and redesign, or of the brand's development and evolution, but has a far deeper symbolic meaning as a story of space, time, people, research, idea development, innovation, creation, emotion, rethinking and an analytical approach,'' Jalsic Ernecic pointed out in the foreword of the exhibition.
Vegeta, happy birthday to you!
Follow our Made in Croatia page for more on Croatian products.
Croatia Gay Couple Foster Care Application Rejected: Court Decision Ignored
The Social Welfare Center in Zagreb again rejected the foster care application submitted by Ivo Šegota and Mladen Kožić, who are life partners in Croatia. By doing so, they have completely disregarded the Croatian Administrative Court's December 2019 binding judgment, which allowed the couple to become foster parents after a long two-year court battle.
UPDATE: Mladen Kožić and Ivo Šegota give interviews to RTL Direkt and HRT on January 28, 2020. More information here.
Couple Had Started Preparing Home for Children
“We're shocked. After the December verdict, we had started planning how we would prepare our home for children, and I had already announced to my boss that, as soon as children arrived, I would be taking a long-term unpaid leave. And then a decision from the center arrives stating that they will not respect the court's decision. For the first half hour I kept saying, "But how is this possible?" And then I reminded myself that this is another small obstacle that Ivo and I will have to overcome together. We’ll go forward patiently and continue learning and developing our parenting skills. Giving up is not an option,” said Mladen Kožić. He added that he will appeal this unexpected decision, which came with an even more unexpected explanation, with his partner. In fact, the decision literally states that "this body could not arrive at a decision that is based on the application of legal provisions but is based on the opinion of the court."
Šegota and Kožić applied to the center in 2017 with to become foster parents. The center began the procedure, the partners passed the required screening tests and received a positive assessment, which was followed by compulsory education for foster parents and obtained their license. But instead, the center suddenly informed them that "there are no legal prerequisites for initiating the licensing process because they are in a life partnership," and life partners are not expressly listed in the Foster Care Act as possible foster parents. However, singles, spouses and extra-marital partners are listed, as reported by Kristina Turčin/Jutarnji List on January 28, 2020. They couple submitted a complaint to the ministry, which confirmed the center’s decision, and then they initiated an administrative procedure.
Croatia Court December Decision: Couple Can Become Foster Parents
At the end of December, the Croatia Administrative Court issued a judgment that could no longer be appealed, annulling the earlier rulings, and returns the case to retrial. However, the judgment was more than clear. Total Croatia News reported this court decision on December 20, 2019.
“By a meaningful interpretation of the legal provisions in their interconnectedness, the foster family, in the court's view, may include the foster parent and his or her life partner. The legislator did not prescribe a specific sexual orientation anywhere, so it is not logical that a single person having the same sexual orientation as the plaintiffs would be issued a foster care license if he/she fulfills the legal requirements. In this case, the legal requirements (for providing foster care) were not even examined in case of the plaintiffs because of the belief that life partners cannot be foster parents,” the Croatia court ruling read.
“As the respondent deems that the defendant applied an exclusively formalistic or grammatical interpretation of the relevant provisions of the foster care law, without interconnecting them and interpreting them in accordance with their meaning and purpose; the first instance body (Social Welfare Center) will reopen the foster care application process and decide to grant permission solely on the merits of the plaintiff's request,” the judgment ordered.
Ivo Šegota and Mladen Kožić | Facebook
Zagreb Social Welfare Center Denies Couple’s Application Again
However, the center issued the same decision as if there hadn’t been any judgments at all. Jutarnji List has not received an answer regarding the center’s decision because "CZSS (Social Welfare Center) Zagreb cannot provide details on proceedings in order to maintain official and professional secrets, respect the principles of secrecy, protect personal data and out of respect for privacy." The Ministry of Demography, Family, Youth and Social Policy would not comment and were surprised by Jutarnji List’s inquiry.
“Not only can we not comment on the decision of the center, but we are not aware of the fact that a new decision was made,” the ministry stated yesterday.
Zagreb Couple Must Appeal Decision Second Time
Šegota and Kožić must now go through the same procedure again, and an appeal of the center’s decision will be sent to the Croatia Ministry of Demography again.
“That's our next step. If the appeal is not upheld, we will return to the Administrative Court and ask that the court decide on its own and not return the proceedings to the beginning. These decisions by lower administrative bodies, which do not comply with binding judicial decisions, do not contribute to the rule of law. On the contrary, they insult the fundamental value of the constitutional order,” says lawyer Sanja Bezbradica Jelavić, who represents Šegota and Kožić.
“State institutions should adhere to court decisions,” says Gender Equality Ombudsperson Višnja Ljubičić.
Đuro Sessa: 'The decision of the center is not illegal, but it must have strong reasoning.'
The Zagreb Social Welfare Center may, in principle, issue the same decision that was reached previously since the court annulled that previous decision and sent the entire proceeding for reconsideration, explains Djuro Sessa, the Chief Justice of the Croatia Supreme Court.
“The court ruled that the case was going back for retrial. The court had the opportunity to resolve the issue on its own; not to seek a retrial but to replace the decision of the Social Welfare Center with its decision instead. The court could have decided to accept that the plaintiff's request, but they did not do so. Therefore, the center could arrive at the same decision, but the rationale for the decision should have been far more thorough,” Sessa adds.
Rainbow Families | Facebook
Croatia Based 'Rainbow Families' Releases Statement
Rainbow Families (Dugine obitelji), which brings together LGBTI parents and those who wish to become parents in Croatia, released a statement today. It is printed below in full.
“It is unacceptable that the rule of law does not function in Croatia, which currently holds the EU Presidency and that court judgments are not respected.”
“The Administrative Court ruled in December 2019 that Ivo Šegota and Mladen Kožić, life partners who wish to become foster parents, have full rights in their intent. The ruling also indicated that they must not be discriminated against in these proceedings. The Social Welfare Center in Zagreb disregarded the court judgment and again rejected the foster application submitted by Mladen and Ivo. Rainbow Families, which brings together LGBTI parents and those who wish to become parents, consider the center’s actions outrageous. The center is acting as if the Administrative Court's judgment does not exist.”
Daniel Martinović | Rainbow Families
“’This situation was already unbelievable, and it would be ridiculous if it weren’t so sad. The December 2019 decision of Administrative Court gave all of us, who believe in equality and respect for human rights, hope that there is a better future for our society. Since then, we have received an incredible number of messages of support regarding the December court verdict confirming our members, Ivo and Mladen, have the right to become foster parents. People have been stopping them on the road and congratulating them. And now we must witness this reckless, unthinkable, and more importantly, illegal conduct of the Social Welfare Center. What would the Social Welfare Center look like if it ignored the court's decision, for example, and allowed an abusive parent access or information about a child?’” Daniel Martinović, coordinator of Rainbow Families, pointed out.
"Our politicians are constantly heaping praise on our country simply because it currently holds the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. We are also told repeatedly about what a great honor it is for all of us, how proud we can all be of Croatia, how it is proof that we stand side by side with other EU countries. It hasn’t not even been a month since that famous presidency began, and we already have countless examples of where that all falls into the water. We consider this the worst example so far because it shows that institutions in this country do not respect the rule of law or court judgments, which is unthinkable in countries like Germany, Belgium or France."
"Life partners Ivo and Mladen will appeal to the Croatia Ministry of Demography regarding the center’s decision. If the ministry does not accept that appeal, they will go back to the Administrative Court and ask the court to make its own decision. Judging by the first ruling of the Administrative Court, they are fully entitled to become potential foster parents, and legal experts are already warning of the problematic situation the center's decision (last week) will create."
"Basically, in the first decision, the center rejected Mladen and Ivo’s application. However, they did not correctly apply the legal provisions of the Republic of Croatia, and when they were corrected by the relevant court, which rendered a binding decision, they interpreted the court's judgment as 'an opinion' which is not binding, and thus refused to correct their own misinterpretation of the law."
Zrinka Bojanić | Rainbow Families
"'The center’s disregard for the ruling of the Administrative Court causes great legal uncertainty and is harmful LGBTI citizens who are protected by several Croatian laws and European case laws. The judgment clearly instructed the center to decide on the merits of the plaintiffs' request, but they rejected that request, which is contrary to the judgment. They have demonstrated that they do not want to act on the couple’s request to become foster parents, which they submitted back in 2017. If this case is brought before the European Court of Human Rights, there is a very good chance that Croatia will again be forced to respect all its citizens equally and grant them equal rights on equal terms,'" explained attorney Zrinka Bojanić, an associate of Rainbow Families.
Mladen Kožić and Ivo Šegota | Press Conference | December 21, 2019
A history of the couple's efforts to become foster parents and information on the LGBT rights movement in Croatia can be found here.
UPDATE: Mladen Kožić and Ivo Šegota give interviews to RTL Direkt and HRT on January 28, 2020. More information here.
New Tourist Map Printed for Sinj and Municipalities of Dicmo, Hrvace and Otok
January 28, 2020 - The Sinj Tourist Board, in cooperation with the Mak consulting company, produced a detailed tourist map of the Sinj area and the municipalities of Dicmo, Hrvace and Otok. The map is printed in Croatian, German and English.
The map shows the valuable cultural and historical heritage of the town of Sinj, themed and pilgrimage trails, the restaurant offers, as well as the overall infrastructure necessary for a comfortable stay and easy access to all the interesting and necessary amenities.
With this map, the Sinj Tourist Board wants to bring the tourist facilities closer to everyone, but also to stimulate and direct the interest of visitors towards cultural and natural heritage. The Sinj Tourist Board will promote and distribute the tourist map through fairs, while an interactive version can be found on the official website of the Sinj Tourist Board.
To read more about Inland Dalmatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.
Health Minister Kujundzic Dismissed, Who Will Replace Him?
Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic has dismissed Health Minister Kujundzic (HDZ) after numerous scandalous stories about him broke loose in the media, which detailed everything from incorrectly declared houses to properties that hadn't been declared at all and alleged dodgy dealings.
As Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 28th of January, 2020, Milan Kujundzic has been dismissed from his position as minister of health and this news was confirmed by a Croatian Government spokesman. Andrej Plenkovic is expected to make a statement after the 2020 Green New Deal for Croatia conference.
"The position of minister isn't worth the burden, the simplest thing to do would've been to just resign, but morality doesn't allow for that because certain interest groups would be affected. I'm making the mandate available because to resign would have been the easiest thing. I asked the Prime Minister to give me time to present all the facts. I asked the Prime Minister to decide on my dismissal, but to do so based on the facts,'' former Health Minister Kujundzic stated at yesterday's press conference, to which he also brought his lawyer.
With Health Minister Kujundzic now a face of Croatia's already rather colourful political history books, who could take over his position?
Just who might take over Kujundzic's position has been the topic of speculation for some time now, and although several names have been and still are being mentioned on the sidelines, there are currently three candidates who most likely, according to a report from Jutarnji list.
Prim. Zeljko Plazonic
Plazonic is a specialist in internal medicine, a cardiology subspecialist who spent most of his career at KBC Rijeka. He has been State Secretary at the Ministry of Health since back in 2016, and he recently became President of the Board of Directors of KBC Rijeka. Plazonic confirmed for Jutarnji list that he would accept the minister's position should he be asked to do so, but added that no one had contacted him yet. He believes that the minister must be well acquainted with the work of the ministry because there's still half a year of this mandate left. He also stated that he disagreed with the minister in many matters when it came to running the ministry, and that he rejected projects he considered worthy.
Prof. Dr. Vili Beros
An assistant to former Health Minister Kujundzic and a neurosurgeon in Zagreb. His name has been mentioned ever since MOST twice sought the Milan Kujundzic's dismissal in the past. Last night, he openly admitted on HRT's show that he would accept Plenkovic's offer for him to become Croatia's health minister. However, he also says he has not yet received such an offer from the prime minister. "What is certain is that I think the Prime Minister will, as he's always done, make a decision that is for the benefit of our healthcare system and for our patients," he said.
Doc. Dr. Dario Nakic
The former Minister of Health from Tihomir Oreskovic's government, who held that position for only ten months. He is a doctor in Zadar hospital, where he was a longtime director. He told Jutarnji list yesterday that no one had called him to take over the ministry, that had not yet been dismissed and that he could not speak on the subject. He did not deny such a possibility, but said that he could only talk about it if someone offered him the position.
Make sure to follow our politics page for more.
Australian Open: Ivan Dodig into Doubles Semifinal, Mektic into Mixed Doubles Quarterfinal
January 28, 2020 - Ivan Dodig will play in the Australian Open men’s doubles semifinal with partner Filip Polasek, and the mixed doubles quarterfinal with partner Latisha Chan. Nikola Mektic will also play in the mixed doubles quarterfinal with partner Barbora Krejčíková.
Ivan Dodig and Filip Polasek are in the semifinal of this year's Australian Open! The Croatian-Slovakian duo, who is also the 4th-seed of the tournament, was better than Salvadoran Marcel Areval and Briton Jonny O'Mara, with a convincing 6:3, 6:2 victory in the quarterfinal match. To reach the Australian Open final, they will play against the winner of the match between Gonzalez / Skupski - Purcell / Saville. Recall, Ivan Dodig and Filip Polasek won the third round after defeating brothers Bob and Mike Bryan - 6:3, 6:4.
Dodig remains Croatia's last representative in the men's doubles competition as American Austin Krajicek and Franko Skugor lost to Santiago Gonzalez and Ken Skupski in the third round - 6:3, 6:4. The furthest Ivan Dodig has advanced in doubles at the Australian Open was back in 2015, though he made it to the final of the mixed doubles in 2017.
Tuesday was also a successful day for both Croatian tennis players and in the mixed doubles competition, with Dodig and Nikola Mektic advancing to the quarterfinal. Dodig and Latisha Chan defeated Slovenian Andrea Klepac and Frenchman Edouard Roger-Vasselin 6:3, 4:6, 10:8 in the second round, while Nikola Metic and his Czech partner Barbora Krejčíková topped American Amanda Anisimova and Australian Nick Kyrgios of Australia 4:6, 6:4, 10:8.
Finally, great success was achieved by Antonia Ruzic, a 16-year-old player from Cakovec, and Belgian Sofia Costoulas, who advanced to the doubles quarterfinal at the Australian Open Juniors after defeating Australian representatives Olivia Gadecki and Amy Stevens in the second round - 6:1, 6:3.
Antonia Ruzic lost her first singles match in the junior tournament, but managed to book the second round of the doubles competition after knocking out the 5th-seed team in the first round, Victoria Jimenez Kasintseva of Andorra and Spain's Ana Mintegi Del Olmo - 6:3, 6:4.
Source: HTS
To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page.
Božinović Rejects Accusations Against Croatian Police over Treatment of Migrants
ZAGREB, January 28, 2020 - Croatian Minister of the Interior Davor Božinović in Brussels on Monday dismissed accusations levelled against Croatian border police over their treatment of migrants, saying there was no evidence to support the claims made by members of the European Parliament.
Božinović and Justice Minister Dražen Bošnjaković outlined the priorities of the Croatian EU presidency in their respective departments before the European Parliament's Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs.
Most of the remarks made by Committee members concerned the treatment of migrants by the Croatian border police. Several of them showed photographs of adults and children with bruises and injuries suffered at the hands of the Croatian police.
Cornelia Ernst of the German Left Party showed a photograph of a man claiming to have been bitten by a police dog. She said that the man had begged the police to stop the dog and that the police had eventually applauded to the dog.
Several MEPs said they had been told by migrants that the police had used stun guns against them.
"Police dogs must wear muzzles, and as for stun guns, Croatian police don't have them at all. These are false accusations," Božinović replied.
He said that migrants who are trying to enter Croatia illegally do not carry any documents with them. "If someone needs international protection, why would they hide their identity?" he asked.
Božinović said that Croatia was facing a large number of migrants trying to cross its border illegally. He said that those people were now mostly economic migrants and to a lesser extent refugees, who he said were the most numerous at the height of the refugee crisis in 2015 and 2016.
"Those people are trying to reach wealthy western member states. We have the longest land border, and the other two member states with which we share the border have put up razor-wire fencing. We have to deal, on a daily basis, with people who don't want to stay in Croatia but want to go to western member states which are reluctant to take them in. If they were willing to accept them, we might be able to help, but I haven't heard that anyone wants to take them in. Instead, you blame the Croatian police, but I assure you that you won't find evidence to support your claims," Božinović said.
He noted that this was not a small group but hundreds of thousands or millions of people on the move in search of a better life in the west.
"I sympathise with people who want a better life for themselves, but we in the EU must agree what to do with them, because we are talking about millions of people," the Croatian minister said.
Responding to accusations of violent pushbacks of migrants by the Croatian police, Božinović said that Croatian police act in line with Croatian and European law. "None of the statements about the allegedly improper conduct of the Croatian police was made in Croatia, they were all made in Bosnia and Herzegovina or Serbia and without any evidence or at least approximate information as to where and when (such incidents) occurred," he added.
"Europe must take a stand on migration as one of the key issues for the future of the European project. We are not talking about small groups of people, but about hundreds of thousands and millions. We must start differentiating between things, that those who need international protection get it and those who want to live in the west can do so and that's legitimate, but no one has the obligation to make that possible for them," Božinović told the press after the debate in the European Parliament.
More news about the migrant crisis can be found in the Politics section.
Kovač Says HDZ Turning into a Party Without a Flavour
ZAGREB, January 28, 2020 - A candidate for the president of the ruling HDZ party, Miro Kovač, said on Monday that the HDZ was turning into a party "without any flavour or smell", adding that he would change that and make the party victorious again.
In an interview with RTL television, Kovač said that the HDZ was in a difficult position after the defeat in the recent presidential election and that he would change that once he was elected its leader.
He said that he was "very relaxed" regarding his possible election as HDZ president and the election of Ivan Penava and Davor Ivo Stier his deputy and HDZ vice-president respectively.
Kovač said that he had a strong team and that "every HDZ member wishing for a change and wishing to help the HDZ become a party with a flavour and smell" was welcome.
He did not give a straightforward answer regarding President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović's position in that team, saying only that they had not discussed it.
"Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović's electoral defeat was not just her fault, she lost the elections also because of Plenković, who as the party's leader shares the responsibility for that," Kovac said.
He said that after the parliamentary elections, all parties except for the Social Democratic Party would be possible partners to the HDZ.
"The SDP is our main political rival, a grand coalition would be very bad for Croatian democracy," he said.
The HDZ leadership decided at a meeting last Friday to hold elections for the party president, deputy president and four vice-presidents on March 15.
The new leadership will be elected by direct ballot on a one-member-one-vote basis.
More HDZ news can be found in the Politics section.
Varhely: Western Balkans Should Take Advantage of Croatian EU Presidency
ZAGREB, January 28, 2020 - European Union Enlargement Commissioner Oliver Varhely said during a meeting with the chairmen of both houses of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Parliament in Brussels on Monday that the Croatian presidency of the Council of the EU would be a chance for Western Balkan countries, calling on Bosnia and Herzegovina to carry out the necessary reforms.
According to a statement from the Bosnia and Herzegovina Parliament, Varhely said that the forthcoming summit in Zagreb was an opportunity to put the focus on the Western Balkans region and encourage the development of education and the economy. He also expressed concern about the influx of migrants into the region.
The chairman of the House of Representatives, Denis Zvizdić, and the chairman of the House of Peoples, Dragan Čović, said that Bosnia and Herzegovina expected further assistance from the EU to put the migrant crisis under control.
They expressed their country's full commitment to EU membership, saying that Bosnia and Herzegovina was focused on meeting the criteria for obtaining the status of a membership candidate.
Čović emphasised the importance of EU integration for strengthening the internal stability of Bosnia and Herzegovina and said he expected an agreement on electoral legislation to be reached by early April, which would enable elections to be held in the southern city of Mostar.
More news about Croatia and the EU can be found in the Politics section.
Flights to Croatia: Croatia Airlines Stops Pula-Amsterdam Service, Eurowings Ends Cologne-Osijek
January 28, 2020 - The latest news from around Croatia’s airports for new flights to Croatia with updates from Pula and Osijek.
Ex Yu Aviation reports that Croatia Airlines has ended its seasonal service between Pula and Amsterdam, which ran once per week in the summer. The nonstop flight between Pula and Amsterdam originated in Dubrovnik.
The airline announced that it would no longer work on this route this year, though that it would instead boost operations between Zagreb and Amsterdam. Namely, frequencies on this route will be increased from seven to eight flights per week.
The added flight will operate on Tuesdays from April 28 to September 29, 2020.
This move could be due to competition, as last year, easyJet launched a service between Amsterdam and Pula.
Furthermore, Ex Yu Aviation reports that Eurowings announced that it is ending its seasonal service between Cologne and Osijek this year. However, that it would keep its service between Stuttgart to Osijek.
This news comes after Eurowings announced it would discontinue flights from Berlin and Dusseldorf to Zagreb just before the summer season, in March. The final flight from Berlin and Dusseldorf to Zagreb is scheduled for March 28, 2020.
Eurowings announced back in November that it would maintain six flights per week from Cologne and five from Stuttgart to Zagreb this summer. The low-cost airline will also operate eight return flights from Hamburg this summer, running once per week between July 8 and August 26, 2020.
Recall, last week, Avio Radar reported that the new Danish carrier Great Dane Airlines would fly on a charter line from Denmark to Rijeka. The line will operate this offseason between Copenhagen and Rijeka, on Tuesdays and Thursdays from September 10 to October 15.
This service is operated by Best Travel tourist agency, and is also the airline's first charter flight to Croatia. The Embraer ERJ-195 will fly on this route. It is also currently the only direct route from Denmark to Rijeka.
Avio Radar also reported last week that Tunisia’s national carrier Tunisair would again fly on the Zagreb-Monastir charter service, which will operate once a week, on Wednesdays, from May. 27 to October 7, 2020. The line was last in service in 2014, and will currently be the only direct line from Croatia to any destination in Tunisia. An Airbus A320 aircraft will operate on this line.
And finally, beginning May 4, 2020, Air France will offer another direct flight from Zagreb to Paris.
In addition to the existing two direct flights, one of which is in cooperation with Croatia Airlines, a total of three flights to Paris are on offer on daily. The new flight allows passengers to depart and return to Paris in one day, but also to board a flight to North America.
To read more about travel in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page.
Crazy Year for Cowboys Ahead: What Awaits Croatia Handball Team after Euros?
January 28, 2020 - The European Handball Championship may be over, but because it is an Olympic year, we won’t have to wait long to see the Croatia handball team in action again.
Namely, two tournaments of paramount importance have already been secured for the Croatia handball team over the next 365 days, and if all goes well, there will be a third.
Gol.hr reports that the Cowboys will now return to their clubs after a few days of rest, then reunite in April ahead of the Olympic Qualifying Tournament, which will take place from April 17 to 19 in Paris. The qualifiers will be attended by 12 teams divided into three groups of four, and the first two teams from each group will be issued a visa for the Olympic Games in Tokyo.
Croatia will play in perhaps the toughest group, along with France, Portugal, and Tunisia.
Despite its failure at the Euros, France is still a handball force, Portugal was one of the most pleasant surprises at the recent European Championship, while Tunisia is the African finalist.
If all goes to plan, and Croatia finishes either first or second in their group, then in the middle of the summer, we will follow the Cowboys on their way to a new Olympic medal.
The Tokyo Olympics take place from July 24 to August 9, and the handball tournament will be in the same format: a total of 12 teams will be split into two groups of six each, with the first four from each group winning a spot in the quarterfinal.
Handball at the Tokyo Olympics begins on July 25, and all matches will be played every two days. The quarterfinals are in the program from Tuesday, August 4, the semifinal games on Thursday, August 6, and the bronze-medal match and final on Saturday, August 8.
When the Olympic Games come to an end, the players will return to their clubs to begin a new season - though it won't be long before another major challenge. The World Handball Championship will be held in Egypt from January 14 to January 31, 2021.
Since Croatia won second place in the 2020 European Championship, they will not have play qualifications for the World Championship next year.
Otherwise, the 2021 World Championship in Egypt will be the first in an expanded edition and will feature as many as 32 national teams. With the expansion, the International Handball Federation (IHF) wants to popularize handball in a number of countries, and as part of this initiative, teams such as Cape Verde, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uruguay will participate.
It will be a busy year for the Croatia handball team; be sure to follow TCN for the latest.
To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN’s dedicated page.
