Bojana Popović

Serbian / Montenegrin handball player

Bojana Popović
Personal information
Born (1979-11-20) 20 November 1979 (age 44)
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–
 Montenegro (Head coach)
Medal record
Representing  Montenegro
Olympic Games
Silver medal – second place 2012 London Team
Representing  Yugoslavia
World Championships
Bronze medal – third place 2001 Italy

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]

Career

Bojana 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

National team

European

Domestic

Awards and recognition

During 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

  1. ^ a b "Spillerprofiler, damer - Bojana Popovic" (in Danish). Viborg HK A/S. Archived from the original on 5 February 2009. Retrieved 31 March 2009.
  2. ^ "Bojana Popovic retires from club handball". EHF. Archived from the original on 9 February 2014. Retrieved 25 May 2012.
  3. ^ "Buducnost win the EHF Women's Champions League 2011/12". EHF. Archived from the original on 16 August 2016. Retrieved 25 May 2012.
  4. ^ "Norway beat Montenegro to women's gold". BBC Sport. Retrieved 25 May 2012.
  5. ^ "Popovic returns to play in Rio". EHF. Archived from the original on 7 August 2016. Retrieved 24 July 2016.
  6. ^ "EHF Champions League 2008/09 - Bojana Popovic". European Handball Federation. Archived from the original on 18 February 2009. Retrieved 30 April 2009.
  7. ^ "Spisak "lavica" - od 1979. do 1997. godišta". Vijesti. 17 July 2016. Archived from the original on 23 December 2017. Retrieved 25 July 2016.
  8. ^ 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.
  9. ^ 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.
  10. ^ Jončić, Saša (24 March 2009). "Successful operation". European Handball Federation. Retrieved 31 March 2009.
  11. ^ "Bojana årets kvindelige håndboldspiller". Viborg HK (in Danish). 10 January 2009. Archived from the original on 1 January 2009. Retrieved 21 August 2009.
  12. ^ "Topscorere siden 1965 - Damer" (in Danish). Danish Handball Federation. 9 July 2008. Archived from the original on 21 March 2009. Retrieved 15 March 2009.
  13. ^ "Golden Goodbye of Top Scorer". European Handball Federation. 22 May 2007. Archived from the original on 16 July 2011. Retrieved 1 April 2009.
  14. ^ "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

  • European Handball Federation – Bojana Popovic
  • Viborg HK – Player profile (in Danish)
Awards
Preceded by Montenegrin Sportsperson of the Year
2012
(with Katarina Bulatović) 		Succeeded by
Olympic Games
Preceded by Flagbearer for  Montenegro
Rio de Janeiro 2016 		Succeeded by
Incumbent
  • v
  • t
  • e
Sportsperson of The YearYoung Male Athlete of The Year
Young Female Athlete of The Year
Men's Team of The YearWomen's Team of The Year
  • v
  • t
  • e
ŽRK Budućnost BEMAX – current squad
  • v
  • t
  • e
FR Yugoslavia squad – Women's handball – 2001 World Championship – Bronze medal
  • 1 Paplacko
  • 2 Medved
  • 3 Jovović
  • 4 Kolaković
  • 5 Knežević
  • 6 Balać
  • 7 Jovanović
  • 8 Damjanac
  • 9 Savić
  • 10 Selmanović
  • 11 Krasnić
  • 12 Petrović
  • 13 Čelebić
  • 14 Milanović
  • 15 Mugoša
  • 16 Miličković
  • Coach: Milatović
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
Montenegro squads
  • v
  • t
  • e
Montenegro squad – Women's handball – 2010 European Championship – 6th place
Montenegro
  • v
  • t
  • e
Montenegro squad – Women's handball – 2011 World Championship – 10th place
Montenegro
  • v
  • t
  • e
Montenegro squad – Women's handball – 2012 Summer Olympics – Silver medal
Montenegro
  • v
  • t
  • e
Montenegro squad – 2016 Summer Olympics – 11th place
Montenegro
  • v
  • t
  • e
Montenegro squad – 2020 Summer Olympics – 6th place
Montenegro
  • v
  • t
  • e
Montenegro squad – 2021 World Championship – 22nd place
Montenegro
  • v
  • t
  • e
Montenegro squad – 2022 European Championship – Bronze medal
Montenegro
  • v
  • t
  • e
Montenegro squad – 2023 World Championship – 7th place
Montenegro