Nikola Karabatic becomes World Handball Player of the Year

35,000 handball fans and media representatives have cast their votes and crowned French international Nikola Karabatic 2014 World Handball Player for the second time in his career.

The FC Barcelona left back received 33.7 per cent of all votes which placed him comfortably ahead of Mikkel Hansen (21 %) in second place.

Karabatic, who had won the vote for the first time in 2007, succeeds Domagoj Duvnjak who received the award in 2013.

Brazilian international Eduarda Amorim, who takes to the court for Women’s EHF Champions League winners Györi Audi ETO KC, was voted 2014 World Handball Player in the women’s category.

The 28-year-old left back received 35.2 per cent of all votes. Romanian international Cristina Neagu came second with 25.8 per cent.

Amorim is the second Brazilian to be awarded after her national team fellow Alexandra do Nascimento achieved the same in 2012. Serbia’s Andrea Lekic had received the award in 2013.

For Nikola Karabatic 2014 (and the start of 2015) proved to be particularly successful on the national team level. In January 2014 he led France to victory at the EHF EURO in Denmark and also pocketed the tournament’s Most Valuable Player award.

Exactly one year later he was instrumental in France’s victory at the World Championship 2015 in Qatar. With his current club FC Barcelona he came third at the 2014 VELUX EHF FINAL4.

Eduarda Amorim started into 2014 with the boost of just having won the World Championship 2013 with Brazil – a success she even topped by being awarded, just as Karabatic at the EHF EURO 2014, MVP.

She then went on and won the Women’s EHF Champions League with Hungarian side Györi Audi ETO KC for the second time after 2013.