Happy handball birthday, Cristina Neagu
First and foremost, a birthday is a reason to celebrate. Hence this is the time and place to say: Happy birthday, Cristina Neagu! Romania's backcourt ace and arguably one of the best female handball players in the world turns 28 this Friday (26 August 2016), and we wish her all the best.
Second, a birthday is always an opportunity to look back what happened in the past year and to look at the things that lie ahead. As Neagu's birthday is in between the end of the one and the start of the next handball season, there is even more reason to do so.
When Neagu turned 27 one year ago, she had reached another peak in a career that has not been short of highlights. In May 2015, she won the Women’s EHF Champions League with Montenegrin side Buducnost and secured the competition's top scorer crown – together with Andrea Penezic – with 102 goals.
Women's bronze and world handball laurels
It was a sign of what was there to come. At the beginning of the 2015/16 season, she was voted in the EHF Champions League's “Dream Team”, with no less than 12 of the 16 participants' coaches naming her as their favourite left back.
At the Women's World Championship 2015 in Denmark, Neagu was the key player in Romania's campaign that ended with a bronze medal and herself earning the tournament's MVP and All-star left back award – it almost came to no surprise that at the beginning of June 2016 it was announced by the IHF that Neagu was the World Handball Player 2015.
After 2010, this was the second time she received this award, making her only the second female player to achieve this feat. The first was Hungarian Bojana Radulovic in 2000 and 2003.
However, the announcement came at a time when it was not all going upwards anymore. Buducnost had failed to defend their Women’s EHF Champions League title when they lost the semi-final 21:20 to Györi Audi ETO KC at the EHF FINAL4 2016 in May.
Move on, look ahead
Even unluckier was Romania’s campaign at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games at which the squad failed to reach the quarter-finals.
"We did not expect this result, but unfortunately this is the situation," said Neagu in an interview with Agerpres upon her return. "There were plenty of days of disappointment and anger but we must look ahead."
The 28-year-old, who staged a comeback in 2013 after she had not been able to play for almost two years due to injuries (for more read this remarkable account of Romanian journalist Andreea Giuclea: An 8 worth a 10), would not be herself, if that set her back too much: "I have experienced many disappointments while playing handball, and if we hadn’t looked forward afterwards, I wouldn’t have been able to enjoy success."
Next up for Romania is the Women’s EHF EURO 2016 in Sweden at which they face defending champions Norway, Olympic champions Russia and Croatia in a tough Group D.
Last time Romania medalled at EHF EURO level was in 2010 when they won bronze. Neagu back then became the tournament’s top scorer with 53 goals.
TEXT:
EHF / ts