The handball queen, who wanted to be perfect

“Reflecting on Anita Görbicz’s career? Arguably an easy task for me because when I write about ’Görbe’, as she is commonly known in the world of handball, I have to be subjective.

Why? Because she was only 17 when I got to know her. Back then she was a tiny, skinny and not-so-friendly girl – but she had a huge passion and interest for any kind of ball games. In particular for football and handball. It was handball that prevailed – the best choice – and which established the connection between us.

She also felt like this and from this moment on there was a perfect understanding: the handball player on the one side, the handball journalist on the other. For many years we established a small, but very effective working group. The result: Hundreds of entertaining to serious talks and news articles.

Görbe was young, but a true diamond already then. Her moves on court showed that she was a crazily huge talent. When I asked her first professional coach, Kálmán Róth, what he thinks about this treasure, he only whispered back: ’Be quiet, please. It would be too early for her to know.’ She was just 17 at this stage.

We had to wait another two years, until 2002, for the miracle to surface. In Miskolc, she made her debut in the national team – the impression she left was like a bomb’s explosion.

Thank God, that her coach in 2000 asked me to wait with an interview. It was worth the wait. Because over the past 16 years, I have been conducting countless, short and long, interviews with her. Sometimes we spoke two or three times a week because week by week she played with congeniality and success – just like a handball queen.

Many a time she asked me: ’I want to be perfect. My dear friend, do you think I can achieve this?’ I encouraged her – and she made it. Furthermore, she was never bored or annoyed; neither on court nor in the press room. Not even after defeats; however, it must be said that only wins made her really happy – just like when she was that tiny girl back in 2000. She has remained tiny and skinny, but has developed into a very friendly world-class player, a perfect mother and the ideal player to interview.

She retired early, and the Hungarian national team will duly miss her. Believe me.”

József Simon works for Hungarian daily sports outlet, Nemzeti Sport, and has been a long-standing member of the AIPS Handball Commission

Anita Görbicz at a glance

Date/location of birth: 13 May 1983 in Veszprém
Nationality: Hungarian
Height/weight: 173 cm/58 kg
Position: centre back / left wing
Shooting arm: right
Club: Györi Audi ETO KC (1994 – )
Coaches: Zoltán Basák, Lajos Horváth, József Vura, Kálmán Róth, Csaba Konkoly, Karl Erik Böhn (NOR), Ambros Martín (ESP)
National team debut: 23 August 1992 against Norway in Miskolc (31:29)
Last international: 10 December 2017 against France in Leipzig (26:29)
International matches / goals: 233 / 1111

Achievements

• Olympic Games: 4th in 2008, 5th in 2004
• World Championship: Silver in 2003, Bronze in 2005, Silver at Junior WCh 2001
• EHF EURO: Bronze in 2004, 2012
• EHF Champions League: Winner in 2013, 2014, 2017; second in 2009, 2012, 2016
• EHF Cup: second place in 2002, 2004, 2005
• Cup Winners’ Cup: second place in 2006
• Hungarian champion: 11 times
• Hungarian cup winner: 11 times
• IHF World Handball Player of the Year in 2005
• Hungary’s Handball Player of the Year: 6 times