It seems most of professional athletes knew what their professional career will be, already since the very young age.
Some fell in love with the ball already as toddlers and then start with trainings before they even went to school. Becoming a professional handball player is not an easy path to walk on but it seems that some were just born to be exactly that.
However, there are also exceptions, like our ambassador, Ivano Balic, one of the greatest handball players of all times. While we took some photos of him at our Gorenje factory in Velenje, Slovenia, we got inspired us to ask him – and others, what would they be, if not professional handball players.
IVANO BALIC, RETIRED HANDBALL PLAYER
“Even if I wouldn’t be a professional handball player I would still do something connected to sport, because sport makes me happy.”
NIKOLA KARABATIC, PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN HANDBALL
“This is a very hard question to answer since I wanted to be a handball player from a very young age. I think that maybe I would be an architect.”
VID KAVTICNIK, MONTPELLIER HANDBALL
“If I wouldn’t be a professional handball player I always dreamt of being an astronaut. I always wanted to go to space.”
WILLIAM ACCAMBRAY, RK CELJE PIVOVARNA LASKO
“Well, being a professional handball player was my first choice but if I had to choose something else, I would probably want to have some companies and be my own boss.”
VALENTIN PORTE, MONTPELLIER HANDBALL
“I always wanted to be an athlete and if it wouldn’t be handball, I would choose golf.”
TIMUR DIBIROV, RK VARDAR SKOPJE
“I guess I would like to be a Motorsport pilot.”
EDUARDO GURBINDO, HBC NANTES
“What would I be if not a professional handball player? A millionaire. Just joking, I would probably be a teacher.”
ROLAND MIKLER, Telekom Veszprem
“I think I would be a professional DJ!”
CYRIL DUMOULIN, HBC Nantes
“Good question. I have done some studies in trade, but I don’t know exactly… maybe I would work in sale, communications or marketing. That is something I am already doing for my summer camps of handball and for my online shop.”