He beat Croatia when they needed it most, but he is also remembered for the miracles he created in Yugoslavia

A top handball player and above all a humble man and a great gentleman. Boris distance The undisputed big name in Croatian handball. A man who left a huge mark on Croatian club handball. His contribution is also reflected in the jerseys of the Yugoslav and Croatian national teams, especially in the bronze medal at the 1988 Seoul Olympics.

Boris Jarak was born in Dubrovnik on April 19, 1963. In 1977, at the age of 14, he began his professional career in the junior division of the Dubrovnik Handball Club.

From the beginning, it was clear that Boris was a stronger center forward and he had a great career. In 1979, at the age of 16, he started playing for the first team very early and soon became a starter for Dubrovnik. Boris said that his first coaches in Dubrovnik were Luca and Pero Vilaja, two handball experts who laid the foundation for him in handball.

One of the best

He wore the jersey of his hometown club until 1981 when he went to serve in the army. After returning from the army, he became a player for the then very strong Zagreb Medvejčák team. At that time, the club was always at the top of the Yugoslav Handball League and regularly participated in European competitions.

He played for Medveščak until 1990 and was one of the best players. He led the club to win the Yugoslav Cup in 1987, 1989 and 1990. During Boris’ time, Medveščak was coached by famous coaches Velimir Krjajic, Josip Sojat and Josip Glavaš.

The 1987 cup final was particularly memorable, in which Medvejčák defeated the then “big” team from Banja Luka, FC Borka, 26:24 after extra time.

“Dont look at me”

Then the hall was filled with cheers: “Hey, hey, bears – you are the best, the best.” In the same year, Medveščak finished second in Yugoslavia. Although there were no big names, except Boris Jako and Goran Perkovac, the “bears” still believed in their trump cards: First of all, in fact, for most players, the five-year grinding process led to a moment: it must be said – they are either clubs of great scope, or they are not. The players emphasized their commitment to the club and deeply realized that the results are brought by the team, not by individuals.

For example, the hero of the final, Boris Jarak (it’s hard to remember a winger who scored 13 goals in such a big match) would say without hesitation: “Don’t look at me. The heroes are around us.”

Jarak was officially named the best player of the handball final with 13 goals. After leaving Medveshchak, Boris Jarak played for the Bundesliga team TV EITRA from 1990 to 1994, when the team was coached by our Zeljko Zovko and Hrvoje Horvat.

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In Seoul

Four years later, in 1994, he returned to Croatia, but now he became a player of the then excellent team Badel 1862 Zagreb, and wore the jersey of this team until 1996. At this famous club, under the leadership of head coach Abbas Arslanagic, he won the Croatian Cup and the title in 1995 and 1996, and reached the final of the Champions League in both seasons.

He played the last season of his career in the 1996/97 season at Medveščak Zagreb under the guidance of head coach Josip Mirković. He made 49 appearances for the Yugoslav national team. Of course, the greatest success in the former national team jersey was at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, where he won a bronze medal under coach Abas Arslanagić.

It should be said that Boris Jarak played 12 times for the Croatian national handball team. In 1995, he achieved his greatest success in a checkered shirt at the World Championships in Iceland, where he won the silver medal with the team under the leadership of coach Zdravko Zovka.

Served as a coach

After his playing career ended, he worked as a coach for a while. He served as the coach of the Croatian junior national team for two years and as the coach of the youth department of Zagreb Handball Club. He led the Croatian junior and junior national teams to win the European Championship twice.

He coached the Izvidac Handball Club in Ljubuski for two years, winning the Bosnia and Herzegovina Cup and Championship with the team, and he also coached the Bosnia and Herzegovina Youth National Team.