Iztok Puc

Iztok Puc
Personal information
Born	(1966-09-14)14 September 1966[1] Slovenj Gradec, SR Slovenia, Yugoslavia[1]
Died	20 October 2011(2011-10-20) (aged 45) San Diego, California, U.S.[2]
Height	1.96 m (6 ft 5 in)[1]
Playing position	Left back
Youth career
Years	Team
19??–1985	Šoštanj
Senior clubs
Years	Team
1985–1990	Borac Banja Luka
1990–1994	Zagreb
1994–1999	Celje
1999–2002	Prule 67
National team
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1988–1991	Yugoslavia	82	(191)
1991–1998	Croatia	65	(325)
1998–2000	Slovenia	34	(120)
Medal record Representing  Yugoslavia Olympic Games 1988 Seoul Team Junior World Championship 1987 Yugoslavia Team Representing  Croatia Olympic Games 1996 Atlanta Team World Championship 1995 Iceland Team European Championship 1994 Portugal Team Mediterranean Games 1993 Languedoc-Roussillon Team

Iztok Puc (14 September 1966 – 20 October 2011) was a Croatian-Slovenian handball player, who was one of the world's top players of the 1980s and 1990s.^[3] During his career he played professionally for Borac Banja Luka, Zagreb, Celje and Prule 67. He won a total of 18 domestic trophies. He has won the elite EHF Champions League in 1992 and 1993, both times with Zagreb. He is one of very few handball players who represented three different countries at the Summer Olympics (Yugoslavia, Croatia and Slovenia),^[4][5][6] winning bronze with Yugoslavia in 1988 and gold with Croatia in 1996. In 2009, he was named the best overall player in the history of Slovenian handball.^[7] After his death an award named in his honour was introduced and is awarded annually to the most promising young handball players in Slovenia and Croatia, given alternately one year to Slovenian and another year to Croatian player.^[8][9]