The captain of the Croatian handball team, Domagoj Duvnjak, suffered an injury at the beginning of the match against Argentina in the second round of the World Championship. In the eighth minute, Duvnjak left the game due to calf pain.
He reached the bench with a slight limp, and he received medical help in the dressing room, where he went in tears, aware of the gravity of the situation. This is it Duvnjak the last major competition in his career with the national team.
At the age of 36, he has a rich career behind him, including winning a silver medal at European Championship 2020.
In the first game of this championship against Bahrain he scored two hits. Unfortunately, a similar scenario happened to him at the 2018 European Championship when he also suffered an injury in the tournament opener against of Serbia.
During the match against Bahrain, the fans paid tribute to their captain in a special way, displaying a banner with the message: “Thank you, Captain”. Duvnjak reacted emotionally to this gesture:
I saw that banner out of the corner of my eye while I was playing. A tingle went through me. It was a wonderful gesture. But I was focused on the field. Thanks to the fans, we need them, especially in times of crisis. I hope that as the tournament goes on, this Arena will burn down, he declared after the game.
His injury is a big concern for Croatia in the rest of the tournament, where his presence and experience will be hard to replace.
(www.jabuka.tv | Photo: Igor Kralj/PIXSELL)
