When Petar Cikuša Jelicic first started handball, him and his twin brother, Djordje, were only four years old. It also helped that their father, Zoran, of Croatian descent, was a former handball player, featuring in Girona, not far away from Barcelona.

There was not a question about the sport the two brothers were going to play, as they both chose handball. And in just a few years, they became some of the hottest prospects in Spain, being snapped up by Barcelona.

Both made their debuts for the Spanish powerhouse, but while Djordje has been loaned to French side Montpellier HB to refine his skills, Petar is still in Barcelona’s roster, slowly becoming a key player in the squad of the reigning Machineseeker EHF Champions League champions.

Last summer, both brothers were also in the Spain squad which secured the title at the 2023 IHF Men’s Youth World Championship, being key in their team’s win. This summer, Petar was also in the Spain team which secured the gold medal at the M20 EHF EURO 2024, being named the MVP.

Days later, he was named as one of the substitutes in Spain’s squad which delivered a fantastic comeback, after a slow start, to seal the bronze medal in the men’s handball competition at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

And now, he is getting ready for his second appearance in the IHF Men’s Club World Championship, after he made his debut in the competition in 2023, scoring four goals for Barcelona, which finished third in the previous edition.

“It is somewhat crazy, if you start to think about it, that I am here. This competition helps me travel to places where I have never been – last season we were in Saudi Arabia, and now we are in Egypt. But we also want to win, we are getting ready for some tough battles and hope that we are going to go back home with another trophy,” says Cikuša Jelicic.

While only 18 years old, therefore in the first steps of his career, the back has dazzled with his impressive skills: speed, handball IQ and creativity on the court. He already has an impressive collection of medals, both with his club and his country, at different age categories.

But Cikuša Jelicic is not satisfied with this and wants more, with this hunger of medals and trophies being the main driver of his progression in the last years, with his performances impressing coaches and fans alike.

This time around, Barcelona, the team with the largest number of titles at the IHF Men’s Club World Championship, hope to return to the winning ways, after losing the title in the last three editions and searching for their maiden trophy in the world club flagship competition since 2019.

“We know it is going to be a tough competition, there are very good teams here, I have seen this in my previous matches here. We can see that the European sides are very good, but also there are two Egyptian teams playing at home, so it will require focus and determination to win,” adds the 18-year-old back.

Barcelona have been drawn into Group B in the preliminary round and will face Sydney Uni, an Australian side, in the first match, before going head-to-head with hosts Al-Ahly, a team which they won against, 37:26, in the previous edition, but which will have the support of their fans in the New Administrative Capital Hall.

However, the Spanish powerhouse, reigning European champions, have a strong core and are likely to eye a possible semi-final against either reigning champions SC Magdeburg, or Veszprém HC, a team which is currently coached by Xavi Pascual, who won all the five titles at the IHF Men’s Club World Championship with Barcelona.

Nevertheless, Cikuša Jelicic is upbeat about his team’s credentials and also took a moment to reflect on his ascension to greatness. If one year ago, he was playing in the youth levels, he is know a bona-fide member of the Barcelona squad, scoring 24 goals in the Machineseeker EHF Champions League last season and nine goals this season, when his side went on a three-match winning streak in the first three matches, the last one coming on Wednesday, 32:28, against Industria Kielce.

“It is something special, of course, but I love handball, it gives a bit of responsibility, but it is always fantastic to play against the best teams in the world. But, at the end, we also need to enjoy these matches, these situations, so I am really glad that I can do that in Barcelona,” concludes Cikuša Jelicic.