“A small town with a big heart” needs a new arena

29 December was a difficult day for the municipality of Petrinja, a small-town home to 20,000 people, situated in the centre of Croatia. A magnitude 6.4 earthquake that struck central Croatia hit Petrinja the hardest, turning buildings into rubble and turning the lives of inhabitants upside down.

For the past 62 years, Petrinja has been a handball city, with great ties to Croatian handball and home to a handball club that has produced important players for Croatia. Currently, Handball Club Petrinja has more than 100 players under the age of 29, who had been taking part in daily practice sessions throughout the year before the earthquake.

Several regional tournaments had also been hosted by Petrinja prior to the earthquake, with its citizens taking part actively in organising them, with the aim of promoting handball and healthy living among the population.

However, the earthquake also deprived Handball Club Petrinja of its gym, which has been put to ground after the tragedy. Handball is now in danger of extinction in the small Croatian town, with players failing to train and the teams not being able to play anymore.

In only one month, the municipality of Petrinja has unveiled a new arena design, which can help the 62-year-old club continue its tradition and be able to secure a future for its players.

A fundraising campaign has been set up to help achieve this goal, with the club from “a small town with a big heart,” as Petrinja promotes itself, starting to raise awareness about their cause.

The Petrinja municipality needs to collect EUR 97,163.21 to rebuild their gym and everyone can help, with more information available at the email address [email protected] or on the club’s official website, www.rkpetrinja.hr.

  PHOTO: Handball Club Petrinja