Greek handball legend Kotzamanidis passes away

The International Handball Federation has learnt with profound sadness of the passing of Christos Kotzamanidis, one of the pioneers of the sport in Greece, who helped introduce handball in the country and form thousands of players.

Kotzamanidis was the coach who organised the first handball matches in Greece, introducing the sport in the courtyard of the Amyntaio high school in Florina in February 1977 while serving as a physical education teacher at the school, according to the Greek Handball Federation.

As a handball coach, he won the first two Greek Cups in 1983 and 1984 and also secured the first-ever title with the most decorated club in Greece, Filippos Verias, in 1986.

Kotzamanidis, who passed away at the age of 73 years old, also helped secure the first-ever international title for Greece in July 1993 at the Balkan Youth Games in Ankara as a scientific advisor to the Greek Handball Federation, a position he cherished and held for decades, helping shape up Greek handball.

Kotzamanidis was not only a coach and a handball theoretician but also a professor of physical education and sports science at TEFAA of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, helping deliver hundreds of lectures about the sport. 

According to the Greek Handball Federation, he was also a Master Coach and a person respected throughout the sports community, both in Greece and abroad, having even written valuable training manuals, the books "Handball - Issues of technical tactics" in 1991, "Theory and methodical training of handball" in 2000, "Sports training in handball" in 2016, "Theory and methodology of handball" in 2019 and "Modern handball technique-tactics".

IHF President Dr Hassan Moustafa joins those mourning the loss of Christos Kotzamanidis and expresses his condolences and sympathy to his family and loved ones in this difficult time.

Photo: Hellenic Handball Federation – OXE