by croatiaweek
November 25, 2025
in
(Photo: Press)
Croatia’s deaf men’s handball team have written another chapter in the nation’s sporting history after securing their sixth Deaflympic gold medal in Tokyo.
In a confident and composed performance, Croatia defeated Germany 30:23 in the final, reaffirming their status as the dominant force in the sport. The victory also marks Croatia’s ninth Deaflympic handball medal overall.
The opening half offered a tight and physical contest. Croatia enjoyed brief spells with a two-goal lead, but Germany capitalised on Croatian suspensions and managed to draw level at 12:12 before the break.
Everything changed in the second half. After Germany equalised for the last time at 13:13, Croatia increased the tempo and took control of the match.
A series of outstanding saves by goalkeeper Bruno Varšić energised the team and sparked the decisive scoring run that Germany could not match.
(Photo: Press)
Andrej Juričević led the Croatian attack with an impressive ten goals, followed by Oliver Lušić with five. Mateo Perak, Tomislav Bošnjak and Teo Glumac each added four, while Leonardo Vučak, Florijan Kolarić and Ilija Perak also found the net.
(Photo: Press)
Head coach Mario Sirotić praised the team’s resilience and spirit:
“I’m very happy. We’ve won gold again. It was a tough match from the start and well into the second half. Around the 40th minute we broke the momentum of the favoured Germans – at least that’s how they saw themselves. In the end, our desire, experience and knowledge made the difference. Croatia are Olympic champions once again.”
Captain Oliver Lušić, who bid farewell to the national team with this tournament, reflected on the emotional significance of the achievement:
“This is my sixth Olympic medal, my fifth gold. I always thought the first was the dearest, but this one is especially emotional and especially important. We reached it despite major difficulties, injuries and scheduling problems. I’m proud of my… I won’t say just team-mates, but brothers, friends, my second family. They made my farewell beautiful and I’m endlessly grateful.”
In the bronze-medal match, France defeated Serbia 26:20 to secure third place.