Yuasa Battery market does not stop, which continues to shore up its staff in view of its first historic season in the Super League. And, once again, the criterion chosen by the club is to keep faith with its principles, that is, to look for elements characterized by great “sporting hunger” and desire to emerge, aspects of primary importance where there will be fighting at every point of every match to try the arduous task of staying in the Olympus of volleyball.
So, once again, make way for a young man with great hopes and great prospects: Gabrijel Cvanciger, opposite, born in 2003.
Gabrijel Cvanciger with the HAOK Mladost shirt [source Sportske Novosti]
Croatian from Sisak, a city of just under 50,000 inhabitants located 50 minutes by car from Zagreb, Cvanciger discovered volleyball after practicing swimming for seven years. Then, as often happens, the search for a team sport in which to share joys and sorrows with other teammates. From there the choice was rather natural: his father, in fact, a former volleyball player, inevitably advised him to try this discipline too. A few training sessions and the spark was ignited, which then started a rapid and vertical escalation.
Cvanciger’s volleyball career began in his hometown and, after two years, Gabrijel’s talent was immediately noticed, so much so that he was invited to join the youth sector of HAOK Mladost, the main Croatian club, based in Zagreb. In the capital, in the meantime, the boy completes his school career and enrolls in university, constructively balancing academic activities with sports training.
After a year and a half of training in the youth sector, the Serbian coach Rade Malević invited him to participate in the training sessions of the senior team, from which he never left.
And that of Cvanciger with HAOK Mladost is truly a wonderful fairy tale: just think that, despite his very young age, the Croatian “two meters” has won the last four Croatian championships, two Croatian Cups and has participated in the last four editions of the Champions League and CEV Cup. All topped off with the individual recognition as the best opposite in the Croatian top league in the season just ended.
