Estelle Nze Minko

{{Infobox handball biography

| name = Estelle Nze Minko

| image = Estelle Nzé-Minko2 20150319.jpg

| caption = Estelle Nze Minko, 2015

| nationality = French

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1991|8|11|df=y}}

| birth_place = Saint-Sébastien-sur-Loire, France

| height = 1.71 m

| position = Left back

| currentclub = Győri ETO KC

| clubnumber = 27

| youthclubs1 = Saint-Julien-de-Concelles

| youthclubs2 = Nantes Handball

| years1 = 2009–2010

| clubs1 = Toulouse Féminin Handball

| years2 = 2010–2012

| clubs2 = Mios Biganos

| years3 = 2012–2013

| clubs3 = Handball Cercle Nîmes

| years4 = 2013–2015

| clubs4 = Nantes Handball

| years5 = 2015–2016

| clubs5 = Fleury Loiret HB

| years6 = 2016–2019

| clubs6 = Siófok KC

| years7 = 2019–

| clubs7 = Győri ETO KC

| nationalyears1 = 2013–

| nationalteam1 = France

| nationalcaps1 = 198

| nationalgoals1 = 484

| ntupdate = 12 November 2024

| medaltemplates =

}}

Estelle Nze Minko (born 11 August 1991) is a French professional handball player for Győri ETO KC and the French national team.{{cite web|url=https://www.eurohandball.com/en/player/y443EM9EAF4LTmdm1oz_Xg/estelle-nze-minko/|title=Profile|publisher=European Handball Federation|website=eurohandball.com|access-date=7 December 2014}}{{cite web|url=http://handball.sportresult.com/HBEM14W/PDF/FRA-R.pdf|title=2014 European Championship Roster|website=handball.sportresult.com|publisher=EHF|access-date=7 December 2014|archive-date=13 December 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141213014206/http://handball.sportresult.com/HBEM14W/PDF/FRA-R.pdf|url-status=dead}}[http://results.nbcolympics.com/athletes/athlete=nze-minko-estelle-1152758/index.html Estelle Nze Minko]. nbcolympics.com She is an Olympic champion from 2021,{{cite web|url=https://www.handball-world.news/o.red.r/news-1-2-26-43298.html |publisher=handball-world.news|title=Doppel-Gold in Tokio: Frankreich holt sich auch bei den Frauen den Olympiasieg|access-date=8 August 2021|language=de}} world champion from 2017{{cite web|url=http://ihf.info/files/CompetitionData/b7fe36bb-2a18-4340-a6e0-6b148a154448/pdf/FRATOTAL.PDF |publisher=International Handball Federation|website=ihf.info|title=23rd Women's World Championship 2017|access-date=7 December 2018}} and 2023,{{cite web|url=https://www.handball-world.news/artikel/finalisten-dominieren-das-all-star-team-der-handball-wm-985456 |publisher=handball-world.news |title=Finalisten dominieren das All-Star-Team der Handball-WM|access-date=20 December 2023|language=de}} and a European champion from 2018.{{cite web|url=http://www.handball-planet.com/french-girls-take-european-crown-for-the-first-time/ |publisher=handball-planet.com|title=French girls take European crown for the first time!|date=17 December 2018 |access-date=17 December 2018}}

Career

Nze Minko started playing handball at the age of 12 at Saint-Julien-de-Concelles.{{cite web|url=https://www.ouest-france.fr/pays-de-la-loire/nantes-44000/handball-une-nantaise-championne-du-monde-5456709 |publisher=ouest-france.fr|title=Handball. Une Nantaise championne du monde|access-date=7 December 2018|language=fr}}{{cite web|url=https://actu.fr/pays-de-la-loire/saint-julien-de-concelles_44169/a-saint-julien-concelles-championne-monde-hand-ete-acclamee-par-400-personnes_14644297.html |publisher=actu.fr|title=A Saint-Julien-de-Concelles, la championne du monde de hand a été acclamée par 400 personnes|date=23 December 2017 |access-date=7 December 2018|language=fr}}{{cite web|url=http://aorleans.info/2015/09/interview-des-nouvelles-pantheres-gros-plan-sur-estelle-nze-minko/ |publisher=aorleans.info|title=Interview des Nouvelles Panthères, gros plan sur Estelle Nze Minko !|date=16 September 2015 |access-date=7 December 2018|language=fr}} In 2009 she joined Toulouse Féminin Handball. Here she played for a season before joining Mios Biganos.{{cite web|url=https://www.ladepeche.fr/article/2009/05/11/604899-sept-recrues-pour-le-toulouse-feminin-handball.html |publisher=ladepeche.fr|title=Sept recrues pour le Toulouse Féminin Handball|access-date=7 December 2018|language=fr}}{{cite web|url=https://www.lequipe.fr/Handball/AussiFicheAthlete75057.html |publisher=lequipe.fr|title=Estelle Nze Minko|access-date=7 December 2018|language=fr}} With Mios-Biganos she won the 2011 EHF Challenge Cup.

In 2012 she joined Handball Cercle Nîmes. A year later she returned to Nantes Handball. In 2015 she joined Fleury Loiret HB for a single season. Here she won the French league cup.

In 2016 she joined Hungarian side Siófok KC.{{cite web|url=http://www.siofokkc.hu/felnott/francia-valogatottakkal-erositunk |publisher=Siófok KC|title=Francia válogatottakkal erősítünk!|access-date=7 December 2018|language=hu}} Here she won the 2019 EHF Cup. The following summer she joined league rivals Győri ETO KC.{{cite web|url=https://www.gyorietokc.hu/hu/hirek/hir/6350 |publisher=Győri ETO KC |title=Győrben folytatja az aktuális Európa - és világbajnok|access-date=12 February 2019|language=hu}} Here she won the 2021 Hungarian Cup, the 2022 and 2023 Hungarian championship and the 2024 EHF Champions League.

=National team=

With the French youth team Nze Minko won gold medals at the 2007 U17 European Championship.{{cite web|url=http://history.eurohandball.com/ech/17/women/2007/round/1/Final+Round |publisher=European Handball Federation|website=history.eurohandball.com|title=2007 Women's European Championship 17|access-date=21 July 2021}}

She debuted for the French national team on October 24th against Slovakia. Her first major international tournament was the 2014 European Championship.{{cite web| url=http://www.eurohandball.com/ech/women/2014/player/530624/Estelle+Nze+Minko |publisher=European Handball Federation|website=eurohandball.com|title=Estelle Nze Minko|access-date=7 December 2018}}

A year later she was part of the French team at the 2015 World Championship. She scored 24 goals during the tournament.{{cite web|url=http://ihf.info/files/CompetitionData/1a09fa5c-ab1f-4b5b-b0c0-5eee5435d1d4/pdf/FRATOTAL.PDF |publisher=International Handball Federation|website=ihf.info|title=XXII Women's World Championships 2015|access-date=7 December 2018}}

In 2016 she played at both the 2016 Olympics and the 2016 European Championship.{{cite web|url=http://www.eurohandball.com/ech/women/2016/player/530624/Estelle+Nze+Minko |publisher=European Handball Federation|website=eurohandball.com|title=Estelle Nze Minko|access-date=7 December 2018}} At the Olympics she won silvermedals and at the European Championship she won bronze medals.

At the 2017 World Championship she won her first title with France. A year later she won the 2018 European Championship on home soil. This was the first time France one the tournament. She scored 38 goals during the tournament.{{Webarchive|url=https://livecache.sportresult.com/node/binaryData/HBL_PROD/HBEC18W/PDF_C85A.PDF?h=rvaGINt/yZd5ZOdsjkWtVQDT3vc= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220410225838/https://livecache.sportresult.com/node/binaryData/HBL_PROD/HBEC18W/PDF_C85A.PDF?h=rvaGINt/yZd5ZOdsjkWtVQDT3vc=|archive-date=10 April 2022|website=livecache.sportresult.com|title=GOALSCORERS|access-date=17 December 2018}}

At the 2020 European Championship she won silver medals with the French team, losing the final to Norway.{{cite web|url=https://www.handball-world.news/o.red.r/news-1-2-20-41344.html |publisher=handball-world.news|title=Torhüterinnen dominieren Finale: Norwegen neuer Europameister|access-date=20 December 2020|language=fr}} Scoring 26 goals, she was included in the tournament all-star team.{{cite web|url=https://women2020.ehf-euro.com/news/news/ehf-euro-2020-all-star-team-unveiled/|title=EHF EURO 2020 All-star Team unveiled|publisher=European Handball Federation|work=fra2018.ehf-euro.com|date=20 December 2020|access-date=20 December 2020|archive-date=20 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201220113933/https://women2020.ehf-euro.com/news/news/ehf-euro-2020-all-star-team-unveiled/|url-status=dead}}

At the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo she won Gold medals with the French team. Later the same year she won silver medals at the 2021 World Championship.{{cite web|url=https://www.handball-world.news/o.red.r/news-1-2-23-44335.html |publisher=handball-world.news|title=16:4-Spurt im Finale der Handball-WM der Frauen: Norwegen krönt sich gegen Frankreich zum Weltmeister|access-date=21 December 2021|language=de}}

At the 2023 she won gold medals at a World Championship for a second time. She was included in the tournament all-star team.{{cite web|url=https://www.ihf.info/competitions/women/307/26th-ihf-womens-world-championship-2023-denmarknorwaysweden/128037/news/162193|title=2023 IHF Women's World Championship: All-Star Team Revealed|website=ihf.info|publisher=IHF|date=17 December 2023|access-date=17 December 2023}}

At the 2024 Olympics in Paris she won silver medals with the French team, and was once again included in the all-star team.{{cite news|url=https://www.ihf.info/media-center/news/paris-2024-womens-all-star-team-revealed|title=Paris 2024 Women's All-Star team revealed|date=10 August 2024|access-date=10 August 2024|publisher=IHF|website=ihf.info}}

Personal life

Born in France, Nze Minko is of Gabonese descent.{{Cite web|url=https://gabonmediatime.com/handball-estelle-nze-minko-2e-mondial-remporte-et-8e-medaille-avec-la-france/|title=Handball : Estelle Nze Minko, 2e mondial remporté et 8e médaille avec la France|first=Lyonnel Mbeng|last=Essone|date=20 December 2023|website=Gabon Media Time}}

Achievements

EHF Champions League:
Winner: 2024
EHF Cup:
Winner: 2019
Hungarian Championship
Winner: 2022, 2023
Hungarian Cup
Winner: 2021

Individual awards

All-Star left back of the Summer Olympics: 2024
All-Star left back of the World Championship: 2023
MVP of the European Championship: 2020
All-Star Left Back of the Møbelringen Cup: 2018{{cite web|url=https://www.handball.no/nyheter/2018/11/all-star-team/|title=All-Star Team|publisher=handball.no|language=no|date=25 November 2018}}
MVP of the EHF Cup Final: 2019
Chevalier in the French Legion of Honour: 2021{{cite web |title=Décret portant nomination |url=https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/jorf/id/JORFTEXT000044033349?init=true&page=1&query=teddy+riner&searchField=ALL&tab_selection=all |website=legifrance.gouv.fr |access-date=13 September 2021|language=fr}}
Chevalier of the French Ordre national du Mérite: 2016{{Légifrance|base=JORF|number=VJSX1634849D |text=Décret du 30 novembre 2016 portant promotion et nomination |language=fr}}