Hansi Schmidt

{{Infobox person

| image = Hansi Schmidt 01.jpg

| alt = Schmidt in 2008

| caption = Schmidt in 2008

| occupation = Handball player

| birth_name = Hans-Günther Schmidt

| birth_date = {{birth date|1942|9|23|df=y}}

| birth_place = Teremia Mare, Romania

| death_date = {{death date and age|2023|2|5|1942|9|24|df=y}}

| death_place =

}}

Hans-Günther Schmidt (24 September 1942 – 5 February 2023) was a Romanian-born German handball player.

Biography

Schmidt was born on 24 September 1942, the son of a medical doctor. He first played for a handball team at age 12, later becoming Romanian national high school champion in shot put.{{cite web|url=http://www.siebenbuerger.de/zeitung/artikel/alteartikel/1149-geschichten-rund-um-den-handball-in.html|title=Geschichten rund um den Handball in Siebenbürgen (XI)|language=German|date=29 July 2002|accessdate=7 June 2014}} After playing for Știința Timișoara and Știința Bucharest, he transferred to Steaua Bucharest, the military team.

Schmidt defected from Romania to West Germany when he was 21 years old during a match tour with the Romanian national youth team.{{cite web|url=http://www.hausderheimat-nuernberg.de/archiv_2_2006.html|title=Hans-Günther Schmidt stellt sein Buch am 31.10.2006 vor|language=German|access-date=7 June 2014|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140714231637/http://www.hausderheimat-nuernberg.de/archiv_2_2006.html|archive-date=14 July 2014}} Being a member of the military, he was sentenced to death for desertion.{{cite web|url=http://www.nordbayern.de/nuernberger-nachrichten/nn-sport/mehr-raffinesse-mit-dach-uberm-kopf-1.756615?searched=true|title=Mehr Raffinesse mit Dach überm Kopf|language=German|accessdate=8 June 2014|date=10 January 2014|publisher=Nürnberger Zeitung}}

In seven out of twelve German championships which VfL Gummersbach won in the Handball-Bundesliga, Hansi Schmidt played a crucial role as a goal scorer and playmaker. All in all, he played in ten finals for the German championship. Between 1967 and 1972 he became six times in a row top goal scorer of the Bundesliga's Northern League, the first five times also of the Bundesliga itself. In 1975 he became again top goal scorer of the Northern League.

In 2008, he was named one of the VfL's "All-Star-Team“.{{cite web|url=http://www.oberberg-aktuell.de/show-article.php?iRubrikID=216&iArticleID=78696|title=Nur mit einer überragenden Abwehr hat man gegen Kiel eine Chance|publisher=Oberberg Aktuell|date=26 September 2008|language=German|accessdate=7 June 2014|archive-date=26 September 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080926175103/http://www.oberberg-aktuell.de/show-article.php?iRubrikID=216&iArticleID=78696|url-status=dead}}

Considered to be the inventor of the delayed jump shot in handball,{{cite web|url=http://www.adz.ro/sport/artikel-sport/artikel/das-ehemalige-gummersbacher-handball-idol-hansi-schmidt-wird-70/|title=Das ehemalige Gummersbacher Handball-Idol Hansi Schmidt wird 70|language=German|accessdate=8 June 2014|date=24 September 2012|publisher=Allgemeine Deutsche Zeitung}} he worked as a coach, and later as a physical education teacher, after retiring from active play.Handballwoche 43/2007, 23 October 2007

Schmidt was married and had two children. He died on 5 February 2023, aged 80.{{cite news |title=Weltklasse-Handballspieler Hansi Schmidt ist gestorben |url=https://www.faz.net/aktuell/sport/mehr-sport/hansi-schmidt-ist-tot-trauer-um-weltklasse-handballer-18655612.html |access-date=7 February 2023 |publisher=Frankfurter Allgemeine |date=7 February 2023}}

Clubs

1959–1961 Știința Timișoara (Romanian first league)
1961 Știința Bucharest
1961–1963 Steaua Bucharest
1964–1976 VfL Gummersbach
1976–1979 TB Wülfrath
TV Gelpetal (as a coach)
1981–1982 TuS Derschlag/playing coach

Results

1959 Romanian indoor handball youth champion
1963 Romanian indoor champion with Steaua Bucharest
1966, 1967, 1969, 1973 till 1976 seven times German indoor handball champion with VfL Gummersbach
1967, 1970, 1971 and 1974 four times EHF Champions League winner with mit dem VfL Gummersbach
Seven times top goal scorer of the Bundesliga's Northern League (1967–1972 and 1975)
173 Bundesliga games played, 1066 scored goals
338 goals in 53 EHF Champions League games
18 national team appearances for Romania
98 national games for Germany, 484 goals scored
3 nominations to the World Team

Awards

Silbernes Lorbeerblatt
Sports Badge of Nordrhein-Westfalen
Little Gold Medal of Gummersbach, 2006

References

Johann Steiner, Hansi Schmidt. Weltklasse auf der Königsposition. Biographie eines Handballers, Verlag Gilde & Köster, Troisdorf 2005, {{ISBN|3-00-016717-X}}.
Johann Steiner, Handball-Geschichte(n). Siebenbürger Sachsen und Banater Schwaben ebnen Rumänien den Weg zu sieben Weltmeistertiteln, ADZ-Verlag, Bucharest 2003, {{ISBN|973-8384-12-5}}