Inger Smits

{{Infobox handball biography

| name = Inger Smits

| image = 2021-09-29 Handball, Bundesliga Frauen, Thüringer HC - SG BBM Bietigheim 1DX 5854 by Stepro.jpg

| caption = Inger Smits (right) in a 2021 Handball-Bundesliga game

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1994|9|17|df=y}}

| birth_place = Geleen, Netherlands

| nationality = Dutch

| height = 1.79 m

| position = Centre back

| currentclub = CSM București

| clubnumber = 10

| years1 = {{0|0000}}-2011

| clubs1 = V&L

| years2 = 2011–2013

| clubs2 = HandbaL Venlo

| years3 = 2013–2015

| clubs3 = SV Dalfsen Handbal

| years4 = 2015–2017

| clubs4 = VfL Oldenburg

| years5 = 2017–2019

| clubs5 = TTH Holstebro

| years6 = 2019–2021

| clubs6 = Borussia Dortmund

| years7 = 2021–2024

| clubs7 = SG BBM Bietigheim

| years8 = 2024–

| clubs8 = CSM București

| nationalyears1 = 2013–

| nationalteam1 = Netherlands

| nationalcaps1 = 107

| nationalgoals1 = 178

| ntupdate = 1 November 2024

| medaltemplates =

}}

Inger Smits (born 17 September 1994) is a Dutch handball player for Romanian club CSM București and the Dutch national team.[https://www.eurohandball.com/en/player/2f_AC7qq3Kco9vpbl7kHQg/inger-smits/ EHF profile]{{cite web|url=http://dhdb.hyldgaard-jensen.dk/spiller.php?id=5108 |title= Inger Smits Profile |publisher=dhdb.hyldgaard-jensen.dk}}[http://www.eurohandball.com/player/543874 EHF profile]{{Cite web |url=https://livecache.sportresult.com/node/binaryData/HBL_PROD/HBEC18W/PDF_ROSTER_NED.PDF |title=2018 European Championship roster |access-date=12 January 2019 |archive-date=1 December 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181201180937/https://livecache.sportresult.com/node/binaryData/HBL_PROD/HBEC18W/PDF_ROSTER_NED.PDF |url-status=dead }}

She was a part the Netherlands team that won the 2019 World Women's Handball Championship; the first title in the country's history.{{Cite web|url=https://www.handbal.nl/blog/2019/11/04/mayonnade-maakt-definitieve-wk-selectie-bekend/|title=Mayonnade maakt definitieve WK-selectie bekend|date=4 November 2019|website=handbal.nl|language=nl|access-date=5 November 2019}}[https://www.ihf.info/sites/default/files/competitions/459525eb-a3b4-457d-94b9-ed7d6afd3491/pdf/NED.PDF 2019 World Women's Handball Championship roster]

Career

Smits started playing handball at her hometown club V&L. In 2011 she joined HandbaL Venlo, where she played for two years before moving to SV Dalfsen.{{cite web|url=https://www.dalfsennet.nl/nieuws/224352/smits-versterkt-landskampioen-sercodak-dalfsen.html |publisher=SV Dalfsen|website=dalfsennet.nl|title=Smits versterkt Landskampioen SERCODAK Dalfsen|access-date=21 November 2020|language=nl}} Here she won the Dutch championship in 2014 and 2015 and the Dutch cup and Supercup in 2015.{{cite web|url=http://hb-fr.handball-world.com/2016/o.red.r/news-1-2-10-26423.html|publisher=handball-world.com|title="Keine finanzielle Basis": Fünffacher niederländischer Meister gibt auf|access-date=21 November 2020|language=de}}

In 2015 she joined VfL Oldenburg.{{cite web|url=http://hb-fr.handball-world.com/2016/o.red.r/news-1-2-1-22896.html |publisher=handball-world.com|title=Weitere Niederländerin für Oldenburg|access-date=21 November 2020|language=de}} Two years later she joined Danish side Team Tvis Holstebro.{{cite web|url=http://hb-fr.handball-world.com/2016/o.red.r/news-1-2-1-30555.html|publisher=handball-world.com|title=Oldenburgerin Smits wechselt nach Dänemark|access-date=21 November 2020|language=de}} Two years later she returned to Germany when she joined Borussia Dortmund.{{cite web|url=http://hb-fr.handball-world.com/2016/o.red.r/news-1-2-1-37155.html |publisher=handball-world.news|title=Dortmund verstärkt sich im Rückraum|access-date=21 November 2020|language=de|trans-title=Dortmund strengthens at the back position}} Here she won the German championship in 2021.

In the summer of 2021 she joined league rivals SG BBM Bietigheim.{{cite web|url=https://www.handball-world.news/o.red.r/news-1-2-1-41661.html |publisher=handball-world.news|title=Weltmeisterin Inger Smits wechselt nach Bietigheim|access-date=1 February 2021|language=de|trans-title=World Champion Inger Smits transfer to Bietigheim}} Here she won the 2021, 2022 and 2023 DHB-Supercup, the 2022, 2023 and 2024 German championship, the 2022 European League and the 2023 DHB-Pokal.

In 2024 she joined Romanian CSM București.{{cite web|url=https://www.handball-world.news/artikel/weltmeisterin-inger-smits-verlaesst-bundesliga-986800 |publisher=handball-world.news|title=Weltmeisterin Inger Smits verlässt Bundesliga|access-date=26 December 2023|language=de|trans-title=World Champion leaves the Bundesliga}}

=National team=

Smits played 37 games for the Dutch youth team.

At the 2018 European Championship she won bronze medals, although she only played in the last match, the third place playoff.{{cite web|url=http://hb-fr.handball-world.com/2016/o.red.r/news-1-2-20-36135.html |publisher=handball-world.com|title=Spannende Schlussphase im Bronzematch, Niederlande wahrt frühen Vorsprung|access-date=21 November 2020|language=de}}

At the 2019 World Championship in Japan she won gold medals with the dutch team, beating Spain in the final 30:29{{cite web|url=https://sport.tv2.dk/haandbold/2019-12-15-holland-er-verdensmester-for-foerste-gang|title=Holland er verdensmester for første gang|publisher=TV2 Danmark|date=15 December 2019|access-date=1 November 2021|language=da|trans-title=Netherlands are world champions for the first time ever}} She was however injured during the first round and was replaced by Delaila Amega.{{cite web|url=https://www.handball-world.news/o.red.r/news-1-2-23-39072.html |publisher=handball-world.news|title=Abbingh nervenstark - Niederlande mit letztem Wurf gegen Spanien Handball-Weltmeister der Frauen|access-date=21 November 2020|language=de}}{{cite web|url=https://www.handbalinside.nl/amega-maakt-entree-op-wk/ |publisher=handbalinside.nl|title=Amega maakt entree op WK|access-date=21 November 2020|language=nl}}

At the 2020 Olympics she also represented the Dutch team.{{cite web|url=https://www.ihf.info/sites/default/files/competitions/d163d492-68ad-402e-b701-50c0c75a6136/pdf/01FTR.PDF?n=1627186723 |publisher=International Handball Federation|website=ihf.info|title=Match Team Statistics: Netherlands vs. Japan|access-date=25 July 2021}}

At the 2023 World Championship she and the Netherlands finished 5th. She scored 8 goals during the tournament.{{cite web|url=https://www.ihf.info/sites/default/files/competitions/29fa120a-f09a-4648-8ce7-963c3618fc5f/pdf/NEDTOTAL.PDF?n=1703619568 |publisher=International Handball Federation|website=ihf.info|title=26th IHF Women’s World Championship: Netherlands|access-date=30 December 2023}}

Private life

Her father {{ill|Gino Smits|nl}} and mother Cecile Leenen were also handball players. Her brothers Kay and Jorn are also international handball players.[https://nos.nl/artikel/2364887-de-genen-van-handbalfamilie-smits-later-beseffen-we-hoe-bijzonder-dit-is.html De genen van handbalfamilie Smits: 'Later beseffen we hoe bijzonder dit is'] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210128010249/https://nos.nl/artikel/2364887-de-genen-van-handbalfamilie-smits-later-beseffen-we-hoe-bijzonder-dit-is.html |date=2021-01-28 }}, NOS, 19 January 2021