ASOBAL uncovers the candidates for its first Hall of Fame

ASOBAL has announced this Thursday the 12 candidates to be part of the first edition of the ASOBAL Hall of Fame and has started the voting process to define the members of its first generation. Alberto Entrerríos, Cecilio Alonso, David Barrufet, Enric Masip, Jota Hombrados, Juan de Dios Román, Juanín García, Juantxo Villarreal, Manolo Laguna, Rafa Guijosa, Ramón Gallego and Talant Dujshebaev are the names on the list defined by the Merits Commission of the project.

The vote will be carried out in two phases, from this Thursday, April 18 to the next 28 of April. The first one will be carried out by the ASOBAL Hall of Fame Jury, led by the president of ASOBAL, Servando Revuelta, and composed of a member of the Superior Sports Council (CSD), the Royal Spanish Handball Federation (RFEBM), the Handball Players Association (AJBM), the European Handball League Board (EHLB) and representatives of the Spanish sports press and the historical clubs that compete in the current Plenitude League. On the other hand, an open vote has been enabled for all fans through a form that will be active until April 28 on the ASOBAL League website and a specially enabled microsite.

Superlative talent and paths of excellence

Alberto Entrerríos: he played a total of 15 seasons in ASOBAL. He debuted in the highest competition of Spanish male handball clubs with Ciudad Naranco in the 97/98 season. Then he jumped to Ademar León (3 seasons), went through Barça (1), BM. Ciudad Real and BM. Atlético de Madrid (2011/2012). He scored a total of 1,621 goals in 398 matches, being 10th in the ranking of historical top scorers of ASOBAL. To these statistics must be added the condition of ASOBAL League Champion and double World Champion (2005 and 2013) with the Spanish national team.

David Barrufet: he played 20 seasons in ASOBAL, being a One Club Man defending the colors of Barça. He was part of the 'Dream Team' that was led by Valero Rivera, winning 7 Champions titles and his record shows the condition of ASOBAL League champion and World Championship with the Spanish national team.
Juanín García: he is the historical top scorer of ASOBAL with 2,685 goals, the second with the most seasons (24) and the third with the most matches (628). He made his official debut with Ademar León in the 1995/1996 season and defended the jerseys of the León team (until the 2004/2005 season and a second stage from 2015 to 2019), Barça (2005/2006 to 2013/2014) and Logroño (2014/2015). He has also been champion of the ASOBAL League (with Barça and Ademar), Champions and World Championship with the Spanish national team.

Juan de Dios Román:  coach of BM. Ciudad Real and BM. Atlético de Madrid, establishing himself as one of the great coaches in the history of our sport. His record includes titles such as the ASOBAL League. He was the national team coach, winning the Olympic bronze in the Atlanta 96 and Sydney 2000 Games, as well as taking the European Silver in 1996 and 1998 and the European bronze in 2000.

Juantxo Villarreal: another of the great names of the national benches, he was the coach of Bidasoa Irun from the 1990/1991 season to the 1996/1997 season. In charge of the Bidasoa team, he won the ASOBAL League and the Champions of the 1994/1995 edition.
Manolo Laguna: accumulated a total of 10 seasons as a coach in the top category of Spanish male handball clubs. His first season in ASOBAL was in charge of BM. Guadalajara (1991/1992). Later he held the position of head of the technical staff of Juventud Alcalá (93/94 and 94/95) and Torrevieja (2005/2006 - 2011-2012).

Ramón Gallego: accumulated 210 refereed matches in the ASOBAL League over 10 seasons in the competition (between the 1990/1991 and 1999/2000 seasons). The referee, who directed two Olympic Games finals (Los Angeles 84 and Barcelona 92), was in charge of refereeing at the International Handball Federation (IHF).

Jota Hombrados: the former goalkeeper holds the record for matches in the ASOBAL League (770) and the record for active seasons in the state competition (29). His first official match was with BM. Atlético de Madrid in the 1990/1991 season. After wearing the colchonera shirt for three years, he played in the ranks of BM. Cantabria (1993-1995), S.D. Teucro (1995/1996), Ademar León (1996-2000), San Antonio (2000-2002), BM. Ciudad Real (2002-2011), BM. Atlético de Madrid in a second stage and BM. Guadalajara (2015-2021). Hombrados' record includes the ASOBAL League championship, three Champions titles (with BM. Ciudad Real, Portland and Teka Cantabria), a gold at the 2005 world championship and two Olympic bronzes (1996 and 2008).

Rafa Guijosa: the former left winger scored 1,056 goals in 231 ASOBAL League matches over 10 seasons. He celebrated goals and titles with the jersey of Barça, Juventud Alcalá and BM. Guadalajara. He was a member of the 'Dream Team' blaugrana, managed to lift the League title, 5 European Cups or the Olympic bronze (Sydney 2000), among other awards. Named IHF World Player of the Year in 1999, Guijosa has also been a ASOBAL protagonist on the benches, coaching BM. Alcobendas and Ademar de León.

Talant Dujshebaev: over 10 seasons in the ASOBAL League, the former Spanish international scored 1,062 goals in 253 matches, divided between his time wearing the colors of Teka Cantabria and BM. Ciudad Real. He was chosen twice as the IHF World Player of the Year (1994 and 1996), defining an individual record that also includes the ASOBAL League championship and the Champions, the gold at the Barcelona 92 Olympics (with the Unified Team), the 1993 world gold with Russia, double European silver with Spain (96 and 98) and the Olympic bronze with Spain in 1996.

Enric Masip: trained in the lower categories of BM. Granollers, he made his debut in the ASOBAL League with Barça de Valero Rivera. The former center built a trajectory of excellence in the Palau Blaugrana until he became the team captain and is the sixth highest scorer in the history of the ASOBAL League with 1,682 goals in 332 matches over 14 seasons in the elite. He was ASOBAL League champion and six times European Champion, in addition to winning the Olympic bronze in Sydney 2000, the European silver in 96 and the bronze in the European 2000 with the Spanish national team.

Cecilio Alonso: the former player competed in the top category of Spanish male handball clubs with BM. Atlético de Madrid, Barça, BM. Ciudad Encantada and Atlético de Madrid (in this second stage, he played two seasons in the current ASOBAL League). He was champion of 7 Leagues, 7 King's Cups and 1 Spanish Super Cup and runner-up in Europe 84/85, three times top scorer in the top category of handball. He also won the bronze in the Atlanta 96 Olympics as assistant coach to coach Juan de Dios Román.