Gheorghe Gruia

Gheorghe Gruia Marinescu (October 2, 1940 – December 9, 2015) was a Romanian handball player, coach, and sports official. Born in Bucharest, Gruia won two gold medals in the 1964 World Handball Championship and the 1970 World Championship. In the 1972 Summer Olympics, he won the bronze medal with Romania and became the top scorer of the competition with 37 goals. He played as a right back and spent his entire professional career with Steaua Bucharest.

The International Handball Federation named him in 1992 "The Greatest Handball Player of All Times".

Gruia resided in Mexico City, Mexico, since 1978, where he worked as a coach and an official in the sport and is credited with popularizing the sport in the country.

His daughter, Andreea, is a former Mexican telenovela actress known for her roles in Spanish language telenovelas on Televisa.

Gruia died on December 9, 2015, in Mexico City following a heart attack. Gruia is considered the 'father of handball' in Mexico.

Gallery

Honours Club Steaua Bucharest 8× Romanian League Champion: 1963, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973 European Cup Champion: 1968 Runner-up: 1971

National team Romania 2× World Champion: 1964, 1970 World Championship: 1967 Summer Olympic Games: 1972

Orders