Legendary Russian handball player Eduard Koksharov passes away

He is the record holder for the number of goals scored for the Russian national team with 1.110 goals, and was named the best player in the left wing position at four consecutive World Cups - 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2007, as well as at two consecutive European Championships - 2004 and 2006.

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Legendary Russian handball player Eduard Koksharov died suddenly today at the age of 51, announced the Belarusian club Meshkov from Brest, whose coach he was at the time of his death.

"The Meshkov Brest Handball Club expresses its sincere condolences to the family and friends of Eduard Aleksandrovich Koksharov. We will remember him as a person who left a lasting mark on our team and in the hearts of all who knew him. This is an irreparable loss for the entire handball family and a great shock to the world handball community," Meshkov said in a statement.

Koksharov won gold medals with the Russian national team at the Sydney Olympics and the 1997 World Championships.

With the Russian national team, of which he was captain at one point, he won three more medals - silver at the 1999 World Cup and the 2000 European Championship, and bronze at the Athens Olympic Games.

He is the record holder for the number of goals scored for the Russian national team with 1.110 goals, and was named the best player on the left wing at four consecutive World Cups - 2001, 2003, 2005 and 2007, as well as at two consecutive European Championships - 2004 and 2006.

He spent most of his club career in Celje, Slovenia, for which he played from 1999 to 2011.

He is the top scorer in Celje's history with a total of 2.087 goals, and in 2004 he won the Champions League title and the European Super Cup trophy with the Slovenian club.

Celje stated in its statement that Kokšarov, with his "dedication, fighting spirit and courage", left an "indelible mark" on the club, as well as on "the entire handball world".

"He was more than a player - he was a symbol of perseverance, a captain, a true team leader and a man who inspired generations," the Slovenian club said in a statement.

Koksharov also played for SKIF Krasnodar and Chekhovske Medvede, while after the end of his playing career, in addition to Meshkov, where he worked since 2023, he was the coach of SKIF, Vardar and Rostov-Don, as well as the coach of the Russian men's national team.