Mr. Franjo Bobinac, Gorenje's president and CEO, was elected and unanimously confirmed as the new president of the Handball Club Gorenje on the constitutive meeting of club’s Management Committee. The new club's president as well as club's newcomers and club's goals for the current year were also presented on the press conference.
Mr. Franjo Bobinac:" I am taking over the baton from Janez Živko who will spend less time in Velenje due to his business duties. Gorenje invests much in sport, particularly in the handball and we have joined our forces to be even better and stronger. Gorenje is a winner in its branch and naturally we want it also to be a winner in the sport."
Dr. Milan Medved, Management Board president of the coalmine Premogovnik Velenje, and the former club's president Mr. Janez Živko were elected as vice presidents of the club. Mr. Janez Živko: "My mandate as the president of the club ends with the meeting of the management committee however as a vice president I will remain engaged in the club together with Mr. Milan Medved. The new management of the club is ambitious, it has élan and I am convinced that the club will achieve good results even in the future." The management board members of the club are also Mr. Branko Apat and Mr. Uroš Marolt, Gorenje Management Board Members, Ms. Hilda Tovšak, president and CEO of the company Vegrad, Mr. Simon Kumer, representative of Gorenje’s Business Network Abroad, Mr. Tomaž Ročnik, director of the company Toming Consulting, Mr. Uroš Meža, director of the company Birt and Bruno Zagode, director of the company Smreka.
The club newcomers and ambitions for the next season were also presented on the press conference. The team of the Handball Club Gorenje encountered some major changes before the start of this year’s season as several players left the team. Thus, Thomas Gautschi, Tomas Rezniček, Morten Seier, Alen Blaževič, Pavel Baškin, Primož Prošt, Drago Vukovič and Luka Dobelšek as well as Branko Tamše who ended his career and became a trainer assistant are not playing for Gorenje any more are
The newcomers to the team are Momir Rnič, Sergo Datukašvili, Aljoša Štefanič, Marko Bezjak, Yuri Gromyko, Ivan Gajič, Ivan Čupič, Emir Taletovič and Radoslav Stojanovik.
Gorenje’s team ambitions have always been high but this year it publicly announced it is going for the first place in the national championship as this is the condition for Champions League. The major rivals for the first place are already known; besides the clubs Celje and Koper there is also Trimo.
Mr. Ivica Orban, trainer of the Handball Club Gorenje:” By no doubt we will probably lose a game or two, however we strive for the first place in Slovenia. Our play will be a combative and fast team play. Even if we make some mistake because of the nature of the play, we want to keep the adversary in pressing. We have brought many top players in the team; regarding the player selection we have an excellent team with two or three players on each position. Whetted as knives we are awaiting the season, we are ready to leave our hearts on the court and I am convinced that if there are no injuries that we will not be disappointed.”
Mr. Franjo Bobinac: ”I would like to stress that in future we will build the team with home players. Six younger sections with 140 players and the Handball School Gorenje with 180 players represent good basis for this. The educational aspect and the upbringing of the young players into all-round, mature and healthy personalities who will have ambitious goals after the end of carrier should not be forgotten.” On the matter of business management of the club he said: “The financial consolidation of the club continues; a fierce battle for finding sponsors and business partners awaits us, but we are convinced we will be able to thrill them with our story. As we want to make one step further, a new director of the club was named. Mr. Stane Ostrelič will assume the function of the director till the end of September. The former club director Mr. Sandi Vasle remains in the club and will work in the club’s business part as we want to reach the financial stability also with the good management of the brands Hummel, DeRoyal and Dip`n`Grip for which we hold exclusive representation in Slovenia. We want to upgrade the platform for all operations of the Handball Club Gorenje.”