KRAGELNIK Davorin – SLO (PVE)
Davorin Kragelnik started his involvement in sitting volleyball at the Centre for Disabled Youth in Kamnik, Slovenia.
In 1981 he was selected for the Yugoslavian national volleyball team and took part in the World Championships in Germany. After returning from the World Championships a sitting volleyball team was founded on his initiative, at the club ISD Samorastnik. From 1985 to 1990 he was captain of the national team of Yugoslavia, and from 1991 to 2001 captain of the Slovenian national team.
He participated in two Paralympic games (1984 and 1988), in six World Championships and won 2 medals: silver in Kristiansand 1985 and bronze in Assen, 1990. He participated in 7 European championships and won 3 medals: 1983, bronze in Budapest, 1985 silver in Kristiansand and silver in Sarajevo 1987.
Besides being a player, Davorin participated in the organizing committee of several big sitting volleyball events on the World level: World Championships for women in Kamnik 2002 (Secretary general) and the First Youth World championships in Kamnik 2005 (Chair of communication).
He also acted as a referee at several international and national sitting volleyball club tournaments.
The people who had the greatest influence on his development were Rajko Vute, who introduced him to sitting volleyball, Peter Ozmec who established the sport club in Ravne with a section for sitting volleyball and international coach Adi Urnaut.
Event involvement:
For Yugoslavia:
1981 Bonn, Germany – World Games for Disabled – 5th place
1982 Delden, The Netherlands – World championships – 4th place
1983 Budapest, Hungary – European Championships – Bronze Medal
1984 New York, USA – Paralympic Games – 5th place
1985 Kristiansand, Norway – World Championships Kristiansand – Silver Medal
1985 Kristiansand, Norway – European Championships – Silver Medal
1986 Pécs , Hungary – World Championships – 4th place
1987 Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina – European Championships – Silver Medal
1988 Seoul, Korea – Paralympic Games – 4th place
1989 Slovenia – National Championships of Yugoslavian Republics – Gold Medal
1990 Assen, The Netherlands – World Championships – Bronze Medal
For Slovenia:
1992 Ravne , Slovenia – EuroCup – Club ISD Samorastnik – 5th place
1993 Järvenpää, Finland – European Championship – 6th place
1993 Rosendaal, The Netherlands – Eurocup – 6th place
1994 Bottrop, Germany – World Championships – 7th place
1994 Lappeenranta, Finland – Eurocup – 6th place
1995 Ljubljana, Slovenia – European Championships – 7th place
1995 Roermond, The Netherlands – EuroCup – Club ISD Samorastnik – 6th place
1996 Kristiansand, Norway – EuroCup -7th place
1997 Tallinn, Estonia – European Championships – 9 th place
1997 Hajdúszoboszló, Hungary – EuroCup – 9th place
1998 Tehran, Iran – World Championhips – 10th place – Individual award: The most compete player, Member of World “Dream” team
1998 Osijek, Croatia – EuroCup – 7th place – Best Setter
1999 Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina – European Championships
1999 Enschede, The Netherlands – EuroCup – 9th place – Best Setter
2001 Sarospatak, Hungary – European Championships – 8th place
Awards received:
2001 Award of the Slovenian Association for Disabled Sports at the end of his sport career
2019 The award of the Municipality of Ravne na Koroškem for work in sport for the disabled
Official posts held:
Member of Executive Board and other bodies of ISD Samorastnik Ravne from 1981
After his retirement from playing, Davorin Kragelnik was very active in working to provide equal rights for athletes with physical impairments. He motivated many young people to join sitting volleyball teams and contributed to the development of sitting volleyball in Slovenia and neighbouring (ex-Yugoslavian) countries.