The French Left Back performed great in 2007, being elected the Best Left Back of the World Championships 2007 in Germany and the Handball Player of the Year 2007 in the same country. On the club level, he gained with THW Kiel every competition they were involved in: Champions League, Bundesliga and German Club.
And now it came from you, dear fans, the best reward that an athlete can get. 45,80 % from you voted for Niko and made him let far behind him Michael Knudsen (Denmark, 11,2%), Michael Kraus (Germany, 10,5%), Hennig Fritz (Germany, 8,4%), Mariusz Jurasik (Poland, 7,5%), Eduard Kokscharow (Russia, 6, 80%) and Marcin Lijewski (Poland, 5,70%). Other players got 4, 10%.
Otherwise, Gro Hammerseng (Norway) won the women´s voting, with 35, 90%, followed by Anita Görbicz (Hungary, 25, 30%), Grit Jurack (Germany, 17%), Marcelina Kiala (Angola, 9,20 %), Valerie Nicolas (France, 6,10 % ), Ionela Galca-Stanca (Romania, 3,40 %), Seong-Ok Oh (South Korea, 1,10 % ), Polina Vyakhireva (Russia, 0,90 % ) and
Yana Uskova (Russia, 0,70 %). Other players got 0,40%.
All the previous World Handball Players
1988 Veselin Vujovic (YUG)
1989 Jae-Won Kang (KOR)
1990 Magnus Wislander (SWE)
1991-1993 no vote
1994 Talant Duishebaev (RUS)
1995 Jackson Richardson (FRA)
1996 Talant Duishebaev (ESP)
1997 Stéphane Stoecklin (FRA)
1998 Daniel Stephan (GER)
1999 Rafael Guijosa (ESP)
2000 Dragan Skrbic (YUG)
2001 Kyung-Shin Yoon (KOR)
2002 Bertrand Gille (FRA)
2003 Ivano Balic (CRO)
2004 Henning Fritz (GER)
2005 Arpad Sterbik (SCG)
2006 Ivano Balic (CRO)
2007 Nikola Karabatic (FRA)
Source: www.handball-world.com
