Aleksandr Kozhukhov
Aleksandr Borisovich Kozhukhov (Russian: Александр Борисович Кожухов; 3 June 1942 – 4 September 2008) was "The USSR Merited Master of Sports", "The Merited Coach of the USSR national handball team", and the "USSR Merited Figure of Physical Culture". He was a Russian, Soviet handball player, who became president of the USSR Handball Federation (1990–1992) and a president for the Handball Union of Russia (1992–2004) before being the Honorary President of the Handball Union of Russia (2004–2008).[1]
Aleksandr Kozhukhov | |||
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Personal information | |||
Full name | Aleksandr Borisovich Kozhukhov | ||
Born |
Shubarkuduk, Aktobe Province, Kazakh SSR, USSR | 3 June 1942||
Died |
4 September 2008 66) Moscow, Russia | (aged||
Height | 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) | ||
Playing position | Playmaker | ||
Senior clubs | |||
Years | Team | ||
1957–1977 | Avangard Lvov | ||
– | SKA Lvov | ||
– | Moscow Aviation Institute | ||
National team | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1967–1977 | USSR | 20 | (30) |
Teams managed | |||
1977–1992 | USSR |
Life and career
Kozhukhov was born in Shubarkuduk village of Aktobe Province of modern Kazakhstan. He started playing handball at the age of fifteen. He started his handball career in 1957 as an amateur player, then he was invited to join Avangard L'vov a second division handball team in the USSR Handball Championship.
Aleksandr stayed for eleven years in Lvov city of modern Ukraine playing for Avangard Lvov and SKA Lvov before he moved to MIA Moscow in 1968 where he started a successful career, winning the USSR Handball Championship for five times.
In 1967 Kozhukhov was called up to the national team when he made his first appearance during the Military Spartakiad of the Friendly Armies of the Socialist Countries and a third-place finish for the USSR. He also participated in the 1970 World Men's Handball Championship in France, finishing ninth, coming third in group stage after Sweden and East Germany before defeating France (25:14), Iceland (19:15) and finally Japan (28:12) in the Placement Round.
Kozhukhov retired in 1977 and became the head coach for the USSR handball national team after being capped for 20 times for his home country and scoring 30 goals.
Aleksandr remained as the USSR handball national team head coach until 1992 even after he was elected by the Congress of the Handball Union of the USSR to be the president of the Union until the dissolution of the USSR. In 1992 the second conference of the Handball Union of Russia was held in Volgograd, and Sasha was elected the first president of the Handball Union of the independat Russian Federation following Vladimir Maksimov the president of the Handball Union of RSFSR. In 1993 Sasha became a member of the Executive Committee of the Russian Olympic Committee, till he finally became the Honorary President of the Handball Union of Russia in 2004.
Kozhukhov died in 2008, mourned by the whole worldwide handball family after he had served handball for a long time with his experience and expertise. Following a successful career as a player and a coach on the national and international handball stage.
On the worldwide range, Aleksandr was not less successful, he became a member of the IHF Commission of Organizing and Competitions in 1980 until 2004 when he was elected as the president of the same committee, before being elected by the IHF Congress to become a member of the IHF Council and of the IHF Executive Committee.
Honours
MIA Moscow
- Champions of the USSR Handball Championship: 1968, 1970, 1972, 1974, 1975
- Runner-Up of the USSR Handball Championship: 1969, 1973, 1976, 1977
USSR
- Champion of the Trade Unions Spartakiade in 1969
- Bronze medal of the Military Spartakiade of Friendly Armies of Socialist Countries in 1967
HUR President
Individual
- Medal "For Distinguished Labour" (Russian: За трудовое отличие)
- Medal "For Labour Valour" (Russian: За трудовую доблесть)
- Order of the Badge of Honor (Russian: Орден "Знак Почета")
- Order of Honour (Russian: Орден "Почета")
- Order For Merit to the Fatherland (4th Class) (Russian: Орден "За заслуги перед Отечеством" - 4 степени)
References
- "Honorary President of the Handball Union of Russia". HUR. Archived from the original on 2007-12-06. Retrieved 2008-12-12.