Michal Barda

“This was a surreal moment. In the Šabac sports hall, there were about six and half thousand spectators, terrible noise, cigarette smoke so thick that we could barely see our noses. When the match [with Yugoslavian national team] ended, after the sevens, there was …., the spectators were disappointed and before they could set up the podium, they ushered us to the changing room, just in case, so that nobody would get hurt, the atmosphere was getting emotional. And before we went back to the hall to receive the European Cup, we the players started betting among themselves that in three months, in Los Angeles, we will win a medal. At that moment, ten minutes after the match, we were thinking about the Olympics. But then, after three months, we were sitting at home and our rivals, three months later, got Olympic gold in Los Angeles and we were sitting at home on our arses and we couldn't even watch TV because the Olympic broadcasts were not allowed.”

"The worst purges and punishments for those who behaved badly during August [1968] or families who emigrated and then they could not stand it and remain there and they came back after a year or two - those were punished rather harshly. Then the atmosphere changed, that something happens, not to everyone, but it could happen. I think that this caused more damage on the memory, or development of this nation than harsh punishments. Slow turning of the screw and waiting where someone will weaken, who will give up, who will bend their back. This I remember most from that time."

“We practically established handball in Samoa. This part of the world did not have its continental federation because there were not enough countries where handball would be played. At Samoa, we assembled about forty teachers, rugby playes, football players, PE teachers and we held a two-week course there. I was explaining handball for three days and on the third day, we played a match for the public. That was the official opening handball match with the Minister of culture, education and sports, he saw it the first time in his life. After the match, he had a celebratory speech in which he said that his fellow citizens are going to like handball because a plenty of them had already killed a pig by a thrown stone. This way, we established handball in Samoa.”