Marian Cozma
Marian Cozma | |||||||||||||||||
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Personal information | |||||||||||||||||
Full name | Marian Cozma | ||||||||||||||||
Born |
Tei, Bucharest, Romania | 8 September 1982||||||||||||||||
Died |
8 February 2009 Veszprém, Hungary | (aged 26)||||||||||||||||
Nationality | Romanian | ||||||||||||||||
Height | 2.11 m (6 ft 11 in) | ||||||||||||||||
Playing position | Pivot | ||||||||||||||||
Club information | |||||||||||||||||
Current club | — | ||||||||||||||||
Senior clubs | |||||||||||||||||
Years | Team | ||||||||||||||||
2002–2006 |
Dinamo București | ||||||||||||||||
2006–2009 |
KC Veszprém | ||||||||||||||||
National team | |||||||||||||||||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | ||||||||||||||
2002–2009 | Romania | 60 | (115) | ||||||||||||||
Medal record
|
Marian Cozma (8 September 1982 – 8 February 2009) was a
Career
Cozma began his handball career in HC Dinamo București. His father, Petre was also a handball player, and he guided his son to the sport.
He played in the Dinamo first squad from 2002 to 2006 and won the Romanian championship with the club in the 2004–2005 season.
During his time at Dinamo, Cozma was once attacked and stabbed near his house by a group of fanatic supporters of a rival team. "They asked me if I'm Cozma from Dinamo and then one of them stabbed me in the back", he said. He got an 8 centimeters long and 3 centimeters deep wound near the spine, but he recovered and was back on the playing field shortly afterwards.
In 2006, he was transferred to
At the time of his death, Cozma was allegedly in talks with several major handball clubs in Spain, including FC Barcelona.[1] A few days before his death, he resigned from further participation in the Romanian national team after not getting enough opportunity to play on the 2009 World Men's Handball Championship from the federal captain, and it was mentioned that he might apply for Hungarian citizenship and play for Hungary in the future.[2]
Death
Cozma died on 8 February 2009 after a stabbing attack that happened in a bar in Veszprém, Hungary. The members of KC Veszprém were celebrating the birth of the son of a player and the birthday of another, when they got into an altercation with a gang of 25-30 Romani people. Cozma was stabbed to death, while two other teammates suffered critical injuries. As of 18 February, five people have been arrested in connection with the events.
Legacy
Cozma was loved at Veszprém, on the day of his death a crowd of about 1,000 gathered in front of the town's sports arena for a torchlit vigil that was mirrored in several other towns and cities in across Hungary.[3]
On 10 February 2009 his body has been first taken from the mortuary to the Veszprém sports hall, from where it was subsequently transferred to
The
He was posthumously appointed honorary citizen of Veszprém,[8] and he is also set to be awarded the title of honorary citizen of Bucharest.[4]
He was awarded the title of emeritus master of sports by the Romanian authorities.[4]
The Nicolae Pârâu street where he lived in Bucharest will wear his name.[citation needed]
The City Hall of Bucharest Sector 2 decided to give the "Distinction of honor" to Marian Cozma post-mortem.[9]
It was decided that the sports hall of the school, number 30 "Grigore Ghica Voivode" of Lăptari Tei no. 23 in Sector 2, where he and his father enrolled, will bear the name of Marian Cozma.[9]
Peluza sud of
KC Veszprém played its first match after Cozma's death on 15 February, against
On 24 May, KC Veszprém won the
The handball match between "U" Transilvania and HC Odorheiu Secuiesc in February 2009 was dedicated to his memory.[13]
A movie about the murder, Szíven szúrt ország ("A Country Stabbed in the Heart") premiered on May 7, 2009 in Veszprém.[14]
The friendly football match from 12 August 2009 between Hungary and Romania was dedicated to his memory.[15] Journalists nationals of Hungary and Romania, along with other guests from both countries have also organized a friendly match before the senior teams, a match against violence and in memory of Marian Cozma.[16]
On 6 February 2010 a statue of Cozma was unveiled at the Veszprém Aréna in Veszprém, from money donated by the Hungarian public.
In 2022 in an act of unprecedented sportsmanship the guest sector of Pick Aréna, home of SC Pick Szeged, Veszprém's arch rivals was named after Marian Cozma.
References
- ^ "Romanian handball international Cozma murdered". onlinesportson.net. 2009-02-08. Retrieved 2009-02-20.
- ^ "Marian Cozma magyar válogatott lehet" (in Hungarian). index.hu. 2009-02-04. Retrieved 2009-02-20.
- ^ "Shock after murder of international handball star – Summary". The Earth Times. 2009-02-08. Retrieved 2009-02-20.
- ^ a b c "Marian Cozma's body repatriated". Nine O'Clock. 2009-02-11. Retrieved 2009-02-20.
- ^ "Tears and pain at Marian Cozma's funeral". Nine O'Clock. 2009-02-16. Retrieved 2009-02-20.
- ^ Ciutescu, Ovidiu (2009-02-10). "Marian Cozma dă numele Centrului Olimpic Sighişoara" (in Romanian). bucharestherald.com. Archived from the original on 2016-01-27. Retrieved 2009-02-20.
- ^ Ciocoiu, Paul (2009-02-13). "Romanian handball player laid to rest". Southeast European Times. Retrieved 2009-02-20.
- ^ ""We will always love you," tens of thousands tell Marian Cozma upon return". bucharestherald.com. 2009-02-11. Archived from the original on May 15, 2010. Retrieved 2009-02-20.
- ^ ps2.ro. 2009-02-13. Archived from the originalon 2009-02-13. Retrieved 2009-02-20.
- ^ "Groapa plângerii. Peluza sud a stadionului Dinamo va purta numele Marian Cozma" (in Romanian). Antena3 Sport. 2009-02-13. Archived from the original on February 14, 2009. Retrieved 2009-02-20.
- ^ Nemcsik, Balázs (2009-02-15). "Veszprém overcome tragedy". Retrieved 2009-02-20.
- ^ "Megvédte bajnoki címét az MKB Veszprém a Budapest Bank férfi kézilabda ligában" (in Hungarian). MTI. 2009-05-24. Archived from the original on 2015-09-24. Retrieved 2009-05-25.
- ^ "Meci in memoria lui Marian Cozma" (in Romanian). citynews. 10 February 2009. Archived from the original on 16 February 2012. Retrieved 10 February 2009.
- ^ "Szíven szúrt ország". imdb.com.
- ^ "Meci Ungaria – România, în memoria lui Marian Cozma" (in Romanian). ziarultop. 12 August 2009. Retrieved 12 August 2009. [dead link]
- ^ "Meci împotriva violenţei şi în memoria lui Marian Cozma între jurnaliştii români şi maghiari" (in Romanian). mediafax. 12 August 2009. Retrieved 12 August 2009.