Dumitru Popescu-Colibași
Olimpiu-Dumitru Popescu-Colibași (16 March 1912 – 2 March 1993), nicknamed Tata Pik, was a Romanian handball manager, rugby union player and author of books on sports. He had pioneered handball in the city of Brașov. Popescu-Colibași graduated from the A.N.E.F. in 1937. He helped develop many leading handball players during decades: including Anna Stark, Maria Scheip, Mara Windt, Gerlinde Reip, Edeltraut Franz-Sauer, Iuliana Nako, and Rodica Floroianu.[1]
| Dumitru Popescu-Colibași | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 | |||
| Personal information | |||
| Full name | Olimpiu-Dumitru Popescu-Colibași | ||
| Born |
16 March 1912 Afumați, Romania | ||
| Died |
2 March 1993 (aged 80) Brașov, Romania | ||
| Nationality | Romanian | ||
| Teams managed | |||
| Progresul Brașov | |||
| Tractorul Brașov | |||
| Rulmentul Brașov | |||
As a rugby player, he won the national championship with TCR. In 1934, Popescu-Colibași and the Romania national rugby team appeared against Italy. He was a starter.[2]
Other honours followed his death: he is the namesake of the multi-purpose, 1,700-seat Dumitru Popescu Colibași Sports Hall in Brașov.
Biography
His father Stan Popescu, a school teacher, was the son of poor peasant farmers from Colibași commune. He had been killed in 1916 during World War I. Popescu-Colibași was raised by his grandfather in Dudești. His mother worked as a civil servant at the court of cassation in Bucharest. Popescu-Colibași attended the high school in the Romanian capital living in the family of Mihail Sadoveanu with whom he was a relative. He married Ivonna Demetrian in 1944, an employee of the Romanian Radio Broadcasting Company.
Achievements
Handball 11s
- Progresul Brașov
- Liga Națională:
- Winner: 1956
- Silver Medalist: 1954
- Bronze Medalist: 1955, 1957