Dragutin Šurbek, Croatian sport legend

Dragutin Šurbek is one of the true table tennis leading figures who has not only won numerous number of medals in World and European Championships, but who has also been considered one of the most popular players ever all around the world. Dragutin "Drago" Šurbek was public´s favourite wherever he played - his brilliant physical condition and his playing style as well as the unbreakable readiness to fight made his playing a real spectacle.
Šurbek used to play many times in China, "Surbeka", as Chinese called him, was treated as table tennis God and each and the last Chinese village knew him.

When he joined Bundesliga, Germany in his mature age, "Tiger from Zagreb" filled table tennis halls wherever he was playing.
He was born in Zagreb in 1946, and in his long playing career has won even 36 medals in World and European Championships. He was twice the World champion in men doubles, and he won also three bronze medals in singles, was European champion in singles in 1968, and won 5 gold medals in European Championships. He also had 112 victories in great international tournaments, 42 of them victories in singles. Twice he was winner of the Europe Top 12 tournament, 5 times was proclaimed the best sportsman of the year in Croatia.
He remained faithful to table tennis even when he finished his playing career and continued to work as a coach. He is developing his political career now - was elected as a councillor in the Assembly of the City of Zagreb, from 1997 he has been the President of the Zagreb Table Tennis Association.
Dragutin Šurbek can not stop playing table tennis, that is the love of his life. In World Veteran Championships in Zagreb in 1988 he was champion in singles and in doubles with his former team colleague Zlatko Čordaš. He and the Russian Amelin became the most successful veteran couple of all times, he played against him many times in his playing career, they won World Championship in Luzern in 2002, and successfully retained their title in Yokohama in 2004 and Bremen 2006. Šurbek has wone several silver medals in Veteran Championships in singles, as well as medals in European Veteran Championships.