On May 19, 2002, Kometal Gjorche Petrov wrote one of the brightest chapters in Macedonian sports history by winning the women’s handball Champions League and becoming European champion. In the second leg of the final, played in a packed “Kale” hall in Skopje, the Macedonian side defeated Hungary’s Ferencváros 26-22, overturning the 27-25 loss from the first match in Hungary and securing the historic trophy on aggregate.
The victory placed Macedonian handball at the very top of Europe and turned Kometal Gjorche Petrov into a symbol of persistence, quality and dominance in women’s handball. The team was led by major names such as Gordana Naceva and Indira Kastratović, while the legendary squad also included Dinu, Kalinichenko, Platon, Velkova, Buyanova, Chupić, Budimir, Kiseljova, Andrushenko, Malakhova, Ploshnicka, Boeva and Zlatanovska.
The triumph created a moment of national sporting euphoria, with Macedonia celebrating one of its greatest club achievements. Kometal Gjorche Petrov remains the only Macedonian women’s team to have won the Champions League trophy. Although WHC Vardar later built a star-studded team and reached the top levels of European handball, it never managed to win this title.
Twenty-four years later, the 2002 success remains a historic milestone not only for the club, but for Macedonian sport as a whole. It stands as proof that a team from a small country, built on talent, work and strong collective spirit, could rise to the European summit and leave a lasting mark on international handball.
