Lajos Simó

Born in Romania in 1943, Lajos Simó left the country only a few years later with his family due to the Soviet occupation. Simó’s father, a reserve solider who worked in a hospital, was forced to move the entire family out of Romania on a horse-drawn carriage. By 1948 the family was settled in Hungary, with Simó becoming a fine sportsman at school, including being the county champion in the javelin throw, before being introduced to handball. He continued to play the sport whilst studying at university, graduating in 1962, and was selected to represent the Hungarian national team in 1964.

Simó played his first match for the Hungarian team that year in a tournament in Gdańsk, Poland, which included a victory against Romania. Now a regular in the national team, he represented Hungary at the World Championships in 1967, 1970, and 1974, finishing seventh in the latter. His performances also earned him the accolade of being named the Hungarian Handballer of the Year on three occasions (1968, 1970, 1973). In 1972 Simó was part of the squad that competed in the handball tournament at the München Olympics, playing in all six matches.

Domestically Simó played for Tatabányai SC from 1967 to 1978, winning the Hungarian People’s Republic Cup in 1969. After retiring in 1978 he then spent a few years working in Libya before returning to Hungary to work as a coach at Tatabányai, managing the senior team, followed by a stint with the youth team. From 1987 to 1991 Simó then worked in Dubai as a coach, before returning home to Hungary, where he retired.