Gheorghe Gruia started out as a versatile athlete, a successful junior in javelin and triple jump and playing volleyball in the Romanian league. At 21, he decided to dedicate himself to handball, starting at Steaua București. With that side, he would win eight national titles between 1963 and 1973. By 1964, Gruia had made it into the national team, barely 2½ years after properly starting to play handball. That same year, Romania beat Sweden 25-22 to retain the World title it had won in 1961. The Romanians, and Gruia, would again medal in 1967 (bronze) and 1970 (gold). When handball made its début at the 1972 Olympics (outdoor handball had been played in 1936), Gruia was one of the experienced players on the team, which went on to earn a bronze medal. Retiring in 1973, Gruia became a trainer at the Military Academy. He accepted a role as technical director for the Mexican handball team in 1978. He lived in Mexico since that time, later working as a sports director for the Televisa network and as a professor at UNAM.
Romania