Dragutin Šurbek, Table Tennis Player
He was born on August 8, 1946, in Zagreb.
He started playing table tennis in Zagreb at the age of ten in the STK Poštar club, and since 1965, he was a member of GSTK Vesnik — Zagreb. By profession, he was a PTT technician.
He started playing for the Yugoslav national team in 1966. In his rich career, he won an incredible 36 medals in singles, doubles, mixed doubles, and team competitions at major tournaments. At world championships, he won 14 trophies — two golds (both in doubles, first with Antun Stipančić and then with Zoran Kalinić), two silvers, and 10 bronzes (three in singles competition). At European championships, he stood on the winner’s podium 22 times (five golds, five silvers, and 12 bronzes).
He was a multiple-time international champion of Yugoslavia, as well as the champion of the Balkans and Scandinavia.
- “If I were to hang all my medals around my neck, I doubt I could bear the weight,” the popular Šurba used to say.
He passed away on July 15, 2018, at the age of 72.
