Member Associations | 12 Jan 2022
Higly respected coach Zlatko NOVAKOVIC passes away
Born in Zagreb on Wednesday 19th September 1945, Zlatko Novakovic passed away on Monday 10th January; he was 77 years old, in 2020 he was diagnosed with brain cancer.
He was the head coach of “Mladost” Zagreb for many years during the time when the club dominated matters in the country formerly known as Yugoslavia.
Most notably he was the coach of Jasna Rather, the former Jasna Fazlic, women’s doubles bronze medallist partnering Gordana Perkucin at the Seoul 1988 Olympic Games.
"Zlatko was my coach at Mladost during the most important years of my development. He created a healthy training environment in the club. He was strict but in a very kind way that is rarely seen in table tennis circles. As a human being and with his ethics, there was no match. He was a father figure to many, a great friend, psychologist, and extraordinary coach."
Likewise, Zoran Primorac paid tribute.
“Zlatko was my coach in the national team, a real gentleman! He was always modest, never putting himself in the spotlight; his calmness, wisdom and mental strength helped me a lot during my career”, reflected Zoran Primorac. “A great pedagogue, he knew the human psyche and had a very good relationship with the players. He was a great coach and friend. I will miss him a great deal.”
Later he was the coach in the German Bundesliga at Bayreuth and Ochenhausen; more recently he spent 10 years coaching at the Aspire Academy in Doha.
He leaves behind Amela, his wife, the sister of Jasna Rather whom he married on on Saturday 5th January 1991 and two daughters, Asja and Katja.
