Gintaras Savukynas


Gintaras Savukynas is a professional Lithuanian handball player, who played in center back position. Savukynas with Lithuania National Handball team played in World and European championship, as well been Lithuania Handball team captain. In 2005, he officially announced about career ending. After ending career he became assistant coach for the Lithuania national handball team, later was becoming a head of the national handball team for six years.

Biography

Gintaras Savukynas started his career in Kauno Granitas and played there for long period of time. During that period won Lithuanian Handball League six times and Lithuania Handball Cup five times. In 1996, he was loaned out to Polish top division team GKS Wybrzeze Gdansk. The same year he moved to play Norway for HC Kristiansand IF.
After the successful season in Norway and 1997 World Handball Championship in Japan, Savukynas underwent a knee surgery and finished the recovery season with Kauno Granitas, once again winning Lithuania Handball League. In 1994 and 1998, Savukynas was selected as the MVP of the Lithuania Handball League.
After the 1998 season and successful 1998 European Handball Championship in Italy, Savukynas transferred to UMFA Afturelding in Iceland. In 1999, with UMFA Afturelding he won every possible title in Iceland – Champions Cup, Iceland Handball Cup, Iceland Handball League. In 2000, Savukynas was selected as the best offensive player of Iceland Handball league. In 2001, Savukynas moved to play in Switzerland for top division team TV Zoffingen. During that period, Savukynas was one of the top scorers in the league.
In 2002, Savukynas went back to play in Lithuania for Vilnius Šviesa. He helped for the first time in clubs history win the bronze medals, Savukynas was selected as the MVP of the Lithuania Handball league one more time. After this season he moved to play in Iceland once again for HC Grotta/KR, where he played until the end of his career.

Coach career

Savukynas become the head coach of HC Viking Malt club in Panevėžys. The team won the Lithuania Handball Cup for the first time in club's history. In the second season they won the Lithuania Handball Cup back to back but lost 2–3 in the Lithuania Handball League final to Kauno Granitas. In the 3rd season, for the first time Savukynas won the Lithuania Handball League for the first time as a head coach. They beat Kauno Granitas to end their 16-year dominance in the league. Savukynas was selected as the head coach of the year after winning the title.
In 2006, he went to coach HC IBV Vestmannaeyjar, who were playing in the second Iceland division. During the first, season Savukynas managed to promote the team back to the top division and was selected as the best head coach in the second division.
In 2009, he became the head coach of the Lithuania national handball team. During all the qualifications the team showed strong character and for 3 times was missing one last step to the World Championship.
In 2010, Savukynas was announced as the head coach of newly emerging super club in Belarus HC Meshkov Brest. In the first season, the club won Belarus handball cup and finished second in the Belarus handball league. During the second season Savukynas managed to achieve EHF Cup quarterfinals, finished second in the Belarus Handball League and played in the Belarus Cup final.
In 2013, he started working in Norway at Bergsøy IL. Where he coordinates all the handball functions and coaches the men team of the club as well. After just one season, Savukynas was promoted to the general manager of handball.

In 2016, he moved to Finland HC Riihimaen Cocks where he stayed for 3 and a half seasons. In the first season, for the first time in the club's history Cocks managed to qualify for the EHF Cup group stage, as well as win the Baltic Handball League, Finnish Handball League and Finland Handball Cup. In the second season, Savukynas repeated the success of the first season, managed to qualify for the EHF Cup group stage, won for the 2nd time Baltic Handball League, Finnish Handball League and Finland Handball Cup. In the 3rd season, Riihimaen Cocks debuted in EHF Champions League and repeated the treble for the 3rd time - Baltic Handball League, Finnish Handball League and Finland Handball Cup. Savukynas was selected as the best coach in Finland twice. During the 4th season, Savukynas played in the EHF Champions league once again and after new year transfers to HC Motor Zaporozhye in Ukraine.
In 2020, he transferred to HC Motor Zaporozhye in Ukraine. The club will play in the EHF Champions League group stage in the 2020/2021 season.

Honours

As a player