Anja Andersen
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born |
February 15, 1969 Odense, Denmark |
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| Nationality | Danish | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Back | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Current club | - | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior clubs | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1986-1987 1987-1988 1989 1989–1993 1993–1996 1996–1999 |
 Stjernen IF Vejle Allested ASH 72 IF Jarl Arden Aalborg KFUM Ikast FS Viborg HK Bækkelaget TuS Walle Bremen Bækkelaget
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| National team 1 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1989–1999 | Denmark |
133 (726) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Teams managed | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2000–2008 2006 2008–2010 2011 |
Slagelse DT Serbia & Montenegro FCK Handball Oltchim Vâlcea
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Medal record
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1 National team caps and goals correct as of 3 February 2011 |
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Anja Andersen (born February 15, 1969 in Odense, Denmark) is a female former handball player and currently coach.
Anja Andersen is known for both her skills as an offensive player, her strong temper and courage to make dramatic scenes and daring tricks during a match. She was an important part of the renaissance in Danish handball during the 1990s. Her strong temper and impressive skills afforded everybody an opinion and after the first gold medal at the European championship in 1994 the national team affectionately earned the nickname "the iron ladies" and status of national sports heroes.
Although the national handball team of the 1990s had many profiles it is undisputed that Anja Andersen was the most prolific and controversial. Although nobody questioned her skills, her temper, causing numerous expulsions from high-profile matches, was an issue of some debate. At the 1996 Olympics the coach, Ulrik Wilbek, briefly banned her from the team due to disputes of playing style and behavior on the floor. She has played 133 matches for the Danish national handball team for women and has scored 726 goals.
It was also Anja Andersen who introduced handball to true showmanship. Greatly influenced by basketball and notably the Harlem Globetrotters she invented a playing style aimed at the audience rather than the opposing team. After her retirement as an active player she organized a "dream team" of the best female handball players in 2000 and 2001 which played a selected Danish team. The "dream team" matches was a success but they stopped when Anja Andersen could no longer play actively herself.
Because of a heart defect, Andersen stopped her player career in 1999.
Anja Andersen immediately started coaching the Danish Women's Handball League club Slagelse. She first helped the team reach the top league and later on win the Champions League three times, in 2003/04, 2004/05 and 2006/07. In 2006 she also coached the national team of Serbia.
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