Florin Balaban (born 16 August 1968) is a Romanian cartoonist, illustrator and former badminton player. He is the first Romanian badminton player to compete in the Olympic Games.[1]
Florin Balaban | |
|---|---|
 Balaban in 2008 | |
| Born | 16 August 1968 Nicorești, Romania |
| Citizenship |
|
| Alma mater | Transylvania University of Braşov |
| Occupation(s) | Cartoonist, illustrator |
| Badminton career | |
| Country | Romania |
| Years active | 1990–1995 |
| Handedness | Right |
| Career record | 16 wins, 29 losses |
Career
editBadminton
editBalaban first started his career in badminton in the 1990s. He won the national championship in men's singles two consecutive times in 1990 and 1991. He also competed in the Romanian International in 1991 where he lost in the final to Tamás Gebhard of Hungary.[2]
In 1992, Balaban won the national men's doubles title with his partner Florentin Banu. In that same year, he competed in the men's singles tournament at the 1992 Summer Olympics. He lost in the first round to Anil Kaul of Canada.[3]
Career in art
editAfter Balaban retired from badminton, he started a new career in art as a cartoonist and a painter. He also moved to Luxembourg to pursue his career in art and has worked as an illustrator for Luxemburger Wort.[4] In 2002, he was awarded the Premio Internationale Satira Politica in Forte dei Marmi, Italy.[5]
He also founded the Caricature and Cartoon Museum in Vianden and organizes the Vianden International Caricature and Cartoon Show.[6][7]
Achievements
editIBF International
editMen's singles
| Year | Tournament | Opponent | Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Romanian International |  Tamás Gebhard
|
5–15, 5–15 |  Runner-up
|
Awards and accolades
editPremio Internationale Satira Politica Forte dei Marmi
edit- 2002
World Press Cartoon
edit- 2008 – Honorable mention
- 2009 – 3rd place
References
edit- ^ "Florin BALABAN Biography, Olympic Medals, Records and Age". Olympics. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
- ^ "BWF - Romanian International 1991 I - General". bwf.tournamentsoftware.com. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
- ^ "Florin Balaban". Olympedia. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
- ^ "Florin Balaban - the man behind the caricatures". luxembourg-times-online. 14 October 2023. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
- ^ "FLORIN BALABAN - Cartooning for Peace" (in French). 6 April 2017. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
- ^ "gag cartoon". The amazing world of cartoons and cartoonists. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
- ^ "Luxemburg – small country with a heart for cartoons". The amazing world of cartoons and cartoonists. 6 May 2012. Retrieved 14 October 2023.
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