Miro Steržaj

Miro Steržaj (full name Miroslav Steržaj, 28 February 1933 – 8 November 2020) was a Slovene 9 pin bowling player and politician.

Miro Steržaj

Miro Steržaj
Personal information
Nationality	Slovenian
Born	(1933-02-28)February 28, 1933 Rakek, Slovenia
Died	(2020-11-08)November 8, 2020 Murska Sobota, Slovenia
Height	186 cm (6 ft 1 in)
Sport
Country	Yugoslavia (134 caps) SR Slovenia (34 caps)
Sport	9-pins
Club	KK Ljutomer (1950-1962) KK Branik (1962-1978) KK Radenska (1978-2019)
Achievements and titles
Personal bests	200: 1120 (Ljubljana 1973) 120: 570 (Radenci 2004)
Medal record Men's 9-pins Representing Yugoslavia Event 1st 2nd 3rd World Championships 4 3 5 European Championships 3 2 0 Total 7 5 5 World Championships 1957 Vienna Team 1959 Bautzen Team 1968 Linz Individual 1976 Vienna Team 1968 Linz Doubles 1974 Eppelheim Doubles 1976 Vienna Doubles 1966 Bucharest Team 1972 Split Team 1974 Eppelheim Team 1980 Mangalia Team 1984 Ljubljana Team European Championships 1964 Budapest Individual 1964 Budapest Doubles 1964 Budapest Team 1958 Munich Team 1960 Zagreb Team Event 1st 2nd 3rd Yugoslav Championships 13 7 5 Slovenian Championships 25 17 9 Total National Championships 38 24 14 Yugoslav Championships 1964 Individual 1965 Individual 1965 Doubles 1966 Individual 1966 Doubles 1967 Doubles 1968 Individual 1968 Doubles 1971 Individual 1974 Doubles 1976 Individual 1978 Doubles 1981 Individual 1963 Individual 1967 Individual 1970 Individual 1972 Individual 1974 Individual 1975 Individual 1980 Individual 1961 Individual 1971 Doubles 1978 Individual 1979 Individual 1982 Doubles Slovenian Championships 1960 Individual 1961 Individual 1962 Individual 1963 Individual 1964 Team 1965 Doubles 1966 Doubles 1968 Individual 1970 Individual 1970 Doubles 1971 Individual 1971 Doubles 1972 Individual 1973 Individual 1973 Doubles 1974 Individual 1974 Doubles 1978 Individual 1978 Doubles 1980 Individual 1980 Doubles 1981 Doubles 1982 Individual 1983 Team 1984 Doubles 1964 Individual 1965 Individual 1965 Team 1966 Individual 1967 Doubles 1967 Team 1968 Doubles 1969 Team 1970 Team 1975 Doubles 1977 Doubles 1979 Team 1982 Doubles 1982 Team 1983 Individual 1983 Doubles 1962 Team 1966 Team 1967 Individual 1968 Team 1972 Team 1973 Team 1976 Team 1979 Individual 1986 Team

Biography

He was born in Rakek, Municipality of Cerknica, but moved to Ljutomer when he was 17 years old.

From 1950 to 1962 he played for KK Ljutomer, where he won his first individual Slovenian championship in 1960. In 1962 he moved to KK Branik in Maribor. In 1964 he became absolute European champion, winning in the individual, doubles and team events, while setting a new world record. In 1968 he became World champion with another world record in the individual category, adding to what would eventually become 4 World championship titles (3 with team in 1957, 1959 and 1976). He came second in doubles in 1968 (with Jože Turk), 1974 and 1976 (with Nikola Dragaš). He was part of the Yugoslav national team for 30 years, becoming their most capped player with 134 caps, which is a record for Slovenian players that stands until today. He won a record 7 individual national Yugoslavian titles (tied with Nikola Dragaš), a record 13 individual national Slovenian titles and a record 10 Slovenian national doubles titles, making him the statistically best Slovene nine-pin bowler of all time.

In 1955 he began to work at Mlekopromet, a cheese producing dairy in Ljutomer. He was sales manager for 12 years, after which he was appointed director. In 1993 he retired from his post. After his retirement he became secretary of the Economic association of milk production (GIZ mlekarstva). In 2003 he retired from the association and work completely. For his success in business, he received the award of Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia in 1981.

He served three terms as vice-mayor, and from 1988 to 1992 as mayor of Ljutomer. He served as a member of the 1st Slovenian National Council.

He was named honorary citizen of Ljutomer in 2003. He received the Bloudek award for his sport achievements in 1968. Despite never being named Slovenian Sportsman of the Year outright, he got honoured as Slovenian Sportsman of the decade 1968–1978, awarded for the decade following the first Sportsman of the Year award ceremony. In 2012 he was inducted into the Slovenian Athletes Hall of Fame.

He died in November 2020, aged 87, from COVID-19 and thrombosis during the COVID-19 pandemic in Slovenia.

References

• [1]
• [2]
• [3]
• Slovenski veliki leksikon, Mladinska knjiga (2003)