István Pásztor (born 5 June 1971 in Cegléd) is a Hungarian handball player.
Career
Club From 1993 to 2008 he played for KC Veszprém, one of the most successful Hungarian clubs. During this period, he won twelve Hungarian Championship and eleven Hungarian Cup titles. He appeared in three continental cup finals. After being defeated by CD Bidasoa in the EHF Cup Winners' Cup finals in 1997, and losing by a three-goal aggregate difference against SC Magdeburg in the EHF Champions League five years later, he finally won the EHF Cup Winners' Cup in 2008. A few months later, in the summer of 2008, he moved to Balatonfüredi KSE.
International He is a former Hungarian international, who has been capped 215 times. He participated on three World Championships (1993, 1997, 2003) and four European Championships (1994, 1996, 1998, 2004). He also competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics, where the Hungarian team placed fourth.
He played for the World Selection in 2005 against Russia, and helped the team of international stars with four goals to win the match 37–33. His national team mate János Szathmári also played for the team, that was coached by Sead Hasanefendić and Péter Kovács.
Motorcycle accident On 29 September 2010, Pásztor was involved in a traffic accident while riding a motorcycle that resulted in the death of an 80-year-old pedestrian. Legal proceedings followed, with initial sentencing and subsequent appeals.
The appellate court upheld the verdict on 28 November 2011. Pásztor was banned from driving for five years and required to pay court costs.
Achievements Nemzeti Bajnokság I: Winner: 1994, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008 Magyar Kupa: Winner: 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007 EHF Champions League: Finalist: 2002 EHF Cup Winners' Cup: Winner: 2008 Finalist: 1997 EHF Champions Trophy: Finalist: 2002, 2008
Individual awards Hungarian Handballer of the Year: 1996, 1999, 2001
References