Inger Smits

Inger Smits (born 17 September 1994) is a Dutch handball player for Romanian club CSM București and the Dutch national team.^[1][2][3][4]

Inger Smits
Inger Smits (right) in a 2021 Handball-Bundesliga game
Personal information
Born	(1994-09-17) 17 September 1994 (age 30) Geleen, Netherlands
Nationality	Dutch
Height	1.79 m (5 ft 10 in)
Playing position	Centre back
Club information
Current club	CSM București
Number	10
Senior clubs
Years	Team
0000-2011	V&L
2011–2013	HandbaL Venlo
2013–2015	SV Dalfsen Handbal
2015–2017	VfL Oldenburg
2017–2019	TTH Holstebro
2019–2021	Borussia Dortmund
2021–2024	SG BBM Bietigheim
2024–	CSM București
National team 1
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2013–	Netherlands	107	(178)
Medal record World Championship 2019 Japan European Championship 2018 France
1 National team caps and goals correct as of 1 November 2024

She was a part the Netherlands team that won the 2019 World Women's Handball Championship; the first title in the country's history.^[5][6]

Career

Smits started playing handball at her hometown club V&L. In 2011 she joined HandbaL Venlo, where she played for two years before moving to SV Dalfsen.^[7] Here she won the Dutch championship in 2014 and 2015 and the Dutch cup and Supercup in 2015.^[8]

In 2015 she joined VfL Oldenburg.^[9] Two years later she joined Danish side Team Tvis Holstebro.^[10] Two years later she returned to Germany when she joined Borussia Dortmund.^[11] Here she won the German championship in 2021.

In the summer of 2021 she joined league rivals SG BBM Bietigheim.^[12] Here she won the 2021, 2022 and 2023 DHB-Supercup, the 2022, 2023 and 2024 German championship, the 2022 European League and the 2023 DHB-Pokal.

In 2024 she joined Romanian CSM București.^[13]

National team

Smits played 37 games for the Dutch youth team.^[9]

At the 2018 European Championship she won bronze medals, although she only played in the last match, the third place playoff.^[14]

At the 2019 World Championship in Japan she won gold medals with the dutch team, beating Spain in the final 30:29^[15] She was however injured during the first round and was replaced by Delaila Amega.^[16][17]

At the 2020 Olympics she also represented the Dutch team.^[18]

At the 2023 World Championship she and the Netherlands finished 5th. She scored 8 goals during the tournament.^[19]

Private life

Her father Gino Smits [nl] and mother Cecile Leenen were also handball players. ^[7] Her brothers Kay and Jorn are also international handball players.^[20]

Achievements

• EHF European League:
  • Winner: 2022
• German Bundesliga:
  • Winner: 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
• DHB Supercup:
  • Winner: 2021, 2022, 2023
• DHB-Pokal:
  • Winner: 2022, 2023
• Dutch Eredivisie
  • Winner: 2014, 2015
• NHV Cup
  • Winner: 2014, 2015
• Dutch Supercup
  • Winner: 2014, 2015