Josip Pavić is a former professional water polo player who, after 19 years of a successful sports career, continued his career path in the Ministry of Tourism and Sports.
Born in Split, where he graduated from the Faculty of Economics, he began his professional sports career at the Jadran Water Polo Club in Split. He continued his career path as the Team Captian at the Croatian men’s national water polo team, for which he played for six years, and where he won the gold medal at the World Championships in 2005, 2010, and 2011. At the same time, he was a Team Captain of the Greek Olympiacos, for which he achieved many professional successes. In 2013, he became the president of the Athletes’ Commission of the Croatian Olympic Committee and a member of the Council of the COC. He won an award from the Večernji list for the Best water polo player in 2005, 2011, and 2012, as well as The best athlete of the City of Zagreb award in 2012. In addition to his awards and achievements, his native land awarded him the Order of Danica Hrvatska with the face of Franjo Bučar, as well as the Order of the Croatian Interlace and the Franjo Bučar State award for sport. He attended the Olympic Games in London in 2012, where he won a golden medal, as well as in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, where he won a silver medal and had the honor of carrying the Croatian flag at the opening ceremony of the Games. He continued his long-standing love for sports as a Special Advisor to the Minister of Tourism and Sports from 2020 to 2022, from where he began to hold the position of State Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, which he still holds today.
He speaks English, Greek, Italian, and French and is an active participant and inicator of many humanitarian campaigns. He actively participates in various humanitarian projects, especially the ones with children with special needs, and is an ambassador of the European Sports Week. He often participates in the promotion of international projects for the development of sports as well.
