{{short description|Dutch handball player (born 1997)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2024}} {{Infobox handball biography | name = Kay Smits | fullname = Kay Kirsten Evert Smits | image = 2024-09-15 Handball TVB Stuttgart - SG Flensburg by mroptimax-31.jpg | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1997|3|31|df=y}} | birth_place = Geleen, Netherlands | nationality = Dutch | height = 1.86 m | position = Right back | currentclub = SG Flensburg-Handewitt | clubnumber = 33 | years1 = 2014–2016 | clubs1 = Limburg Lions | years2 = 2016–2018 | clubs2 = Wilhelmshavener HV | years3 = 2018–2021 | clubs3 = TTH Holstebro | years4 = 2020 | clubs4 = → SC Magdeburg (loan) | years5 = 2021–2023 | clubs5 = SC Magdeburg | years6 = 2023– | clubs6 = SG Flensburg-Handewitt | nationalyears1 = 2016– | nationalteam1 = Netherlands | nationalcaps1 = 80 | nationalgoals1 = 368 }} '''Kay Kirsten Evert Smits''' (born 31 March 1997) is a Dutch handball player for SG Flensburg-Handewitt and the Dutch national team.
He is the first ever men's player of the Netherlands to win the EHF Champions League, Europe's most important club competition with SC Magdeburg in 2022/2023.
He represented the Netherlands at the 2022 and 2020 European Men's Handball Championship and the 2023 World Men's Handball Championship. Smits had to withdraw for the 2024 EHF Euro's due to inflammation of his heart muscle.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://heren.handbal.nl/richardsson-maakt-definitieve-ek-selectie-bekend/|title=Richardsson maakt definitieve EK-selectie bekend|date=5 January 2020|work=heren.handbal.nl|access-date=29 June 2020|archive-date=24 December 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211224031156/https://heren.handbal.nl/richardsson-maakt-definitieve-ek-selectie-bekend/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://livecache.sportresult.com/node/binaryData/HBL_PROD/HBEC20M/PDF_ROSTER_NED.PDF |title=2020 European Men's Handball Championship squad |access-date=29 June 2020 |archive-date=24 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210624212504/https://livecache.sportresult.com/node/binaryData/HBL_PROD/HBEC20M/PDF_ROSTER_NED.PDF |url-status=dead }}</ref>
He missed the 2026 European Men's Handball Championship due to heart complications.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://sport.tv2.dk/haandbold/2026-01-11-disse-stjerner-misser-em|publisher=TV2 Danmark|title=Disse stjerner misser EM|trans-title=These stars will miss the Euros|date=14 January 2026|access-date=18 January 2026|language=da}}</ref>
Although Kay Smits is still an active player, he is already considered as the best Dutch right back ever. His father {{ill|Gino Smits|nl}}, sister Inger and brother Jorn are also international handball players for the Netherlands. <ref>[https://nos.nl/artikel/2364887-de-genen-van-handbalfamilie-smits-later-beseffen-we-hoe-bijzonder-dit-is.html De genen van handbalfamilie Smits: 'Later beseffen we hoe bijzonder dit is'] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210128010249/https://nos.nl/artikel/2364887-de-genen-van-handbalfamilie-smits-later-beseffen-we-hoe-bijzonder-dit-is.html |date=2021-01-28 }}, NOS, 19 January 2021</ref>
== Honours == *'''EHF Champions League''': **{{gold medal}}: 2023 *'''Handball-Bundesliga''': **{{gold medal}}: 2022 *'''DHB-Pokal''': **{{silver medal}}: 2022, 2023 *'''EHF European League''': **{{silver medal}}: 2022 *'''IHF Super Globe''': **{{gold medal}}: 2021, 2022 *'''Dutch Championship''': **{{gold medal}}: 2015, 2016 *'''Dutch Handball Cup''': **{{gold medal}}: 2015, 2016 *'''BENE-League''': **{{gold medal}}: 2015
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{International Handball Federation|113695}} * {{European Handball Federation}} * {{TeamNL|kay-smits|old_id=6363-kay-smits}} * {{Instagram}}
{{Netherlands squad 2020 European Men's Handball Championship}} {{Netherlands squad 2022 European Men's Handball Championship}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Smits, Kay}} Category:1997 births Category:Living people Category:Dutch male handball players Category:Sportspeople from Geleen Category:Limburg Lions players Category:TTH Holstebro players Category:Dutch expatriate handball players in Germany Category:Handball-Bundesliga players Category:SC Magdeburg players Category:Handball players from Limburg (Netherlands) Category:SG Flensburg-Handewitt players Category:Dutch expatriate handball players in Denmark Category:21st-century Dutch sportsmen
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