# Kay Smits
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> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kay_Smits
> Source revision: 1336340374
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{{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](/source/Geleen), Netherlands
| nationality = Dutch
| height = 1.86 m
| position = Right back
| currentclub = [SG Flensburg-Handewitt](/source/SG_Flensburg-Handewitt)
| clubnumber = 33
| years1 = 2014–2016
| clubs1 = [Limburg Lions](/source/Limburg_Lions)
| years2 = 2016–2018
| clubs2 = [Wilhelmshavener HV](/source/Wilhelmshavener_HV)
| years3 = 2018–2021
| clubs3 = [TTH Holstebro](/source/TTH_Holstebro)
| years4 = 2020
| clubs4 = → [SC Magdeburg](/source/SC_Magdeburg) (loan)
| years5 = 2021–2023
| clubs5 = [SC Magdeburg](/source/SC_Magdeburg)
| years6 = 2023–
| clubs6 = [SG Flensburg-Handewitt](/source/SG_Flensburg-Handewitt)
| nationalyears1 = 2016–
| nationalteam1 = [Netherlands](/source/Netherlands_men's_national_handball_team)
| nationalcaps1 = 80
| nationalgoals1 = 368
}}
'''Kay Kirsten Evert Smits''' (born 31 March 1997) is a Dutch [handball](/source/handball) player for [SG Flensburg-Handewitt](/source/SG_Flensburg-Handewitt) and the [Dutch national team](/source/Netherlands_men's_national_handball_team).
He is the first ever men's player of the Netherlands to win the [EHF Champions League](/source/EHF_Champions_League), Europe's most important club competition with [SC Magdeburg](/source/SC_Magdeburg) in 2022/2023.
He represented the Netherlands at the 2022 and [2020 European Men's Handball Championship](/source/2020_European_Men's_Handball_Championship) and the [2023 World Men's Handball Championship](/source/2023_World_Men's_Handball_Championship). Smits had to withdraw for the 2024 EHF Euro's due to inflammation of his heart muscle.[{{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}}][{{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 }}]
He missed the [2026 European Men's Handball Championship](/source/2026_European_Men's_Handball_Championship) due to heart complications.[{{cite news|url=https://sport.tv2.dk/haandbold/2026-01-11-disse-stjerner-misser-em|publisher=[TV2 Danmark](/source/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}}]
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](/source/Inger_Smits) and brother [Jorn](/source/Jorn_Smits) are also international handball players for the Netherlands. [[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]
== Honours ==
*'''[EHF Champions League](/source/EHF_Champions_League)''':
**{{gold medal}}: [2023](/source/2022%E2%80%9323_EHF_Champions_League)
*'''[Handball-Bundesliga](/source/Handball-Bundesliga)''':
**{{gold medal}}: [2022](/source/2021%E2%80%9322_Handball-Bundesliga)
*'''[DHB-Pokal](/source/DHB-Pokal)''':
**{{silver medal}}: [2022](/source/2021%E2%80%9322_DHB-Pokal), [2023](/source/2022%E2%80%9323_DHB-Pokal)
*'''[EHF European League](/source/EHF_European_League)''':
**{{silver medal}}: [2022](/source/2021%E2%80%9322_EHF_European_League)
*'''[IHF Super Globe](/source/IHF_Men's_Super_Globe)''':
**{{gold medal}}: [2021](/source/2021_IHF_Men's_Super_Globe), [2022](/source/2022_IHF_Men's_Super_Globe)
*'''[Dutch Championship](/source/Eredivisie_(men's_handball))''':
**{{gold medal}}: 2015, 2016
*'''Dutch Handball Cup''':
**{{gold medal}}: 2015, 2016
*'''[BENE-League](/source/BENE-League_Handball)''':
**{{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
{{Netherlands-handball-bio-stub}}
---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Kay Smits](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kay_Smits) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kay_Smits?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.