Coach Meškov of Brest did not appear at the morning breakfast, which immediately raised concern among team members. Shortly after, he was found dead in his hotel room. According to initial information, a heart attack or stroke is suspected.
The club bid farewell with an emotional message: "We will remember him as a person who deeply shaped our team and the hearts of all who knew him. His death is regarded as an enormous loss for the entire handball community."
During his playing career, Kokšarov was considered one of the best left wings in the world. After starting in Krasnodar, he left his greatest mark at RK Celje, with whom he won numerous trophies, including the Champions League in 2004.
He later also played for Chekhov's Bears, with whom he won two Russian championship titles.
For the Russian national team, he played 226 matches and scored as many as 1,110 goals, making him the only Russian player with over 1,000 goals in the national team jersey.
With Russia, he won gold at the 1997 World Championship and the 2000 Olympic Games. He also won silver at the 1999 World Championship and the 2000 European Championship, and bronze at the 2004 Olympic Games.
He was also the top scorer of the 1999 World Championship and was repeatedly named the best left wing at major competitions in the early 2000s.
After his playing career, Kokšarov continued to work successfully as a coach. He led the Russian national team from 2017 to 2020, and with Brest, he won numerous trophies, including the domestic championship, Cup, Super Cup, and the regional SEHA league.
He is survived by his wife and two children. His son, Aleksandr Kokšarov, is a professional footballer for FC Krasnodar.
The passing of Eduard Kokšarov represents an irreplaceable loss for the sport he marked both on and off the field.