Nikola Karabatic gave France its first-ever handball gold in Beijing last August, and was elected 2007 World Handball Player of the Year by the International Handball Federation. The 24-year-old Frenchman is still playing for German club THW Kiel, and now enjoys the status of worldwide sports celebrity.

Nikola’s opponents were already weary of his warrior-like qualities — he beat Iceland in the Olympics finals in spite of a fracture in the area of the elbow joint — but they now have to watch out for the next warrior in the family. Little brother Luka (above, with Nikola) is coming, and coming fast.

Luka started playing handball when he was just a kid, but veered towards tennis around age 10, and almost reached pro level. However, he abruptly reversed course in October 2007, and started training with Montpellier Handball, the French club that took his older brother to the highest European level a few years ago.

In the world of sports, such a career move is both extremely rare and very risky. But the 6’8” and 212 lbs 19-year-old already won a spot in the junior French team, and his late return to handball makes for a huge improvement potential.

Will the Karabatic brothers ever play together in the French national team, and beat the Guénot brothers’ cumulative sexiness index? Time will tell.

Head on to the gallery for a shirtless Nikola galore — and a couple Speedo shots.

Images via Nikolakarabatic.com