Preview of sporting events over the weekend

An exciting sports weekend lies ahead, with football pitches coming back to life after the winter break.

In the 21 round of the Serbian League, Vojvodina group, Hajduk’s footballers host OFK Mladost from Novi Banovci. The Kula side began the spring season with a win, are playing on home turf, and understandably say they intend to confirm their previous-round victory in Bačka Palanka with another triumph. The Hajduk–Mladost match from Novi Banovci will be played tomorrow at the “Milan Sredanović” stadium, kicking off at 14 hours and 30 minutes.

In round 19 of the Vojvodina League, North Group, Crvenka’s footballers travel to Sombor to play Radnički. Buoyed by their home victory and the fact that they will have a full squad, Crvenka say they will give their all to secure another win and move even closer to mid-table. The match between Radnički of Sombor and Crvenka will be played tomorrow in Bački Brestovac, kicking off at 14 hours and 30 minutes.

In round 19 of the Sombor District League, Rusin from Ruski Krstur will host Maglić from Bački Maglić. In the previous round, the team from Krstur won away from home and, buoyed by that success, is aiming for another victory that would strengthen its position near the top of the table, as Rusin’s ambition is to reach the Vojvodina League through the playoffs. The match between Rusin and Maglić will be played in Ruski Krstur on Sunday, kicking off at 14 hours and 30 minutes.

The spring half of the season also begins on Sunday for clubs competing in the Sombor Intermunicipal League, First Division. The teams from Kula municipality are Kula, Polet from Sivac, Lipar, and Mladost from Kruščić. The schedule has the local derby opening the spring season, with Polet and Lipar meeting in Sivac. Lipar is firmly in second place, while Polet is fourth, but the team from Sivac says it will try to make the most of its home advantage, promising an entertaining football match. Kula will host Hajduk from Stapar at the Geder stadium, while Mladost will host Dunav from Bački Monoštor in Kruščić. All these matches are scheduled for Sunday and will begin at 14 hours and 30 minutes.

In round 14 of the Vojvodina Futsal League, Hajduk will play away in Subotica on Sunday, where they will face Spartak at 19 hours and 30 minutes.

Due to EHF Week, Crvenka’s handball players have a break this weekend. However, the “squirrels,” who are fighting to retain their place in the ARKUS Serbian Super League through the relegation playoff, will use the break for a friendly match. Crvenka will visit Banja Luka tomorrow, where they will play a friendly against Borac, coached by handball legend Veselin Vujović, whose squad also includes two players from Crvenka, Savo Slavuljica and Nikola Egić.

Sivac’s handball players, members of Super B League, will play a league match against Ub on Saturday. This is a match from round 11, which was supposed to be played at the end of February but was postponed because of coronavirus cases in the Ub team. Sivac’s handball players have won twice away from home since the league resumed. They are playing on their home court and are undoubtedly the favorites. The Sivac 69–Ub match will be played tomorrow at the Sivac sports hall, starting at 19 hours.

In round 11 of the First League championship, the Laki women’s handball team will host Ravangrad from Sombor in Crvenka. It will be a derby of the West Backa District, as well as a clash between teams near the bottom of the First League table, since Laki have two wins so far this season and Ravangrad have one. The young women from Crvenka say they will try to make the most of their home-court advantage and move up toward the middle of the table. The Laki–Ravangrad match will be played on Sunday at the “Slobodan Cile Miskovic” sports hall in Crvenka and will begin at 18.

In the third playoff round of the First Serbian League, Hajduk’s basketball team host Nova Pazova. Coach Danilo Borović’s players recorded two wins in the first two playoff rounds and finished the group stage with five consecutive victories, so they are determined to make it eight in a row against Nova Pazova. The match between Hajduk and Nova Pazova will be played tomorrow in the Petefi Brigade Elementary School sports hall, starting at 19.

The leaders of the First Vojvodina League, Hajduk’s volleyball players, visit Turija in the 13 round of the championship, where they will face Mladost on Sunday at 19 hours and 30 minutes.

Hajduk’s bowlers will also be in action this weekend. In the 10 round of the First Serbian League, Vojvodina group, they will visit Kljajićevo, where league leaders Kordun will host them tomorrow at 16.

Let us add to this preview of sporting events that a memorial service will be held tonight to mark the death of former football player and coach Radovan Drinčić. The memorial gathering will be held, in compliance with epidemiological measures, in the theater hall of the Kula Cultural Center, starting at 18.

Đ. Bojanić