The past sports weekend was marked by a defeat for Crvenka’s handball players and a win for Hajduk’s footballers

The past sporting weekend was marked by a defeat for Crvenka’s handball players and a win for Hajduk’s footballers, but the heroes of the weekend were Hajduk’s volleyball players, who beat Klek Srbij šume 2 away in Klek in the final round of the First Vojvodina League championship, 3:1 in sets, to become First Vojvodina League champions. After the match, they were presented with medals and the Vojvodina Volleyball Association trophy for first place and promotion to the Second League, Northern Group. The title was won by captain Boško Bigić, along with Stefan Novković, Stevan Horn, Kristijan Zveng, Jovan Krajinović, Vuk Malenica, Marko Milisavljević, Bogdan Marić and Nemanja Hodonicki, led by coach Milorad Lazić.

While Hajduk’s volleyball players had reason to celebrate, Crvenka’s handball players had reason to mourn. In their home match in the ARKUS Serbian Super League relegation playoffs, Crvenka lost to Novi Pazar 30:26, with the visitors leading 15:13 at halftime. This defeat has reduced the “squirrels’” chances of staying in the ARKUS Serbian Super League to a mathematical possibility. Apart from taking an early 2:0 lead, Vladimir Zejak’s team never led again. The reasons were overly soft defending and numerous inaccuracies in attack, which the experienced Novi Pazar team knew how to punish as they went on to win. Crvenka are bottom of the relegation group table with 8 points, and travel to face Belgrade’s Crvena zvezda in the next round.

In the 16 round of the Super B League championship, Sivac’s handball players defeated Morava from Velika Plana 31:29 on home ground. Morava’s handball players performed better in the first half and at times had a four-goal lead, including when they were ahead 10:6. However, Sivac’s players managed to make up the difference late in the first half. Then, between the 38 minute, when the score was 18:17 in Morava’s favor, they scored 4:0 unanswered goals in six minutes, took a 21:18 lead, and then comfortably saw out the match to record a win. Marko Čabai was Sivac’s top scorer with 7 goals, while Sivac’s center back Nenad Slavljulica, who scored five goals, was named player of the match. Sivac 69 are currently fourth in the table with 18 points, and will visit Vrbas Petrol in Vrbas in the next round. Sivac’s women’s handball players also had a successful outing. Krula, leaders of the Second League, recorded the expected win in the 19 round of the championship. Away in Odžaci, Sivac’s Krula beat Deronje 40:28, justifying their status as favorites against bottom-placed Deronje. Aleksandra Jelenković was Krula’s top scorer with 12 goals. Sivac’s women’s handball players lead the Second League table with 28 points, and Krula will host Prigrevica in the next round.

Hajduk’s footballers delighted their fans, as they defeated Dinamo 2:0 away in Pančevo in the 29 round of the Serbian League, Vojvodina group, and thus made amends for the defeat they had suffered at home against Borac from Sakule before their trip to Pančevo. In Pančevo, Hajduk were led from the bench by their new head coach, Ivica Francišković, and his debut was a success. Hajduk controlled the game throughout, took the lead at just the right moment, in the closing stages of the first half, with a goal from Ognjen Šušnjar, and midway through the second half the “Hajduks” capped their superior play with a goal from Strahinja Macanović, making the final score 2:0. After their win in Pančevo, Hajduk are twelfth in the table with 41 points, and in the next round they host Tisa from Adorjan.

Crvenka’s footballers, who compete in the Vojvodina League, North group, were also celebrating. In the 25 round of the championship, Crvenka beat Krajina’s Wings 1:0 in Bačka Palanka, ending a run of four consecutive defeats. Šakić scored the winning goal, worth three points for Crvenka, in Bačka Palanka. Crvenka are fifteenth in the league table with 27 points, and will host Mladost from Turija in the next round.

Ruski Krstur’s Rusin footballers also ended their run of three defeats in their 24-round Sombor District League match, but did not win, drawing 0:0 with Borac from Obrovac at home. Following this draw, Rusin are fourth in the table with 42 points, and in the next round they visit Kordun in Kljajićevo.

Mladost of Kruščić earned a valuable win in the 19 round of the Sombor Intermunicipal League, First Division. Playing at home, Kruščić beat Aleksa Šantić 4:2 and are no longer bottom of the table, having handed the wooden spoon to Jedinstvo of Ribarevo. Grdinić scored three goals for Mladost, the third from a penalty, and Vuković also got on the scoresheet. Lipar drew 1:1 away to Hajduk in Stapar, with Marčetić scoring the goal that earned Lipar a point. Sivac’s Polet lost 3:0 away to Dinamo in Bački Breg, while our fourth representative, Kula, had a bye this round. Lipar are second in the standings with 46 points, Kula fourth with 31, Polet sixth with 28, and Mladost eleventh with 10 points. In the next round, Lipar host Dunav of Bački Monoštor, Polet host Jedinstvo of Ribarevo in Sivac, Kula visit Aleksa Šantić, and Mladost of Kruščić visit OFK Odžaci.

Hajduk’s basketball players ended the season with a win, beating Hercegovac from Gajdobra 94:81 at home in the final round of the First Serbian League playoffs, even though the visitors had taken the first half 43:42. Although the match had little significance for the standings, it gave Hajduk’s young basketball players a chance to test themselves against Hercegovac, who finished first and earned promotion to a higher division. Hajduk finished the season fourth in the standings, with a record of 7 wins and seven losses.

In the 14 round of the Serbian First League championship, Vojvodina group, Hajduk’s bowlers lost away to Vihor of Sombor in Kljajićevo, 5:3 on points and 3282:3194 on knocked-down pins. Hajduk’s points were scored by Branko Vuksan with 585, Vladimir Trišić with 533, and Duško Adžić with 516 knocked-down pins. Hajduk’s bowlers are last in the standings with 4 points, but have played three fewer matches. In the next round, they host Vojvodina of Bačko Gradište in Vrbas.

Đ. Bojanić