How our sports teams performed over the weekend

Crvenka’s handball players lost 36:17 away to Vojvodina in Novi Sad in their opening match of the Super League season. The score itself speaks to the balance of power on the court, but it seems that, alongside Vojvodina’s undeniable quality, Crvenka’s heavy defeat was also due to excessive respect for their opponents and the inexperience of Vladimir Zejak’s players. Crvenka were on equal terms at the very start of the match, up to the score of 4:4. Then the players of the seven-time Serbian champions stepped up the pace and, with around ten accurate counterattacks, built an insurmountable lead by half-time, going ahead 20:8. They simply saw the game out in the second half and secured a convincing win, justifying their status as favourites. Čabrilo and Bošković were Crvenka’s top scorers, with 5 goals each. In the second round of the championship, Crvenka host Spartak from Subotica.

There is good news from handball when it comes to the “Laki” Handball Club from Crvenka. The club tried to earn promotion to the Serbian First League through the play-offs, but Ruma proved stronger, securing a place in the First League with a win in Crvenka. However, “Laki” Handball Club will also play in the First League, as the Petrovaradin team earned promotion to the Super B League, freeing up an additional place in the First League for “Laki”. This means that Crvenka’s young handball players, by far the youngest team, will also compete in the First League.

It would be hard to say that the football weekend was successful for the teams from the Kula municipality.

In the 10 round of the Serbian League Vojvodina group, Hajduk lost 1:0 at home to Dinamo from Pančevo. This match between old acquaintances will soon be forgotten, as it was not a memorable performance, and the decisive moment was an error by Hajduk’s back line, which gave the ball away to an opponent just outside their penalty area. The opponent turned the gift into a goal and won.

Following their defeat to Dinamo, Hajduk are twelfth with 14 points. You can watch a recording of the Hajduk–Dinamo match on KU Television tonight from 20.

In the 9 round of the Northern Group of the Vojvodina League, Crvenka lost 3:0 away to hosts Mladost in Turija, with the score at halftime 1:0. With several regular first-team players missing, including Šakić and Zelić, who have left the club, little more than an honorable defeat in Turija could have been expected. Crvenka are currently fourteenth in the standings with 8 points, and next round they host Njegoš from Lovćenac.

Rusyn footballers from Ruski Krstur also suffered defeat. In the 9th round of the Sombor District League, Rusyn lost 4:1 away to Budućnost in Parage, with the halftime score 2:0. Rac scored Rusyn’s only goal. The Krstur side are currently fourth in the table with 19 points, and in the tenth round Rusyn will host Zadrugar from Srpski Miletić.

Of the four representatives from the Kula municipality in the Sombor Intermunicipal League First Division, three recorded wins in the seventh round. The most convincing were Polet from Sivac, who beat Jedinstvo 8:1 away in Ribarevo. Polet forward Zejak was the star of the match, scoring 5 goals; experienced Furtula, Nićetin and Čvokić also found the net. Lipar’s footballers also won convincingly, beating Dunav 6:1 away in Bački Monoštor. Mijić scored twice for Lipar, while Banović, Šegan, Nestorović and Đukić, from the penalty spot, scored one each. Kula beat Aleksa Šantić 3:0 at home at Geder. Bukejlović scored twice for Kula, and Savić once. Our fourth representative at this level, Mladost, lost 2:1 to OFK Odžaci in Kruščić. Marović scored Mladost’s goal. Lipar are second in the table with 18, Kula are fourth with 16, Polet from Sivac are fifth with 14, and Mladost from Kruščić are bottom with minus one point. The next round features a municipal derby: Polet and Mladost from Kruščić will meet in Sivac. Lipar will host Dinamo from Bački Breg, while Kula will visit OFK Odžaci.

In the third round of the Vojvodina Futsal League, Hajduk Futsal Club lost 10:1 at home in a local derby against Leteći Holanđanin from Vrbas. Šinka scored Hajduk’s consolation goal. Hajduk’s futsal players are last in the table, without a point, and next round they travel to ŽAK Junior in Sombor.

A special press conference was held on Saturday at the “Milan Sredanović” stadium in Kula to announce the organization of the first “Milan Sredanović” Memorial Tournament, which Football Club “Hajduk 1912,” with the generous support of the local government and the Sports Association of Serbia, will organize on 17 and 18 October. At the conference, Damjan Miljanić, president of the municipality of Kula; Goran Marinković, secretary of the Sports Association of Serbia; Dalibor Krković, president of Football Club “Hajduk 1912”; and Željko Ačanski, director at Football Club Hajduk, announced the “Milan Sredanović” Memorial Tournament, which will feature children born in 2008, 2010, 2011 2012.

Dalibor Krković, president of Football Club “Hajduk 1912”, said the idea came from everyone at the club, because the children travel to similar tournaments in other places.

“We wanted to support the youngest age groups by organizing the tournament, and we hope it will become an annual tradition, since it is named after a man who gave his all for the club,” said Krković. He added that around 40 teams are expected to participate, and that Vojvodina, Spartak, Čukarički and TSC Bačka Palanka have already confirmed their participation. “This will certainly be a source of pride for the Municipality of Kula,” Krković said.

The president of the municipality of Kula said that organizing the tournament is part of the strategy for developing sport at the municipal level. The aim, in addition to supporting sport, is to ensure that the youngest age groups are recognized and funded by the Municipality through clubs.

“The example of FK Hajduk shows excellent cooperation: on the one hand, with a club that recognized and supported our strategy, and on the other, with the Sports Association of Serbia, without whose professional assistance we could not have reached this point,” said Miljanić. He recalled that the club had faced financial difficulties, but thanks to everything the Sports Association of Serbia has done, it now has stable finances.

“This year the budget has doubled, and the upward trend will continue year after year. The plan is for management of the stadium to be transferred to the Sports Center, which will serve the entire Municipality. Preparations are underway, and this will be implemented next year. The youngest age groups are the most important for the Municipality of Kula when it comes to funding, and the tournament simply promotes these youngest age groups,” said President Miljanić, emphasizing that the tournament is funded entirely by the Municipality of Kula.

Serbian Sports Association Secretary Goran Marinković said that all initiatives promoting young people have the SSS’s support. He added that he was glad the municipal president understood that sport is an integral part of life and that investment in sport is important. He also expressed his satisfaction that the Kula municipality had gained a new handball Super League team and took the opportunity to congratulate RK “Crvenka” on its promotion.

“We obviously pooled our efforts and allocated the funds properly, and the result followed,” said Marinković.

Although Marinković is the secretary of the Sports Association of Serbia, football is close to his heart. He remembers Milan Sredanović as a man who gave a great deal to Hajduk and whose name is recognized both in Kula itself and in the surrounding area.

“A man like that deserves to have a tournament of his own and the stadium named after him. I hope the club management will continue the tradition and that the tournament will become well known throughout the area, attracting more and more teams each year and bringing in the very best,” said Marinković.

In addition to the organisers, the event was attended by children from FK “Hajduk” who will take part in the tournament, as well as Milan Sredanović’s daughter, Jelena Sredanović, who will present the tournament winners with their trophies.

In the first round of the First Serbian League championship, Hajduk’s basketball team thrashed Podrinje from Mačvanska Mitrovica at home, winning 89:46. Hajduk put in an excellent performance, particularly in defence, as the number of points conceded clearly shows. Hajduk captain Škrbić was the team’s top scorer with 16 points, although he barely played in the second half. Lješević scored 14, Marinković 13, and Leovac also reached double figures with 10 points.

You can watch a recording of the basketball game between Hajduk and Podrinje from Mačvanska Mitrovica on KU Television tomorrow at 20.

Đ. Bojanić