WINNER OF ALKA TOURNMENT WILL APOLOGISE TO PRESIDENT MESIC

ZAGREB, Aug 10 (Hina) - The winner of the 286th annual Sinjska Alka tournament has distanced himself from parts of a statement the Alkarian Society released on Thursday outlining the reasons its steering committee had decided the winner should not accept gifts from the President of the Republic, according to tradition. The steering committee said the decision had been prompted by the fact that the tournament's duke, General Mirko Norac, was in custody, and to tell the authorities they could not communicate with the people through the media. Norac, a native of the central Adriatic hinterland town of Sinj, is detained pending trial for war crimes allegedly committed in Gospic during the 1990s Homeland Defence War. The winner of this year's edition of the tournament dating back to the 18th century, Ivica Peric, told state television on Thursday evening part of the statement was disgraceful as the steering committee could not decide that he should not accept the award from President Stipe Mesic's envoy. According to tradition, winners accept the award, a gold ring and sabre, at the end of the three-day tournament, which this year took place Aug. 3-5. Peric announced he would apologise to the presidential envoy, Gen. Milivoj Petkovic, and President Mesic, the tournament's sponsor, himself. He added the Sinj area residents were not behind what had happened. (hina) ha