MESIC RECEIVES WINNER OF THIS YEAR'S SINJSKA ALKA TOURNAMENT

ZAGREB, Aug 24 (Hina) - President Stipe Mesic on Friday received the winner of the 286h annual Sinjska Alka tournament, Ivica Peric, and his trooper Ivan Vuk, presenting them with gifts for their victory, Peric with a gold ring and sabre and Vuk with a silver ring and yataghan. Mesic said that his decision making Staff Brigadier Ante Kotromanovic, an active Croatian army officer, available had come into force. In the function of leader of this year's edition of the tournament, Kotromanovic caused a political scandal with a speech against the incumbent government and especially the president of the republic, the sponsor of the event. "The Alka should not be politicised and today's meeting is an opportunity to right the injustice, given that after the victory... Peric and Vuk could not be presented with my gifts," President Mesic said. He added the Alka was a tribute to the victory of the people of the Cetina region, that it had never been politicised and should not have been now. At this year tournament, held in the town of Sinj on Aug. 3-5, Mesic's envoy, Gen. Milivoj Petkovic, was prevented from holding a speech and present the winner and his trooper with the president's gifts. Accepting the gifts today, Peric apologised to Mesic and Petkovic on his behalf and that of the Alkarian Society for the unpleasantness and insults at the tournament's closing ceremony. "It wasn't the residents of Sinj who did that but people who were brought there and wanted to make the Alka a political gathering," said Peric. He added the tournament had always supported the authorities, except this year, and emphasised the Alkarian Society and residents of Sinj were not behind it. The tournament should have the place it deserves and not be a political gathering, said Peric. (hina) ha sb