SINJSKA ALKA TOURNAMENT VICTOR SAYS SINJ RESIDENTS ARE AGAINST POLITICAL MANIPULATION

ZAGREB, Aug 24 (Hina) - The victor of this year's Sinjska Alka tournament, Ivica Peric, said today that the residents of Sinj were disgraced after events which occurred at the Alka, because they felt the traditional Croatian tournament was being politically manipulated. Peric gave a brief statement to reporters after today's ceremony at the Croatian President's Office where President Mesic handed him and his assistant, Ivan Vuka, the traditional awards, which the President's envoy, General Milivoj Petkovic, was prevented from doing after the tournament on august 5. I will make an effort in seeing to it that the Alka is what it is supposed to be -- a chivalry tournament, Peric said, assessing that both the Sinjska Alka and the town of Sinj came out as losers after events at the final tournament ceremony, because the residents were disgraced and shown as black sheep of the Croatian people. The residents of Sinj and some, as he put it, hard-core HDZ (Croatian Democratic Union, largest opposition party) people gave him their support in his efforts to defend the honour of Sinj and the tournament. Peric added he intended to request that the violation of the Sinjska Alka statute be made punishable by law. (hina) lml sb