OGNJEN PREOST - WINNER OF 284TH 'SINJSKA ALKA' TOURNAMENT

SINJ, Aug 1 (Hina) - The winner of the 284th "Sinjska Alka" tournament in the southern Croatian town Sinj, in the Split hinterland, is Ognjen Preost, a 30-year-old Croatian Army officer from Sinj. #L# In front of more than 10,000 viewers at Sunday's finals, Preost won the tournament for the third time in a row and for the fifth time in his relatively short career as an 'alkar'. The "Alka" duke, Major General Mirko Norac, congratulated Preost on his victory and presented him with a gold diploma, tying a Croatian flag with the historical coat-of-arms to his lance. Colonel General Ante Gotovina, a special envoy for the Croatian President Franjo Tudjman, handed Preost a personal present from the President - a gold ring with the Croatian coat-of-arms and a sabre, whereas Preost's page Ante Labrovic was presented with a silver ring and a gun ('kubura'). Today's event, held under the auspices of President Tudjman, was attended by many figures from Croatia's political, cultural and religious life, as well as by representatives of the Croatian Army, Homeland War associations etc. "Sinjska Alka" is a traditional three-day tournament held every year in Sinj. The tournament, in which lance-wielding horsemen dressed in traditional outfits match their skills as they target a metal ring suspended over a track, is held every year to mark a local victory over the Ottoman Turks in 1715. (hina) rml