CROATIAN PRESIDENT FRANJO TUDJMAN RECEIVES SPORTS PEOPLE

ZAGREB, Jan 27 (Hina) - Croatian President Franjo Tudjman today gave a reception for sports people, including the presidents of 52 sports clubs, representatives of the clubs who had won the state championship and the cup, the Croatian Olympic Committee and sports editors. President Tudjman told those present that sports people were 'worthy ambassadors of the independent and democratic Croatia' emphasising that he had not met a single foreign statesman who had failed to mention the successes achieved in Croatian sport. The Croatian athletes have been shown all the qualities that ensured Croatia's survival and contributed to developing relations with the international sporting community. "It is understood that the young Croatian state still lives under exceptional circumstances, that we're still under war conditions, but, we have nevertheless managed to enter the world community of free peoples and independent countries," he said. "I hope that we will soon finish the work of liberating the occupied Croatian territories, and then we will be able to devote all our means and energies to the economic and cultural rebuilding of our country," Zoran Primorac, the table-tennis player who was last year's sportsman of the year, thanked President Tudjman for the nice reception. President Tudjman held informal talks with his guests, who included the president of the Croatian Olympic Committee, Antun Vrdoljak, Education and Sports Minister, Ljilja Vokic and deputy Sports Minister, Mirko Novosel. Also present at the reception were chief-of-staff of the President's Office, Hrvoje Sarinic, presidential adviser, Branimir Jaksic, the President's adviser on domestic issues, Ivic Pasalic, the President's adviser on the economy, Duro Njavro, adviser and the President's assistant for confederal relations with the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bosiljko Misetic, head of the President's Military Cabinet, General Zvonimir Cervenko and others. (hina) jn sd as 271711 MET jan 95