Ante Zorica from Hrvace beat out 16 other Alkars to become the winner of the first Sinjska Alka in Vukovar!
For the fourth time in its long-running history, the Sinjska Alka was held outside of Sinj and celebrated today in Vukovar with 17 Alkar lancers!
The Alka in Vukovar saw around 20,000 attendees, including President of the Republic of Croatia Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, and was held in honor of the Croatian defenders of Vukovar and Croatia. You can read more about the event on TCN here.
President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović was joined by some of the highest state leaders, including Prime Minister Andrej Plenković and numerous ministers, government officials, and dignitaries. Before the start of the Alka, Duke Ante Vučić hosted a reception for the senior officials at the castle Eltz.
The official program began at dawn with the shooting of the “mačkula” while the Brass Band of Sinj played reveille in the city center. Participants of the festive Alka then enjoyed mass at noon at the Vukovar Church of Saints Philip and James. After the mass, the Alka Knights Society administration, accompanied by the Mayor of Vukovar Ivan Penava, laid wreaths at the Memorial Cemetery of the Homeland War.
Ante Zorica from Hrvace was named winner of the historic event, gathering eight points over 16 other Alkars which was enough to claim the title of the best.
The Sinjska Alka has been held since 1715 on the first Sunday in August in Sinj. For a competition that has panned over a period of three centuries, it has been held outside of Sinj only three times – Split in 1832, Belgrade in 1922, and Zagreb in 1946.
The Sinjska Alka will run as planned in Sinj this August for the 302nd edition.
All photos by Tomislav Balić
