http://www.croatia.org/crown en-us http://www.croatia.org/crown N/A letters@croatia.org Fri, 24 May 2013 15:07:13 -0700 20 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10381/1/Ivica-Kostelic-won-his-first-world-cup-slalom-race-of-the-season-March-2013-with-victory-in-Kranjska-Gora.html Ivica Kosteliæ, the 2011 overall world cup champion and three time defending combined champion had been hampered all season with a knee injury. But the 33-year-old Zagreb native showed no signs of pain as he clocked a winning combined time of one minute 45.81 seconds to top the podium 10 years after his first victory. darko.zubrinic@gmail.com (Darko ®ubriniæ) Tue, 12 Mar 2013 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10369/1/Handball-World-Championships-in-Spain-Croatia-wins-bronze-and-Croatia---France-30-23.html Competing at the 2013 World Handball Championship in Spain, Croatia won in a match against  France, current World champion. Croatia won with a big result 30-23. The match was held in  23 Jan 2013 in Zaragoza, and it was one of the main events of the whole compeition. Domagoj Duvnjak was proclaimed the best player of the match. Croatia won bronze medal at the 2013 World Handball Competition in Spain, proving that it has one of the best handball teams in the world. On the photo Slavko Golu¾a, trainer of Croatian team. darko.zubrinic@gmail.com (Darko ®ubriniæ) Tue, 12 Feb 2013 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10363/1/Ana-Konjuh-young-Croatian-tennis-player-won-two-junior-titles-at-Australian-Open-2013.html Croatian Ana Konjuh signalled she is a future star of women's tennis as she claimed the 2013 Australian Open girls' singles championship on Saturday. She became the third player in the past three years to win both the Australian Open girls’ singles and doubles title. Miss Konjuh was born and lives in Dubrovnik at the Croatian coast, which is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. darko@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach and Darko ®ubriniæ) Sun, 03 Feb 2013 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10312/1/Croatia-U18-Basketball-team---Champions-of-Europe.html The Croatian U18 Basketball team are the champions of Europe after winning the gold medal at the European Championship in Latvia and Lithuania. Thanks to an unbelievable 39 baskets from Dario Saric (left), Croatia beat the hosts Lithuania in the final 88:76. stecak@sbcglobal.net (Marko Puljiæ) Tue, 21 Aug 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10310/1/Croatia-won-3-golds-among-six-medals-at-the-London-Olympics-2012-plus-one-unofficial-gold.html Croatia won record 6 medals at the olympics, among them 3 golds: Sandra Brkljaèiæ in discus throwing, Giovanni Cernogoraz in trap, and Croatian waterpolo team without any defeat, Croatian quad scull won silver medal, Lucija Zaninoviæ won bronze medal in tae-kwon-do, handball team also won bronze medal. An unofficial gold medal went to Antonija Mi¹ura, see why. We also add a little refreshment with Blanka Vla¹iæ and Janica Kosteliæ. darko.zubrinic@gmail.com (Darko ®ubriniæ) Tue, 14 Aug 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10306/1/Croatias-Giovanni-Cernogoraz-wins-Olympic-mens-trap-gold-in-London-2012.html "This gold medal is fantastic," said Cernogoraz, who in his daily life helps out in his family's restaurant in Novigrad. "This is very good for me, for my family and for the country. I did not expect to win." This is the second gold medal for Croatia at the 2012 Olympics Games in London. darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Tue, 07 Aug 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10304/1/Sandra-Perkovic-Croatian-olympic-queen-in-discus-throwing-2012-in-London.html Rank in discus throwing at the 2012 Olympic Games in London: 1. Sandra Perkoviæ, Croatia,  69.11 m, winner of the Olympic gold medal, 2. Darya Pishchalnikova, Russia, silver medal, 3. Li Yanfeng, China, bronze medal. The 4th place was won by Stephanie Brown Trafton, USA. This is one of the greatest achievements in the history of Croatian sport. darko.zubrinic@gmail.com (Darko ®ubriniæ) Sun, 05 Aug 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10289/1/Brigita-Matic-of-Croatia-European-judo-chapion-in-2012-in-the-category-up-to-70-kg.html Brigita Matiæ, young Croatian judo master, became European champion by winning in a match with a Russian girl  Ekaterina Tokareva. The Eruopean Judo Championship was organized in Montenegro in the town of Bar, 22-24 June 2012. Her sister Barbara Matiæ was European judo cadet champion in 2010. Brigita Matiæ is a member of the Judo Club Pujanke from the city of Split (JK Pujanke - Split), Croatia. darko.zubrinic@gmail.com (Darko ®ubriniæ) Sat, 30 Jun 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10285/1/Open-letter-to-Michel-Platini-president-of-UEFA-from-Ante-Glibota.html Modern technologies offer a perfect possibility to see the wrong action on a football ground, and to check who is playing sportingly and who is unfair. This would eliminate all possibilities of unfairness suspicion and avoid unjustified results. But you and your organization refuse this solution, to make your occult games and plays, persisting with unfairness and generating false results, as a way to give advantage to your protected nations, your favorite ones. ante.glibota@wanadoo.fr (Akademik Ante Glibota) Sun, 24 Jun 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10281/1/Croatia---Ireland-3--1-at-the-2012-European-Football-Championship-in-Poland.html Successful debut of Croatian national team in Poland, in a fooball match with Ireland. Croatia coach is Slaven Biliæ, and this is his last tournament as an international coach before joining Lokomotiv Moscow. darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Mon, 11 Jun 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10278/1/Mobilne-aplikacije-Vatrenih---Mobile-applications-of-Croatian-soccer-team-on-iPhone-Android-and-Blackberry.html   Mobilne aplikacije Vatrenih. Sada je moguæe sve informacije o Hrvatskoj nogometnoj reprezentaciji saznati i u pokretu! Trenutno je moguæe instalirati aplikacije na mobilne ureðaje koje proizvode iPhone, Android i Blackberry. ©kljocnite na logo kako biste odmah instalirali aplikaciju na svoj ureðaj i pristupali cijeloj statistici, povijesti, kolumnama i najsvje¾ijim vijestima nogometne reprezentacije., Android aplikacija zahtjeva verziju 2.2 ili noviju, iPhone i iPod aplikacija zahtjeva verziju iOS-a 4.3 ili noviju, BlackBerry aplikacija za BlackBerry Playbook te BlackBerry 10 Beta - Uskoro! letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 09 Jun 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10243/1/Jad-Marinovic-Australian-of-Croatian-roots-champion-in-kettlebell-lifting.html Jad Marinovic is as strong, tough and committed as they come!  She has high ambitions both as an athlete and coach.  Jad has traveled to the USA and Europe to compete and also learn from the best, attending the IKSFA St. Petersburg Elite Kettlebell Training Camp in Russia becoming Australia's first female certified IKSFA Kettlebell Sport Coach.  She is not daunted at the prospect of hard training under Russian coaches, and already she has shown she has what it takes to mix with the very best. Jad is the short form of her Croatian name Jadranka. darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Sun, 25 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10242/1/Yamato-Japanese-drummers-in-Croatia-with-students-of-Japanology-University-of-Zagreb-Feb-2012.html Yamato in Zagreb again, receiving Croatian Hearts as gifts from students of Japanology at the University of Zagreb. On the left a young lady from the Yamato Drummers group - Madoka Higashi, proudly showing her souvenir from Zagreb. Many thanks to our dear friend Mr. Oskar ©aruniæ to have recorded this very nice event in Croatia's capital. darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Sat, 17 Mar 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10231/1/David-Diehl-Super-Bowl-winner-pride-of-Croatia-and-Croatians-around-the-world.html David Diehl on the photo with his daughter Addison Elizabeth celebrated the Super Bowl victory with visible Croatian insignia: with Croatian coat of arms on his left arm, with the Croatian inscription NEUNI©TIV (Undestroyable), and with Croatian shawl around his neck brought in 2011 from the land of his predecessors. Equally great on the defeated side is another Croatian - Bill Bellichick. darko@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach and Darko ®ubriniæ) Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10230/1/4-Croatians-in-Super-Bowl-XLVI-2012-Bill-Belichick-Robert-Ninkovich-David-Diehl--Anthony-Lucas.html I did not check the history of Super Bowls, but the fact that three Croatian Americans are playing today in a single game on the Lucas Stadium which is named after the fourth Croatian is a day to celebrate. Belichick & Diehl Two Croatian-Americans face off at Super Bowl for the second time. First time was in 2008. Since they play for opposite teams, Croatians will cheer all the way to the end. Super Bowl XLVI: New York Giants vs. New England Patriots is 46th Super Bowl, the most watched show in America, could be the world. With a victory, Patriots coach Bill Belichick becomes the Greatest of All-Time. With the victory, Giants offensive guard David Diehl gets his second ring. R. Ninkovich is playing for the Patriots. The Lucas Stadium is named after another Croatian-American Anthony Lucas b. Antun Lucic, considered as the father of petroleum engineering in the USA. darko@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach and Darko ®ubriniæ) Sun, 05 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10227/1/Ivica-Kostelics-third-straight-win-in-World-Cup-slalom-in-Wengen-Switzerland-2012-equals-Stenmark-feat-.html "I guess I have something with this mountain like no other," said Kostelic, whose third straight win in the Wengen slalom 15 January 2012 matched Swedish great Ingemar Stenmark. "To find yourself in the same sentence as Ingemar Stenmark is the greatest honour. Unlike many other racers I really am following the history of skiing. They were legends for me." But for Ivica Kostelic, this is fourth victory in career in the slalom in Wengen (2002, 2010, 2011, 2012) and he has the total of six victories and a total of ten podiums in Wengen, and that way he holds the absolute record. The impressive results. Congratulations. darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Wed, 01 Feb 2012 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10213/1/Daniela-Nincevic-and-her-Cro-Majesty-project-quotSPORT-FOR-EVERY-CHILDquot.html Cro Majesty (Hrvatsko velièanstvo) project unites over 2.000 children from 28 Orphanages, situated in 19 different cities of the Republic of Croatia. The main organizer of this project is Mrs Daniela Ninèeviæ. Its purpose is educational and recreational for children's better socialization. On its way is a new project for kids around the world to unite in different sports games, tournaments and manifestations. darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Tue, 27 Dec 2011 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10198/1/Croatia-shocks-Turkey-with-3-0-away-win-for-Euro-2012-soccer-playoffs.html In Istanbul on Friday November 11, 2011, Croatia romped to a comfortable 3-0 victory away to Turkey in the first leg of their Euro 2012 soccer playoff with goals from Ivica Olic, Mario Mandzukic and Vedran Corluka taking them to the brink of the finals. It was an especially sweet victory for Croatia who suffered a heart-breaking quarter-final defeat by Turkey at the 2008 finals when they were seconds away from clinching a semi-final berth before losing the clash in Vienna on penalties. The Turksih name for Croatia is Hırvatistan, which means The Land of the Croats. stecak@sbcglobal.net (Marko Puljiæ) Sun, 13 Nov 2011 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10191/1/Flying-Balic-Croatian-victory-in-the-2010-IHF-World-Handball-Photo-of-the-Year-award-.html He was twice awarded World Handball Player of the Year, he was elected "Best handball player ever" by the users of the International Handball Federation website - and now Ivano Balic (left) is in the focus of the 2010 IHF World Handball Photo of the Year competition. The Croatian photographer Antonio Bronic found the exact right part of a second to take his picture of Ivano Balic flying through the air and unsuccessfully trying to catch a ball against Alexander Petterson. violicalvert@optusnet.com.au (Violi Calvert) Tue, 18 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10203/1/David-Diehl--American-football-star-of-Croatian-roots-visited-the-city-of-Split.html New York Giants offensive tackle, David Diehl, stepped foot on Croatian soil for the first time on 1st July 2011. David is trying to retrace his roots as his maternal grandfather, Ante Bekavac, is from Lovreæ, while his grandmother is from Krk. “It is a great honor to come here. This is my first time in Croatia, searching for my roots. I was in Lovreè, here I am in Split, now I go around to meet my motherland. It was an incredible experience for me, I see where I came from, where my roots are from. I am delighted and proud that I came to Croatia.” darko@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach and Darko ®ubriniæ) Fri, 07 Oct 2011 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10109/1/Joseph-Mikulec-Croatian-globetrotter-appearing-in-a-silent-movie-1922.html Message from Angelina E. Payne, Canada:  "Hello, I happened upon the name of Joseph Mikulec while watching old silent films by the National Film Preservation Foundation. It's from 1922 and I thought that perhaps it might interest you. ... I, too, would love to know what became of this interesting fellow as well as his book." Josip Mikulec met the American president Theodore Roosevelt three times. Mikulec made thousands of kilometers on foot in the USA, China, Japan, India, South America, ... darko@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach and Darko ®ubriniæ) Fri, 29 Apr 2011 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10092/1/Ivica-Kostelic-wins-World-Cup-slalom-title-2011.html Bravo, Ivica! Kostelic won the Big Crystal Globe. Croatian sport experienced another tremendous success. Our best skier Ivica Kostelic finally had his years long dream come true. Ivica Kosteliæ posed with a Japanese flag in tribute to the victims of the earthquake and ensuing tsunami. darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Sat, 19 Mar 2011 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10070/1/Ivica-Kostelic--Natko-Zrncic-Dim-sang-Croatian-Anthem-in-Chamonix-France-2011.html Ivica Kosteliæ: "Natko's result makes this victory to be double so sweet! My best friend right on the winners' podium just beside me. We sing Croatia's national anthem together - I mean - this is like the best day of my sporting career so far, maybe even ever". Natko Zrnèiæ:-Dim "...being with Ivica on the podium, singing our national anthem... Really unbelievable, and the moment you keep inside your heart for the rest of your life." darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Tue, 01 Feb 2011 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10061/1/Owen-Marecic-of-Stanford-Named-Inaugural-Paul-Hornung-Award-Winner.html A throwback to another era, two-way starter Croatian American Owen Marecic (left) of Stanford University was selected the inaugural winner of the Paul Hornung Award as the most versatile player in major college football, by the Louisville Sports Commission and Paul Hornung. stecak@sbcglobal.net (Marko Puljiæ) Thu, 13 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10059/1/Ivica-Kostelic-winning-a-World-Cup-slalom-race-in-Adelboden-2011.html After a thrilling battle with the course conditions and a group of determined Austrians, Ivica Kostelic celebrated his first season victory in a ‘Classic’ World Cup race at Adelboden, Switzerland, after two impressive runs. In 2010 Ivica won two silver medals for Croatia at the Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver, Canada, one in slalom and another in combined. darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Wed, 12 Jan 2011 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10039/1/Blanka-Vlasic-of-Croatia-proclaimed-the-best-female-athlete-in-the-world-2010.html Croatian high jumper Blanka Vlasic has been named the world's best female athlete in 2010 by the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF). Blanka Vla¹iæ was all smiles on Sunday in Monaco, where she collected the IAAF World Athlete of the Year award, the first ever for a Croatian athlete. darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Mon, 22 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10034/1/Croatians-world-champions-in-men8217s-quadruple-sculls-in-New-Zealand-2010.html The World Rowing Championship in New Zealand in November 2010 brought the highest possible achievement for young Croatia's men's quadruple scullsteam. The new world champions won their gold medals competing with such rowing superpowers like Italy, Australia, Germany, Russia and Great Britain. The names of winners are Damir Martin, brothers Martin and Valent Sinkoviæ, and David ©ain. darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Sun, 14 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10023/1/Croatia-European-waterpolo-champion-for-2010.html The 29th European Water Polo Championship held in Croatia's capital Zagreb was closed on Saturday, September 11, with a magnificent final match between Croatia and Italy. LEN officials, participating teams, the press and fans all described the event in Zagreb as the best so far. Croatia has won gold medal. darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Mon, 27 Sep 2010 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10012/1/Pete-Radovich-has-18-Emmys.html "Friends" won 11, "Sienfeld" won 10, "South Park" won 3 but Croatian-American Pete Radovich (left) has 18 Emmys! This award winning producer is the Creative Director on CBS sports and has produced sports events ranging from the NBA to the Olympics. stecak@sbcglobal.net (Marko Puljiæ) Sun, 29 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/10007/1/Ivano-Balic-voted-the-best-handball-player-in-history.html According to votes of 11,000 readers of web pages of International Handball Federation IHF, Ivano Baliæ is the best handball player in history. Ivano Baliæ is a standard member of Croatian handball representation, winner of gold medals at the World Championship in Portugal in 2003, at the Summer Olympic Games in Greece in 2004, and many other competitions. He was born in the city of Split in 1979, and is still an active player. darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Wed, 18 Aug 2010 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9998/1/Sandra-Perkovic-won-gold-for-Croatia-in-discus-throw-in-Barcelona-2010.html A new star has appeared on Croatia’s athletics horizon  - discus thrower Sandra Perkovic - only 19 years old and yet ready to climb the podium at this year’s most important event, the European Athletics Championships Barcelona 2010. She created history in becoming not only the youngest ever winner of discus throw gold medal, but also the first ever Croatian to win European Championship gold. darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Sat, 31 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9985/1/Emil-Milihram-Croatian-canoeist-wins-the-World-Cup-2010-in-Austria.html Croatian canoeist Emil Milihram is the overall winner of the Wildwater World Cup for 2010 after he won a classic race in Lofer, Austria. In the overall standings, Milihram is at the first place. He is followed by Yann Claudepierre of France and Norman Weber of Germany. Emil is already for three consecutive years the World Champion in canoeing! darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Tue, 06 Jul 2010 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9972/1/Branimir-Kvartuc-of-StandUpCroatiacom-to-cross-the-Adriatic-Sea-for-charity.html Croatian American Branimir Kvartuè, an award-winning photojournalist, two times cancer survivor, StandUpCroatia.com founder and  philanthropist, will be crossing the Adriatic Sea on June 25-27 of 2010, from Venice, Italy to Pula, Croatia on a Stand Up Paddle board, setting a world record, in the process. See some of his beuatiful photos from the Ðakovo Embroidery folklore festival. darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Sun, 23 May 2010 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9965/1/Davor-Suker-to-Hold-Mini-Clinic-for-Charity-in-NYC-May-15-2010.html Davor Suker (left) will be holding a “Mini Clinic for Charity” on Saturday, May 15th 2010 at the New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) campus in Old Westbury, Long Island from 10am-1pm. The clinic will be for children between the ages of 9-14 and all proceeds will benefit the CACF and its ongoing battle for removing mines in Croatia. jperos@croatiancharities.com (John Peros) Tue, 27 Apr 2010 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9945/1/Ivan-Ljubicic-Croatian-tennis-player-won-Masters-1000-title-at-Indian-Wells-ATP-2010.html Croat Ivan Ljubicic celebrated his first Masters 1000 title after upsetting seventh-seeded American Andy Roddick  7-6, 7-6 in the final of the Indian Wells ATP tournament.  The big-serving Ljubicic fired down 20 aces and hit 42 winners to seal an emotional victory in just over two hours on the stadium court at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Mon, 22 Mar 2010 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9932/1/Ivica-Kostelic-wins-silver-in-Vancouver.html Ivica Kostelic's silver medal added to the Olympic legacy of one of the great Alpine ski racing families. Second behind Bode Miller in Sunday's super-combined, Kostelic got advice from his younger sister Janica on how to master a slalom course set by their father and coach, Ante. stecak@sbcglobal.net (Marko Puljiæ) Sun, 21 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9929/1/Vladimir-Hudolin-distinguished-Croatian-psychiatrist-and-humanist.html  Vladimir Hudolin, 1922-1996, is distinguished Croatian psychiastrist of worldwide reputation, professor at the University of Zagreb. He has  created the social-ecological approach to alcohol  related problems centred on the  family  and on the community. In Italy only more than 2500 Clubs of Alcoholics have been founded which exploit his methodology. Professor Hudolin is a honorary citizen of San Daniele del Friuli, Italy, since 1983. darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Fri, 19 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9928/1/Jakov-Fak-Croatias-biathlon-skier-won-bronze-medal-at-Winter-Olympic-Games.html Jakov Fak, Croatia's biathlon skiing athlet, won a bronze medal in the 10 km sprint at the 2010 Winter Olympics Games in Vancouver, Canada. This is the first olympic medal at Winter Oympic Games after Janica Kosteliæ, the greatest skier among women in history (3 gold medals and one bronze),and Ivica Kosteliæ (1 silver medal) at the 2006 Winter Ollympic Games in Torino, Italy. darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Fri, 19 Feb 2010 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9917/1/Ivica-Kostelic-Croatian-skier-celebrates-10th-World-Cup-slalom-victory.html Croatian skier Ivica Kosteliæ has come to his 10th career FIS Ski World victory on men's FIS SKi World Cup slalom in Wengen, on January 17 2010. Here is the list of the first five skiers: 1. Ivica Kosteliæ (Croatia), 2. Andre Myhrer (Sweden), 3. Reinfried Herbst (Austria), 4. Benjamin Raich (Austria), 5. Julien Lizeroux (France). darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Mon, 18 Jan 2010 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9897/1/Sanja-Jovanovic-Croatian-swimmer-with-a-new-world-record-in-2009.html  Sanja Jovanoviæ won her new gold medal at the European Swimming Championship held in Istanbul, Turkey, December 12th 2009. And not only this, she broke the world record on 50 m backstroke,  with 25.70 s. This is her fourth world record in swimming at international competitions. Duje Draganja won silver medal 100 m mixed style. darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Sun, 13 Dec 2009 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9875/1/Croatian-beaches-and-the-art-of-Picigin-.html As much an art form as a sport, it's something like volleyball on water, but with a much smaller ball, and, at its best, in the style of a football player taking a spectacular professional dive. Though there's much rivalry between areas, Split's Baèvice beach is considered to be the true home of the game which is ideally played with five players and a "bald" tennis ball. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 17 Oct 2009 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9871/1/Miletich-Fighting-Systems-Home-of-Champions-Past-Present-and-Future.html Often known as "The Croatian Sensation" Pat Miletich at the age of 26 began to train for the MMA. He had already trained in a variety of martial arts including karate, kickboxing, and boxing. He was very much inspired by the boxing aspirations of his uncle, Johnny "Miler" Miletich who was present at the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles as part of the boxing squad. stecak@sbcglobal.net (Marko Puljiæ) Tue, 29 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9862/1/Marin-Cilic-upsets-number-2-seed-at-US-Open.html Andy Murray of Britain has been upset at the U.S. Open, losing in straight sets to Marin Cilic of Croatia. The 16th-seeded Cilic beat the No. 2 Murray 7-5, 6-2, 6-2 Tuesday to reach his first Grand Slam quarterfinal. stecak@sbcglobal.net (Marko Puljiæ) Tue, 08 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9855/1/Blanka-Vlasic-jumped-208-cm-in-Zagreb---the-second-height-in-history.html Blanka Vla¹iæ is just one cm below the current world record. She reached the height of 208 cm at the Han¾ekoviæ Memorial Athelitic Competition organized in Croatia's capital Zagreb. darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Tue, 01 Sep 2009 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9854/1/Sime-Fantela-and-Igor-Marenic-Croatian-sailors-Mens-470-World-Champions.html ©ime Fantela and Igor Mareniæ are the new Men's 470 World Champions at the international sailing competition organized in Copenhagen in Denmark. They are both former junior world champions in sailing, members of the Sailing club of St. Kr¹evan from the city of Zadar, Croatia. darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Mon, 31 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9851/1/Blanka-Vlasic-defends-her-world-title-in-Berlin-2009.html High-jump queen Blanka Vlasic, one of the best athlete in the world,  retained her world crown on Thursday when she saw off arch-rival and local favourite Ariane Friedrich to win gold at the World Athletics Championships. Vlasic was the only athlete to clear 2.04m in the electric atmosphere of Berlin's Olympic stadium. stecak@sbcglobal.net (Marko Puljiæ) Thu, 20 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9840/1/Croatia-is-the-new-Mens-Youth-Handball-World-Champion.html  After an one-sided final and a rather charming closing ceremony, the III Men's Youth World Championship in Tunisia came to an end on Friday. Croatia now is the 2009 Men's Youth World Champion, after beating Iceland in the final with 40:35. violicalvert@optusnet.com.au (Violi Calvert) Sat, 01 Aug 2009 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9822/1/X-Sports-is-coming-to-Croatia-this-summer.html Tom Novak (left) is proprietor of New York based X Sports, an agency that represents athletes. X Sports will be coming to Croatia this summer to explore possibilities of improving stadium infrastructure with professional sports teams and sports organizations.   stecak@sbcglobal.net (Marko Puljiæ) Mon, 29 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9815/1/Dr-Ante-Simonic-and-Dr-Zlatko-Matesa-captains-of-two-Chinese-football-teams.html Dr. Ante Simoniæ, ambassador of the Republic of Croatia, and Dr. Zlatko Mate¹a, head of the Croatian Olympic Committee, had the honor to be captains of two teams dressed in well known Croatian sports dresses. One team was composed of members of China Radio International Program in Croatian language, and another of former Chinese students of Croatian language in Bejing, plus Dr. Simoniæ and Dr. Mate¹a as captains. Dr. Simoniæ on the photo. darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Wed, 17 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9809/1/Four-Croatian-female-alpinists-conquered-Mt-Everest-in-May-2009.html Four Croatian female alpinists climbed on Mt Everest, among them two sisters Darija and Iris Bostjanèiæ on the photo. It was for the first time that two sisters climbed on the top of Himalayas. This success was a result of team work in which 11 Croatian female alpinists participated. The expedition was organized by Croatian Mountaineering Association on the occasion of 135 years of its existence, founded in 1874, one of the oldest such organizations in the world. darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Thu, 11 Jun 2009 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9797/1/Jovica-Kozlica-paper-plane-world-champion-in-Salzburg-2009.html Jovica Kozlica, a 26-years old student from Split, Croatia was the only champion from 2006 who defended his title again in Salzburg in 2009. Once again, he won the first place in the Longest Distance category with a throw of 54.43 metres, proving that Croats aren't just good at building ships, but also at aerodynamics. edivjak@gmail.com (Eugen Divjak) Tue, 26 May 2009 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9788/1/Ivan-Kljakovic-Gaspic-overall-winner-of-the-World-Cup-Finn-Class-2009.html Ivan Kljakovic Gaspic (CRO) is the overall winner in the Finn class at the 41st Semaine Olympique Française in Hyeres Friday. This was his first Grade 1 win in the class. Another Croatian Marin Mi¹ura won the fifth place at the same competition. Croatia and GB are the only countries with two representatives among 10 most successful competitors. darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Mon, 04 May 2009 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9782/1/Sofia-Mulanovich-Peruvian-surfer-of-Croatian-descent-inducted-in-Olympic-Museum.html Sofía Mulánovich Aljovín is a Peruvian surfer of Croatian descent. She is the first Peruvian surfer ever to win an Association of Surfing Professionals World Championship Tour event. In 2007 she was inducted into the Surfers Hall of Fame, and in 2009 into the Olympic Museum in Laussane in Switzerland. darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Fri, 17 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9774/1/Museum-of-Frogs-in-Lokve-Croatia.html In the village of Lokve in the region of Gorski Kotar in Croatia there is a unique museum devoted to frogs, called Muzej ¾aba - Museum of Frogs. Regular competitions are organized in frog jumping, which are very popular, among children as well as among grown-ups. Competitors with their frogs arrive from all over Croatia. darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Wed, 08 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9766/1/Mario-Preskars-15th-win-in-heavy-weight-professional-boxing-on-March-28-2009.html Mario Preskar has 15 wins, 2 draws and is undefeated In his short career as a heavyweight professional boxer. His last victory was against Georgian boxer Zurab Naniashvili in the Ukrainian city of Èerkasi. vnazor@yahoo.com (Vedran Joseph Nazor) Thu, 02 Apr 2009 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9750/1/Croatian-World-Games---Zadar-2010-Interview-with-Franjo-Pavic.html The second Croatian World Games, also known as Crolympia will be held in Zadar in July, 2010, and organized by the Croatian World Congress, the main association of expatriate Croatians in the world. Interview with Mr. Franjo Pavic, head of the organisation committee for Germany and coordinator for Europe anton@bulic.net (Anton Bulic) Wed, 18 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9748/1/Josip-Mikulec-tireless-world-hiker-hundred-years-ago.html  Very brave Croatian adventurer Josip Mikulec set out to circumnavigate the globe on foot in the span of five years.  With the start of this journey in Croatia's capital Zagreb he became a perpetual wanderer.  Mostly hiking, he traveled the world some 28 years and achieved a degree of fame for having collected more than 30,000 autographs of world-famous people.  cuvalo@gmail.com (Dr. Ante Èuvalo) Wed, 18 Mar 2009 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9714/1/Croatia-winning-silver-on-Feb-1-2009-in-Handball-World-Championship.html  Croatia - Poland 29:23. Outstanding right wing Ivan Cupic, who scored 12 goals, as well as 19 saves by keeper Mirko Allilovic paved Croatia's way to the final of their dreams where they met France. France has defeated host Croatia in the final of this year World Handball championship in a thrilling match that saw both sides tied for most of the match. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 30 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9707/1/Croatia-32---Spain-22-at-World-Handball-Championship-Croatia-2009.html Croatia convincingly defeated handball superpower Spain 32:22. The match was also a revenge of Croatian handball team for the defeat they suffered from Spain in the match for the third place at the Olympics in Beijing. In a great atmosphere of Spaladium Arena Croatian players showed determination from the very beginning. Ivano Baliæ on the photo, one of the best players of today, playing for Croatia in his native city of Split. darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Thu, 22 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9704/1/Croatia-opens-2009-World-Handball-Championship-with-a-thrilling-win.html Igor Vori (left) was named player of the game in Croatia's opening match against Korea to kick off the 2009 Men's World Handball Championship being hosted by Croatia. It will be held from January 16 - February 1 at various venues in Croatia. stecak@sbcglobal.net (Marko Puljiæ) Fri, 16 Jan 2009 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9689/1/Bevan-Calvert-Goes-to-the-World-Championship-in-Croatia-January-2009.html  The Australian Handball Federation has selected the members of the Men's Team which will compete in the World Championship to be held in Croatia in January 2009. CROWN’s friend, Bevan Calvert is one of these players. We saw Bevan in the game against Croatian handball team during the 2005 World Championship. Shower them with love Osijek. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 31 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9683/1/New-Soccer-star-Argentinian-Croat-Dario-Cvitanich-nets-hat-trick-for-Ajax.html Dario Cvitanich (left) secured his hat trick in the 3-0 win over Den Haag inside the first hour of play (6', 17', 55'). He has also scored 6 goals in the last 3 games for Ajax. Cvitanich was born in Argentina but is of Croatian origin. mocnaj@gmail.com (Ratimir Mocnaj) Tue, 30 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9679/1/Croatian-born-Mirna-Jukic-wins-Austrian-quotAthlete-of-the-Yearquot.html  Thomas Morgenstern (ski jumping) and Mirna Jukic (swimming) are the Austrian Athletes of the Year for 2008. More than 300 members of Sports Media Austria voted this year for the nation's top athletes including the team of the year. Mirna Jukic is Austria's most successful swimmer ever. Born in Croatia, she came to Austria in 1999 and received Austrian citizenship a year later. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 22 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9678/1/Ivica-Kostelic-Croatian-skier-wins-his-9th-World-Cup-at-Alta-Badia.html Ivica Kosteliæ, Croatian skier, secured his ninth career win at the Alta Badia slalom in Italy, finishing ahead of France's Jean-Baptiste Grange and Austria's Benjamin Raich. This is a nice introduction to a world skiing event "Snow Queen Trophy" that will take place on January 4th and 6th 2009  in Zagreb, capital of Croatia. darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Mon, 22 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9670/1/12th-European-Short-Course-Championships-in-Rijeka-Dec-11-14-2008.html  The city of Rijeka plays host to the 12th European Short Course Championships to be held at the Kantrida Swimming Complex from December 11-14, 2008. More than 600 top athletes, from some 50 European countries, accompanied with quite a number of distinguished persons related to this wonderful sport. stecak@sbcglobal.net (Marko Puljiæ) Wed, 10 Dec 2008 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9646/1/Valentina-Golubenko-and-Ivan-Saric-young-Croatian-world-chess-champions.html Valentina Golubenko and Ivan ©ariæ are world youth chess champions for 2008, at the competition organized in Vietnam. With two gold medals and one bronze, Croatia is ranked third at the World Competition, after India and Vietnam, and before China, Russia, USA, Germany etc. Congratulations from the CROWN! darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Fri, 31 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9634/1/Helen-Crlenkovich-renowned-Croatian---American-springboard-diver.html Helen Crlenkovich (1921-1955) was one of the most successful athletes in America and the world on the three-meter springboard and the ten-meter platform. She was an American-born Croatian lovingly known as  "Klinky." She was the first female to do a full-twisting 1 1/2 somersault and several other dives that were heretofore only achieved by men. cuvalo@gmail.com (Dr. Ante Èuvalo) Mon, 13 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9624/1/Branimir-Budetiae-won-silver-medal-for-Croatia-in-China.html Branimir Budetiæ of Croatia celebrates after finishing second during the final of the men's javelin F11-12 classification event at the 2008 Beijing Paralympic Games in Beijing on September 10, 2008. darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Mon, 22 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9623/1/Darko-Kralj-won-gold-medal-for-Croatia-in-China.html Darko Kralj won gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Paraolympic Games in China. Competing in Men's Shot Put he broke a new world record at the National Stadium known as Bird's Nest. He said: "My biggest wish was to listen to the Croatian anthem in Beijing." Mr. Kralj lost his left leg  in 1991 during the Serbian aggression on Croatia (1990-1995). darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Mon, 22 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9621/1/Antonia-Balek-won-two-gold-medals-for-Croatia-in-China.html Antonia Balek two gold medals for Croatia at the 2008 Paraolympic Games in China. The first gold medal has been won in women's javelin, and the second in women's Shot Put, both with new world records. The competition was held in the National Stadium known as Bird's Nest in front of 85,000 spectators. Antonia survived  a deep coma which lasted for 3 years. darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Sun, 21 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9617/1/Cradle-Of-Football-Is-Not-England-But-Dalmatia.html In the 1st ct BC, young Illyrian Delmata tribe warriors, bided their time by passing each other a ball made from leather or bull hair. Sinj-based amateur archaeologist Josip Bepo Britvic dedicated his entire life to proving and providing evidence for this theory. Taking a walk in 1947, in hometown Sinj, he saw a rooted relief on a facade, showing a young man holding...a "football". mocnaj@gmail.com (Ratimir Mocnaj) Fri, 12 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9612/1/For-retired-coach-Chuck-Mrazovich-keeping-fits-a-slam-dunk.html At 84, Chuck Mrazovich has been aging well. The retired EKU basketball coach keeps himself fit and by staying active with multiple hobbies, like antiques, raising grandchildren designing furniture, playing the brac, eating well and working out. stecak@sbcglobal.net (Marko Puljiæ) Wed, 27 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9611/1/Croatians-in-America---photo-collection-by-Vladimir-Novak-part-3.html Mr. Vladimir Novak brings us a new series of exceptionally interesting photos related to life and work of Croatians in America, collected over several decades in the USA. As in previous two presentations,  much of this material is presented for the first time, exclusively for the readers of CROWN. On the left Marin Plestina, a famous wrestler. darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Wed, 27 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9609/1/Blanka-Vlasic-wins-historic-Olympic-medal-for-Croatia-at-Beijing-2008.html Then comes a small "poof" when Vlasic lands in the thick pad, the bar undisturbed. Seven times she did this Saturday night, the obediently motionless bar a little higher each time. The noise inhaled by the gasp of 91,000 fans. The high-jump contest was advertised as the showcase of a legend in this sport, Blanka Vlasic's 14-month winning streak at 38. A true pride of Croatia. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 24 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9608/1/Marin-Cilic-beats-Mardy-Fish-at-Pilot-Pen-for-first-ATP-victory.html Marin Cilic of Croatia won his first ATP Tour event Saturday, beating American Mardy Fish 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 at the Pilot Pen, a U.S. Open tuneup. Despite having the crowd against him, the 19-year-old Cilic broke the hard-serving Fish five times, three times in the final set, to secure the win in his first finals appearance. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 24 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9607/1/Filip-Ude-won-silver-medal-in-pommel-horse-at-2008-Bejing-Olympic-Games.html Filip Ude won the first Croatian medal in gymnastics at Olympic Games. He won silver medal in pommel horse at 2008 Bejing Olympic Games. This is a result of painstaking work, directed by the Russian trainer Igor Kriajimskij. Recently a top quality multipurpose gymnastic center has been opened in Nedeli¹æe on the North of Croatia. darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Thu, 21 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9606/1/Veljko-Rogosic-first-to-swim-from-Europe-to-Africa-via-Sicilia-in-July-2008.html Veljko Rogo¹iæ, one of the most famous longdistance swimmers in history, swam from the island of Sicilia to Tunisia at the age of 67! He is thus the first human being to be able to connect Europe and Africa along this way. It took him 50 hours. This is one of the greatest achievements of Croatian sport in history. He is swimming under the motto "With sport against drugs!" darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Wed, 13 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9604/1/106-Croatian-sportswomen-and-sportsmen-at-the-2008-Bejing-Olympic-Games.html Croatia sent the record number of 106 representatives to the 2008 Bejing Olympic Games. Some of them are planetary sport stars, like high-jumper Blanka Vla¹iæ who up to now has an amazing series of 34 consecutive wins at international competitions. On the photo is a famous "Croatian worm" composed of CRO handball players, winners at the Olympics in Athens and Atlanta. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 08 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9598/1/Ivo-Karlovic-beat-Roger-Federer-at-Cincinnati-Masters-2008.html Ivo Karloviæ, Croatian tennis player known as The King of Aces, beat Roger Federer at Cincinnati Masters 2008, scoring 21 aces. He has the most devastating serve in ATP history. He is the tallest player ever on the ATP Tour at 208 cm (6 ft 10 in). In 2007 he finished the year with 1,318 aces, second all-time behind Goran Ivani¹eviæ, who hit 1,477 in 1996. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 03 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9594/1/Charles-Billichs-Bing-Ma-Yong-cycle-of-paintings-in-China.html Inspired by the conviction that the Chinese Olympic Committee should adopt a traditional symbol as the official image of the 2008 Beijing Bid, Billich created the Bing Ma Yong cycle of paintings. Charles Billich is Croatian-Australian painter, born in Croatia, and official painter of the 2008 Olympiad in China. darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Sat, 19 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9579/1/Croatia---China-then-and-now.html On the left you can see a postage stamp issued in Zagreb with Croatian name written in Chinese, designed by Boris Ljubièiæ. Croatian Tales from Long Ago, written by Ivana Brliæ Ma¾uraniæ, have been published in China already in 1957. Dragutin ©urbek, a famous Croatian ping-pong player, was very popular in China, nicknamed there as Surbeka. darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Mon, 07 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9577/1/China-Radio-International-in-Croatian-language-on-the-WWW.html The web site croatian.cri.cn was solemnly opened by China Radio International during a nice ceremony held in Zagreb in July 2nd 2008. It was launched in the presence of Chinese ambassador in Croatia His Excellency Mr. Wu Lianqi and other distinguished guests. It represents the first web site in Croatian language in China. darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Fri, 04 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9575/1/Wimbledon-2008-Intelligent-Ancic-beats-Fernando-Verdasco-in-thriller.html The intelligent Croatian, who this time last year was so weak from the after effects of glandular fever that he could barely go for a walk without having to sleep for several hours afterwards, was stoic in his victory. The final set had extended 94 minutes and nerves were clearly at jangling point. However Ancic was sufficiently composed to club his 15th and final ace into quarterfinals. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 30 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9572/1/Thank-You-Croatia-Spasibo-Horvatiya.html Amazing news: Russian web site www.soccer.ru/spasibo invites all Russian fans to Say Thank You to Croatia!  or in Russian, Spasibo Horvatiya! Namely, Croatian 2007 win at Wembley in London over England opened the door for the Russian team to appear at the 2008 European Football Championship. Thousands of Russians of all ages responded to the invitation. darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Tue, 24 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9570/1/Drazen-Petrovic-a-famous-Croatian-basketball-player-left-us-15-years-ago.html Dra¾en Petroviæ, a famous Croatian basketball player, died on June 1993, ie 15 years ago. With all the problems going on in Croatia back then, Dra¾en gave all of Croatia the joy of Basketball to alleviate their pains. His very nice monument can be seen in front of the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, Switzerland. ipuscenik@yahoo.com (Ivan Pu¹æenik) Sat, 21 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9566/1/Croatia-defeats-Germany-2-1-at-the-Euro-2008-European-Soccer-Championships.html Croatia's Darijo Srna, left, celebrates with his teammate Danijel Pranjic after scoring the opening goal during the group B match between Croatia and Germany in Klagenfurt, Austria, at the Euro 2008 European Soccer Championships in Austria and Switzerland. Ivobach2@aol.com (Ivo Bach) Thu, 12 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9564/1/Euro-2008-begins-Croatia-defeats-Austria-1-0.html Croatian midfielder Luka Modric (left) celebrates after scoring a penalty during their Euro 2008 Championships Group B football match Austria vs. Croatia at Ernst-Happel stadium in Vienna, Austria. Croatia won 1-0. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 09 Jun 2008 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9554/1/Ivan-Kljakoviae-Gapiae-second-at-Finn-European-Championship.html Ivan Kljakoviæ Ga¹piæ, Croatian sailor from the city of Split, won silver medal at Finn European Championship held in La Marina di Scarlino, Maremma, Tuscany, Italy, 2-10 May 2008. This is a great success of Croatian sport. darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Thu, 15 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9546/1/Handball-Connects-People.html Sports is a great catalyst for world peace, because it is transparent as much as it can be, plus people connect through the game regardless where they came from and what they do or make for a living. At the game we are all together on the same spiritual level. It is very close to music. violicalvert@optusnet.com.au (Violi Calvert) Tue, 06 May 2008 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9533/1/Niko-Dzapo-will-be-racing-for-Team-USA-in-China-May-29---June-1-2008.html Great success by young Niko Dzapo (left). Niko will be racing as part of the Team USA at the UCI BMX World Championship in Taiyaun China which will be held on May 29 - June 1, 2008. This has been a dream come true for Niko to represent the USA. Niko's motto is "keep trying, you have nothing to lose". ddzapo@tibco.com (Dragan Dzapo) Mon, 21 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9527/1/Charles-Billich-prepares-for-The-Olympic-Games-in-China-2008.html Charles Billich, outstanding Croatian painter living in Australia, created the Bing Mah Yong cycle of paintings for the needs of the 2008 Beijing Olympiade. So well received has this work been that his paintings are represented on a collection of 16 postage stamps currently in circulation in China. darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Wed, 16 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9526/1/Sanja-Jovanoviae-wins-gold-by-breaking-her-own-world-record-in-50m-backstroke.html Sanja Jovanoviæ broke her own world record on 50m backstroke swimming at the World Swimming Championships Manchester 2008, UK. Her new world record time is 26.37. With Duje Draganja's world record the other day this is one of the greatest achievements in the history of Croatian sport. They won two gold and two bronze medals, first time ever. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 14 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9525/1/Duje-Draganja-the-fastest-swimming-man-on-the-planet-Earth.html   Croatian Superman, Duje Draganja, the fastest swimming man on the planet conquers world record on 50 meters free style in Manchester, England on April 11th 2008. The Croatian swimmer, wearing Speedo's LZR Racer suit, finished in 20.81 seconds. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 12 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9524/1/Croatia-8211-Land-of-World-Swimming-Record-Holders.html Two world swimming records are an achievement not even larger and stronger countries, than our “little” Croatia, can afford. But at this moment Croatians are celebrating and bragging with such achievements, thanks to Duje Draganja and Sanja Jovanovic, young swimmers who brought the world’s swimming to its knees. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 12 Apr 2008 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9513/1/Swimming-success-of-Croatia-at-European-championship-in-2008.html Gordan Ko¾ulj, Vanja Rogulj, Mario Todoroviæ and Duje Draganja won silver medals in men's 100m medley relay at the European Swimming Championships in the Netherlands. Sanja Jovanoviæ won bronze medal in women's 50m backstroke, and Duje Draganje silver medal in 50m freestyle. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 25 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9509/1/After-23-years-the-Parachute-World-Cup-Series-returns-to-Croatia.html The World Parachute Cup Series returns to Croatia in 2008 after a 23 year absence. It is being organized by the "Krila Kvarnera" Parachuting Club from Rijeka and will be held in  the town of Mali Lo¹inj on June 7, 2008. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 15 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9507/1/Blanka-Vlaiae-becomes-indoor-high-jump-world-champion.html Croatia's Blanka Vla¹iæ (left) has continued her streak of victories and has become the world champion in indoor high jump in Valencia. She has added the indoor gold medal to her outdoor gold medal. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 10 Mar 2008 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9456/1/Croatia-to-play-Scotland-in-friendly-March-26-2008-in-Glasgow.html Slaven Bilic (left) will lead the Croatian National Team in a friendly match against Scotland on march 26, 2008. The Scots feel that a match against a team ranked 10th in the world will provide the kind of test Scotland needs if they are to build on their impressive, if ultimately unsuccessful, Euro 2008 qualification bid. stecak@sbcglobal.net (Marko Puljiæ) Fri, 29 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9495/1/Mario-Aneiae-and-Ivan-Ljubieiae-advance-to-quarterfinals-at-Zagreb-Indoors.html Top-seeded Ivan Ljubièiæ served 18 aces in beating fellow Croat Lovro Zovko 6-4, 7-6 (3) to make the quarterfinals of the Zagreb Indoors on Wednesday. The other remaining Croat, unseeded Mario Anèiæ (left), reached his first quarterfinal in Zagreb when he defeated German Denis Gremelmayr 6-3, 6-2. stecak@sbcglobal.net (Marko Puljiæ) Thu, 28 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9485/1/Falkua-regatta-in-1593-the-earliest-known-regatta-in-Europe.html The 1593 regatta consisted of seventy four wooden fishing boats called falku¹a, from the harbour of the town of Komi¾a on the island of Vis to the islet of Palagru¾a. It was the oldest known boat race in Europe. Falku¹a is autochthonous Croatian boat of 9m of length, with the mast of equal size, in use from 11th or 12th century. darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Tue, 19 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9482/1/Super-Mario-Aneiae-Comeback-in-2008-with-the-Finals-in-Marseille-France.html   Super Mario as they call Mario Anèiæ is announcing a comeback in 2008 with a great game against Baghdatis in Marseille, France. Finals are tomorrow. After being ill for more than a year, Mario is showing his talent again for his fans worldwide. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 16 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9478/1/High-Jump-World-Champion-Blanka-Vlaiaes-20th-consecutive-victory.html Croatia's world champion Blanka Vla¹iæ earned her 20th consecutive victory on Wednesday at the Women's High Jump Meeting in her hometown of Split. The 24-year-old jumped 2.01 metres, setting a meet record at a venue just a few hundred metres from her Dalmatian coast home. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 15 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9474/1/Snow-Queen-Trophy-2008-Croatia-Sljeme.html This year's Snow Queen Trophy will be held February 15-17, 2008 and it's truly a season-highlight for slalom skiers that is being organized this year. Two gate-races are planned on the icy slopes of Sljeme situated a half an hour from Croatia's capital city. stecak@sbcglobal.net (Marko Puljiæ) Fri, 15 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9481/1/Ivan-Ljubieiae-wins-in-South-Africa.html Tournament top seed Ivan Ljubièiæ of Croatia (left) had to pull out all the stops against Algerian qualifier Lamine Ouahab -- ranked in singles far below him at 318 -- before battling to a three-set 6-4 4-6 6-3 win. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 14 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9476/1/Croatia-Ambassador-to-China-visits-Macau-Olympic-Committee.html The ambassador of the Republic of Croatia to China, Boris Veliæ (left), and president of the Croatian Olympic Committee, Zlatko Mate¹a, visited the Macau Olympic Committee last week at the newly inaugurated Macau Olympic Committee Headquarters. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 13 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9473/1/Alpine-skiing-legends-to-take-part-in-Croatia-charity-race.html Sixteen alpine skiing legends including Italy's Alberto Tomba and Sweden's Ingemar Stenmark will take part in a charity race in Croatia on February 17, 2008. They will race in a mixed-sex giant slalom event with Ivica Kosteliæ (left), among others. Money collected from the race will be donated to a hospital for chronic child diseases in Gornja Bistra near Zagreb. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 13 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9470/1/Sensational-play-by-Lana-Rukavina-leads-Wheeling-to-victory.html For Lana Rukavina, it was about time. It was about time she was back leading her team in a big game. It was about time her Wheeling team finally got a shot at the Mid-Suburban League girls basketball title. Mostly, it was about time she made up for lost time. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 10 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9462/1/David-Diehl-gets-the-Super-Bowl-42.html  Croatian American David Diehl in the light of glory, after wining 42nd Super Bowl for New York Giants.  In five NFL seasons, durable jack-of-all-trades David Diehl has started every game the Giants have played - 85, including playoffs. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 06 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9461/1/Sensational-victory-by-skiers-Kosteliae-and-Dim-on-February-3rd-2008.html Two Croatians on the podium at Val d' Isere. Natko Zrnèiæ Dim (left) achieved the result of his career in Val D'Isere, France. There in the super combination he gained the third place behind Bode Miller and Ivica Kosteliæ. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 06 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9455/1/Belichick--Diehl-Two-Croatian-Americans-face-off-at-Super-Bowl-XLII.html Croatian-American Bill Belichick (left) has led the England Patriots to three Super Bowl victories, the most recent in 2005. This Sunday, February 3, 2008, his Patriots face the New York Giants led by fellow Croatian-American offensive lineman David Diehl. The Giants have not won a Super Bowl since 1990 and are ready to rise to the challenge. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 01 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9449/1/Croatia-in-the-Finals-of-the-2008-European-Mens-Handball-Championship.html   When the final whistle was blown, all Croatian players were dancing on the court, the French players collapsed to the floor in disappointment: Croatia won the first semi-final against the title holders with a 24:23 victory. January 26, 2006. Lackovic decides in a thrilling endgame against France. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 26 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9444/1/Zagreb-Thunder---the-first-American-Football-team-in-Croatia.html American football team Zagreb Thunder was founded in 2006 by a group of enthusiasts who share passion for American Football. Future goals are increasing the number of players, playing more games, joining a European League of American Football, and developing American football in Croatia. vladom@xnet.hr (Vladimir Mihajloviæ) Thu, 24 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9445/1/Limestone-College-has-four-Croatian-sensations-on-its-swim-team.html Zeljko Karaman, Goran Majlat, Marija Grubic, Ines Speranda, all from Split, Croatia swam for Limestone College at a recent swim meet against  Savannah College of Art and Design. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 21 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9447/1/Michael-Bahoric--Amy-Ireland-off-to-Croatia-to-skate.html Amy Ireland and her partner Michael Bahoric (left), will be competing in senior pairs for Croatia at the ISU European figure skating championships in Zagreb, Croatia, January 21-28, 2008. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 20 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9446/1/Marin-Cilic-follows-Croatian-heroes-by-defeating-Fernando-Gonzalez.html First there was the man himself, Goran Ivanisevic, the towering, big-serving lefty who won Wimbledon in 2001. Then there was Mario Ancic, who was slightly taller, with a serve just as mighty, but a fragile body. Yesterday, it was the turn for the latest player to emerge from Croatia, Marin Cilic (left), to step into the limelight. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 20 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9439/1/Croatian-sensations---Niko-Micin-and-Petra-Radovic-at-the-University-of-Washington.html Each year, thousands of students from around the country come to Seattle to start their college careers at the UW. Some come from small towns, some from big cities and some even come from other countries. Niko Micin (left) and Petra Radovic are two people who fall into the latter category. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 17 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9435/1/David-Diehl---Croatian-among-Giants---In-NFC-Championship-2008.html David Diehl is an American football player with Croatian and German background. He is an offensive lineman in the National Football League. Diehl is currently a starter on the offensive line for the New York Giants. See him playing for the N.F.C. Championship on TV, January 20th, 2008. Check Grb on his arm. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 15 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9422/1/Eduardo-struck-his-sixth-goal-in-four-games-to-give-Arsenal-the-advantage.html Eduardo struck his sixth goal in four games to give Arsenal the advantage at half-time in their FA Cup third-round match at Burnley. The Croatia international seized on to a lofted pass over the top by Kolo Toure and held off Steven Caldwell before slipping the ball neatly past Gabor Kiraly. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 04 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9413/1/Filip-Grgiae-world-champion-in-Taekwondo-for-2007-in-Bejing-China.html Filip Grgiæ, Croatia, won gold medal at the prestigous 2007 Bejing WTF World Taekwondo Championships in male bantamweight (under 62kg) category, China. As we know, Taekwondo is an olympic sport. darko_zubrinic@yahoo.com (Prof.Dr. Darko Zubrinic) Tue, 01 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9400/1/Compassionate-player-Vedran-Corluka-BiH-and-Croatias-pride.html 'Me and my family have had to fight for everything that we have ever had and I still have that attitude. It has played a big part in helping me deal with life and my profession.'  Raised in the small Bosnian village of Derventa, Corluka and his family fled to Croatia when he was six to escape a Serb onslaught that was to burn down the family house letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 25 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9402/1/Croatia-ranked-10th-in-the-world-by-FIFA.html With few international matches played in the past month, the top 20 remain unchanged with Argentina on 1,523 points ahead of Brazil  (1,502), world champions Italy (1,498), Spain (1,349) and Germany (1,298). The remainder of the top 10 are taken up by Czech Republic (1,290), France (1,243), Portugal (1,241), Netherlands (1,170) and Croatia (1,129). letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 23 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9398/1/Roger-Maris-Croatian-American-baseball-player-snubbed-by-Baseball-Hall-of-Fame.html Baseball's report about player use of steroids and growth hormones was issued last Thursday, the 22nd anniversary of the death of one of the greatest players not in the Hall of Fame. Maybe he'll get there now. Baseball needs him. Maris still holds the American League record for homers in a single season. stecak@sbcglobal.net (Marko Puljiæ) Thu, 20 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9405/1/Ivan--Klasnic-enjoys-fairytale-finish.html Werder Bremen's Ivan Klasnic (left) enjoyed a Christmas fairytale finish to the kidney transplant nightmare - which almost ended his career - with two goals in the 5-2 win over Bayer Leverkusen. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 18 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9384/1/Croatias-Sanja-Jovanovic-sets-50m-backstroke-world-record-Dec-15th-2007.html Croatia's Sanja Jovanovic has set a new world record on her way to winning a short-course swimming race at the European Championships in Hungary. Jovanovic finished the 50-meter backstroke in 26.5 seconds, 0.33 seconds faster than the previous record set by China's Hui Li. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 15 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9390/1/A-Hard-Work-Day-for-Croatias-Borna-Kovac.html   On 12th December 2007 the World Junior Table Tennis Championships (WJTTC) in Palo Alto, California, began for several athletes that did not play in the team events, in the Singles events they made their debuts. One of them was Borna Kovac (left). The sixteen year old Croat started rather weakly in the tournament but improved a great deal. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 14 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9379/1/Australian-Boxer-puts-own-money-on-the-line-to-fight-Stipe-Drews.html   Australian boxer Danny Green has put his money on the line to fight reigning light heavyweight world champion Croatia's Stipe Drews (left) in Perth, Australia on Sunday December 16th, 2007. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 10 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9374/1/Niko-Dzapo-Croatian-BMX-racer-ranked-1st-in-cruiser-class-in-California.html Niko is ranked 1st in cruiser class and 2nd in expert class in California. He will represent California in Columbus, Ohio at the Columbus Convention Center for the President's Cup. Only the top 15 riders for each class from each state can qualify for this race. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 06 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9366/1/Croatia-advances-at-the-XVIII-Womens-World-Handball-Championships.html   Having won both of their preliminary matches against Kazakhstan and Argentina, the Croatian Women's Handball team advances to the next round of the XVIII Women's World Championships being held in France. violicalvert@optusnet.com.au (Violi Calvert) Mon, 03 Dec 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9360/1/Basketball-players-from-Croatia-and-Bosna-Herzegovina-in-the-US.html   Toni Kukoc (left) played in the NBA for the Milwaukee Bucks. Have you ever stopped and wondered how many players there are from Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina at the university level in the United States? It is an impressive list. vnazor@yahoo.com (Vedran Joseph Nazor) Wed, 28 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9353/1/In-1880-local-Croatian-young-men-began-to-play-football-in-Zupanja.html In 1880 local Croatian young men began to play football in Zupanja. Since there were only nine of the Englishmen who came to Croatia several years before as experts for exploitation of oak forest, they invited local boys to join them. There is the first written record of local young men playing English football and having genuine Englishmen as tutors and team-mates. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 23 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9352/1/How-to-build-a-decent-team-Follow-Croatias-lead.html Croatia would have deserved a victory by several more goals. This may have been the greatest display from a visiting nation to Wembley in modern times A nation of 4.7 million people had produced a side that made England, with a population of 10 times that size, look ponderous. The 3-2 result was a sort of ... letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 23 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9351/1/Croatia-3--English-Retailers--12-billion.html It's not just English soccer fans who will be gloomily slumped over their pint glass after a loss against Croatia in a qualifying match took the English team out of the Euro 2008, the quadrennial European championship. The Defeat will cost British retailers an estimated £600 million = $1.2 billion. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 22 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9350/1/Spectacular-win-3-2-by-Croatia-over-England-at-Wembley-on-Nov-21-2007.html So why is a sport victory so important? It is important because you can not easily corrupt 11 people on the field and if you try, it is obvious. At the moment when Croatia had nothing to lose, since we already qualified for the Euro 2008, our national pride and sportsmanship was, where it should be. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 21 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9321/1/Toronto-Croatia-wins-Canadian-Soccer-League-championship-series-title-2007.html Toronto Croatia didn't score a goal in the second leg of their Canadian Soccer League championship series with the Serbian White Eagles. It turns out they didn't need one, meaning Croatia's 4-1 victory in Saturday's first leg was enough to give the Mississauga, Ont.-based team the title. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 29 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9320/1/Croatia-surprise-Poland-to-move-up-rankings-in-Rugby.html Poland suffered a surprise 14-15 defeat at home to Croatia in Division 2B of the European Nations Cup (ENC) on 27 October, which also sees them drop four places to 35th place in the latest IRB World Rankings. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 29 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9315/1/TENNIS-ATP-Basel-St-Petersburg-Lyon-5-Croatians--5-Victories.html Ivan Ljubicic passed the first round with a victory over Sam Querrey in Lyon, France. Karanusic and Karlovic easily won their opponents in Basel, Switzerland. Dr. Ivo won with 6:3 and 6:2 and Ancic and Cilic won in St. Petersburg, Russia. Our boys are doing great. 5 matches and 5 victories. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 23 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9304/1/Ace-king-Karlovic-pounds-out-third-title-of-season-in-Stockholm.html Croatian Ivo Karlovic fired 27 aces to lift his third title of the season on a different surface as he won the indoor Stockholm Open. Along with impeccable Roger Federer, Karlovic is the only other play in the ATP to own titles on three contrasting surfaces during the campaign. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 15 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9302/1/Croatia-stays-on-the-top-and-beats-Israel-1-0-in-Euro-2008-qualifying.html Zagreb, Croatia: Eduardo Da Silva scored the lone goal Saturday to lead Croatia over Israel 1-0 in European Championship qualifying. It was Eduardo's 10th for Croatia in 10 qualifying matches. Croatia remains at the top of Group E with 26 points, three more than England. Coach Bilic (left) celebrates with a dance. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 13 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9290/1/Karlovic-dumps-out-Hewitt-to-advance-into-semifinals.html Seventh seed Ivo Karlovic sent former world number one Lleyton Hewitt packing from the Japan Open with a 7-6 (5) 7-6 (6) victory over the fourth seed. The Croatian number two counted on 25 aces to overcome Australia's Hewitt, and in-so-doing became only the fourth player to hit 1,000 aces in one season. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 05 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9277/1/Croatia-Advances-at-World-Cup-of-Pool.html Ivica Putnik lines up his shot at the World cup of Pool.  Croatia stunned the 16th seed Russia with an upset victory. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 26 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9258/1/EURO-2008-Soccer-Croatia-wins-Andorra-6-0-Estonia-2-0-to-stay-on-top.html     letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 12 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9252/1/Ivan-Ljubicic-Ace-Leader.html    TEPESHK@aol.com (Katarina Tepesh) Sat, 08 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9249/1/A-new-star-was-born---Blanka-Vlasic---intelligent-and-sexy.html Blanka Dances with Relaxing and Positive Energy for Gold. Collection of videos.   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 04 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9247/1/Croatias-Blanka-Vlasic-wins-GOLD-at-the-World-Athletics-Championships-in-Osaka.html   Blanka Vlasic, Croatian high jumper, confirmed her status as the premier athlete in the women's event with an easy victory at the IAAF World Championships in Osaka, Japan. Croatia's Blanka Vlasic has won 12 out of the 13 outdoor competitions she has entered this year 2007. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 03 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9229/1/Croatia-celebrates-in-Sarajevo---beats-BiH-5-3.html  Mladen Petric (left), celebrates Croatia's 5-3 win over Bosnia-Herzegovina  after yesterday's friendly in Sarajevo. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 23 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9227/1/FIFA-ranks-Croatia-6th-in-the-world.html    letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 22 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9225/1/Free-Admission-to-US-Open-Tennis-Qualifying-Matches.html Come see the best Croatian tennis stars, Ivan Ljubicic, Ivo Karlovic, Mario Ancic, and Jelena Kostanic Tosic, as they practice and compete for the 2007 US Open!  TEPESHK@aol.com (Katarina Tepesh) Mon, 20 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9220/1/10th-Annual-Horse-Race-in-Ravni-Kotari.html  U subotu, 18.08.2007.god. s pocetkom u 17h u Polaci odrzat ce se jubilarne 10. medunarodne konjicke utrke galopera i kasaca. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 17 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9218/1/Handball-Egypt-and-Croatia-secure-spot-in-Main-Round.html  Croatia is the second team to secure a spot in the next phase of the Men's Junior World Championships in Macedonia, after drawing 25:25 with neighbours Slovenia. violicalvert@optusnet.com.au (Violi Calvert) Fri, 17 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9211/1/2-Silver-medals-for-Croatia-at-the-World-University-Games.html Josipa Kusanic (right), and Danijela Grgic won silver in Taekwondo and the 400 meter race respectively at the 24th World University Games in Bangkok, Thailand.   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 13 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9210/1/Martin-Sinkovic-wins-bronze-in-Beijing.html  Martin Sinkovic (left) won a bronze medal at the World Rowing Junior Championships in Beijing, China. stecak@sbcglobal.net (Marko Puljiæ) Mon, 13 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9205/1/10th-International-Boat-Race-in-Metkoviae.html  10th International Boat Race in the southern Croatian town of Metkoviæ on the Neretva River on Saturday, Aug 11, 2007. More than 600 sportsmen in 35 teams compete. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 13 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9204/1/The-awakening-of-a-new-Lipik.html   This summer the small town of  is coming back to life. Prior to the Homeland war, Lipik was side to side with the most prestigious European health resorts Baden Baden and Karlovy Vary. In September 1991 everything was burned down and destroyed. ipuscenik@yahoo.com (Ivan Pu¹æenik) Mon, 13 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9197/1/Karlovic-and-Ancic-won-in-Montreal-Both-into-the-second-round.html     letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 07 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9196/1/Rare-air-indeed---Vlasic-Jumps-Second-Highest-in-the-History-of-the-World.html With 2.07, Vlasic moves up to No. 3 all-time in Stockholm Tuesday 7 August 2007. Blanka attacked her own Croatian record of 2.06 with the bar raised to 2.07. All the spectators in the fully packed Olympic Arena will remember Blanka Vlasic's 2.07 leap. bachlea@gmail.com (Lea Bach) Tue, 07 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9185/1/Karlovic-plays-Roddick-today-for-the-finals-at-2-PM-EST-USA.html     letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 04 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9184/1/Croatia-advances-to-the-finals-of-8220Trofeo-Diego-Gianatti8221-by-defeating-Serbia.html Croatia defeated Serbia 84-76 and will face hosts Italy in todays finals.   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 04 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9183/1/Great-Success-and-almost-Gold-for-Croatian-Mens-Youth-Hanballers-in-Bahrain-2007.html  The crowd at the nearly complete Manama hall felt all ecstatic about the great performances of both youth teams. Danish Casper Ulrich Mortensen with 9 goals to his credit became the match winner. Manuel Strlek and Hrvoje Tojcic scoring 7 goals each made the Croatian side shining. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 04 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9182/1/Croatian-Karla-Fabrio-a--World-Champion-with-world-record-in-Jump-Blue-2007.html   Karla Fabrio, from Zagreb, Croatia establised a new world record in Jump Blue. Karla Fabrio, natjecateljica iz RK "Geronimo" iz Zagreba na natjecanju je postavila novi slu¾beni svjetski rekord u disciplini Jump Blue s rezultatom od 130,10 metara. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 04 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9173/1/Croatia-in-World-Handball-Semifinals.html  The semi-final line-up for the second World Youth Handball Championship was completed last night, with European powerhouses Croatia, Denmark and Sweden advancing. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 01 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9172/1/Blanka-Vlasic-tops-206-in-Thessaloniki-for-a-new-Croatian-Record.html   Clearly the best athlete of the "Olympic Meeting 2007" held in Thessaloniki, Greece, was Croatia's Blanka Vlasic. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 31 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9171/1/Fantela-and-Marenic-World-Champions.html  Croatian sailors Sime Fantela and Igor Marenic from Zadar have earned the title of world champions in the under 21 World Junior Championships. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 30 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9159/1/Blanka-Vlasic-wins-again-in-Monte-Carlo-10-victories-in-2007.html  Croatia's best athlete, Blanka Vla¹iæ won her 10th victory of the season! At the Super Grand Prix meet "Herculis 2007" in Monte Carlo, she cleared 2.03 meters for victory. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 26 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9152/1/ATP-18th-edition-of-Croatian-Institution-Studena-Croatia-Open-Umag-2007.html As we enter the 18th edition of the tournament...we proved the world that Umag's tournament is not only about tennis. A new look of the main square, an entertainment program just like those in the main world capitals. A Croatian Institution Studena Croatia Open Umag. Croatia Open Director, Slavko Rasberger (photo).   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 25 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9148/1/Danijela-Grgic-wins-Gold-at-the-European-Athletics-Junior-Championships-2007.html   Croatian 400m runner Danijela Grgic is making a habit of hitting top form when it matters most  a quality which will put her in good-stead for the future. Danijela wins gold again. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 22 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9147/1/Croatias-Blanka-Vlasic-cleared-205-metres-to-take-victory-in-Madrid-2007.html   Croatia's Blanka Vlasic beat her own leading mark of the year when she cleared 2.05 metres to take victory in the women's high jump at the IAAF Grand Prix in Madrid on Saturday July 21, 2007 letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 22 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9140/1/Zagreb-Mayor-Arena-Construction-Begins-On-July-20.html Arena Zagreb, the future symbol of the city, will be a multi-function hall for sports, but also for cultural, entertainment and business events, and it will be able to hold up to 25,000 people.    letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 13 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9126/1/Mark-Viduka-Croatian-Australian.html   Mark Viduka (left) is surprised how much the green and gold shirt has become ingrained in his soul. He has contemplated leaving behind the Australian national team many times. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 05 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9124/1/Antun-Vrdoljak-re-elected-to-the-International-Olympic-Committee.html   Antun Vrdoljak (left) was one of 27 members of the International Olympic Committee assembly that was re-elected to an eight-year term in elections on Thursday. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 05 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9122/1/Croatia-Wins-In-Thriller.html Led by Marija Vrsaljko (right), the Croatian women's U18 basketball team defeated Montenegro 66-62 in a deciding match to avoid early elimination from the European championships.   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 05 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9106/1/Get-fit-the-fun-way-with-an-Activity-Holiday-in-Croatia.html If you are always promising yourself an activity holiday, why not try one with a more adventurous edge? letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 28 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9098/1/arko-Dolinar-table-tennis-world-champion-and-top-scientist.html   Croatian table tennis player Professor ®arko Dolinar (1920-2003) holds a quite interesting record. He is the only athlete to have won eight world championships while holding a doctorate of science. He taught John Lennon how to play table tennis. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 28 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9103/1/Velebit-Trekking---2007.html  A 5th edition of the Velebit Ultra Trail - a two days non-stop ultra trail race for the individuals will take competitors through the Croatian mythical mountain - Velebit. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 27 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9090/1/TENNIS-Croatias-Ivan-Ljubicic-wins-the-mens-title-at-the-Ordina-Open-2007.html       letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 23 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9089/1/TENNIS-Karlovic-wins-Nottingham-Open-2007.html Ivo Karlovic claimed his second title of the season after coming from a set behind to defeat Arnaud Clement 3-6 6-4 6-4 in the Nottingham Open final. The big-serving Croatian took advantage of an increasingly weary-looking Clement to conclude his preparations for Wimbledon in style.   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 23 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9087/1/TENNIS-Ljubieiae-and-Karloviae-into-two-different-finals-June-22-2007.html   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 22 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9085/1/TENNIS-Ljubieiae-and-Karloviae-in-semi-finals-in-NETHERLANDS--ENGLAND.html   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 21 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9083/1/HNS-Slavi-95-Godina-Postojanja---95th-Birthday-of-Croatian-Soccer-Association.html   Prije 95 godina u Zagrebu je osnovan Hrvatski nogometni savez. HNS je tijekom godina rada izrastao u najbrojniji sportski savez u Hrvatskoj istaknuo je Zorislav Srebriæ na konferenciji za novinare. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 20 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9067/1/Undefeated-Croatian-Heavyweight-Super---Mario-Preskar-wins-with-TKO-in-Poland.html   Dvadesettrogodi¹nji Preskar u svojoj 14. profesionalnoj borbi pobijedio je u poljskim Katowicama 37-godi¹njeg Amerikanca Carla Gathrighta, koji mu je predao meè zbog ozljede, uoèi poèetka èetvrte runde. vnazor@yahoo.com (Vedran Joseph Nazor) Sun, 10 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9062/1/Mario-Preskar-Golota-fight-live-on-MSG-Saturday-June-9--330-pm-.html Undefeated Croatian Heavyweight Mario Preskar (12-0-1, 7 KOs) attempting to improve his record against Carl Gathright (6-9-1, 2 KOs), from Niles, Ill. Preskar last fough January 20, 2007 in Basel, Switzerland where he defeated Italian Champion Paolo Ferrara.   vnazor@yahoo.com (Vedran Joseph Nazor) Thu, 07 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9053/1/First-Indoor-Soccer-School-in-Croatia.html  Croatian indoor-soccer squad players Korab and Kujtim Morina established the first Indoor-soccer academy in Croatia in September last year. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 05 Jun 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9040/1/Croatias-Stipe-Drews-World-Champion---wins-WBA-title-belt.html  Stipe Drews (32-1, 13 KO's) won a unanimous decision in 12 rounds against Silvio Branco (55-9-2, 34 KO's) to claim the light heavyweight title. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 01 May 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9030/1/FC-Sydney-inks-Croatia-born-Culina-as-coach.html  Croatia-born Branko Culina (left) has signed a two-year contract to coach Sydney FC in Australia's A-League soccer competition, the team's third coach in less than a year. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 25 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9023/1/Return-of-old-familiars-to-Croatia-Open.html Over 1,000 rowers got their 2,000m racing season started in Zagreb with the Croatia Open. In its 24th year, the race has grown to Croatia's biggest rowing regatta and over the weekend athletes from Slovenia, Israel, Turkey, Italy, Austria, Slovakia and Croatia competed.   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 17 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9022/1/Croatias-Marin-Cilic-wins-Casablanca-Open-April-15th-2007.html   Croatian tennis player Marin Cilic defeated Italian Simone Bolelli in the final to win the Casablanca Open tournament on Sunday April 15th 2007 letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 16 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9020/1/Karlovic-blasts-way-to-first-career-ATP-title.html Croatia's Ivo Karlovic (right) powered his way to his first career ATP title on Sunday, using his big serve to capture the U.S. Clay Court Championship with a 6-4 6-1 victory over Mariano Zabaleta.  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 16 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9015/1/Croatia-wins-water-polo-gold-in-Melbourne-2007.html   Croatia made their first water polo medal in FINA world championship history a golden one, pulling off an upset overtime defeat of Hungary on a dramatic final day of the tournament in Melbourne today. Not an April Fools' Day joke. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 01 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9014/1/Croatia-Wins-Water-Polo-Gold.html   Croatia wins water polo gold against Hungary   Ivobach2@aol.com (Ivo Bach) Sun, 01 Apr 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9012/1/Croatia-dunks-Serbia-10-7-in-world-water-polo-rowdy-semi-final-in-Melbourne-2007.html   Miho Boskovic scored three goals Teo Dogas had two as Croatia dominated the Serbs, leading by as much as 8-3 heading into the final quarter. "We don't have a weak position in our team - we have strong defenders, strong shooters, strong center forwards, strong goalkeepers," said Croatia coach Radko Rudic. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 30 Mar 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9007/1/Croatia-Beats-Russia-13-3.html   The Croatian water polo team beat Russia 13-3 and achieved their primary aim, entry into the semi finals of the world championship. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 28 Mar 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9003/1/Croatia-Edges-Australia-in-Thriller.html Miho Boskovic scored four times in a power-packed performance to give Croatia the victory against Australia. Figlioli inspired a third-quarter comeback, scoring four consecutive goals, before Croatia showed its class at Melbourne Aquatic Centre. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 28 Mar 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/9001/1/Euro-2008-Croatia-2---Macedonia-1.html Darijo Srna, right, scored from a superb free kick and then set up Eduardo da Silva who scored the winning goal in Croatia's match against Macedonia.  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 28 Mar 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8972/1/Ivanisevic-Ljubicic-to-Play-for-Children.html Croatian tennis players Goran Ivanisevic and Ivan Ljubicic were set on Friday to play each other in an invitational match in Sarajevo dedicated to children of the city.   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 07 Mar 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8970/1/Croatian-Soccer-Heads-into-Cyberspace-with-new-websites.html Competition in Croatian football has spread to a new areas, with clubs showing an increased interest in improving their presence on the internet. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 07 Mar 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8954/1/Croatia-to-Compete-in-2007-Bacardi-Cup.html   The Bacardi Cup Star Class Regatta expands its reach drawing Croatia for the first time in its 80 - year history. Registrants include Olympic Medalists from 19 countries.  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 21 Feb 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8952/1/Online-Route-planner-For-Cycling-Trips-To-Croatia.html   Holidaymakers thinking of visiting Croatia can now get information online about cycling tours in Istria. Istria's tourist office in Porec has a multilingual service online, where a list of cycling routes can be found. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 20 Feb 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8949/1/Ivo-Karlovic-in-the-finals--at-the-SAP-Open-Sunday-Feb-18-2007-in-San-Jose-California.html   Ivo Karlovic, of Croatia, reacts after beating Benjamin Becker, of Germany, 7-6 (7-5), 7-5 in a semifinal tennis match at the SAP Open, Saturday, Feb. 17, 2007, in San Jose, California. Final match tomorrow 6 PM EST letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 17 Feb 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8943/1/No-quotHand-of-Godquot-Goals-in-Priests-European-Cup.html A hundred Roman Catholic priests from all over Europe swapped their cassocks for football strips in Sarajevo this week to compete in an indoor soccer championship organised by the church.  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 16 Feb 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8942/1/Karlovic-upsets-Blake-in-San-Jose-February-15-2007.html   American second seed James Blake suffered a shock defeat at the San Jose Open when he lost 6-7, 7-6, 6-4 to world number 103 Ivo Karlovic (right) of Croatia in the second round on Thursday. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 16 Feb 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8923/1/Dont-mess-with-Croatians---Cro-Cop----Mirko-Filipovic---Here-Comes-The-Hammer.html Your last resort? Take it and pray for the best. But eight times out of ten, taking this left kick to the head provides a first class ticket to the canvas and unconsciousness. If you don't get knocked out, well, you're one of the few. Welcome to the world of Mirko Cro Cop.   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 05 Feb 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8917/1/Terra-Incognita-Croatia-2007.html   Terra Incognita is an Expedition Adventure Race that covers over 400 km through Croatia - one of the most beautiful and diverse landscapes on the European Continent. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 30 Jan 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8915/1/Croatia-Advances-to-Quarterfinals-in-2007-Handball-World-Championships.html   Croatia continue to look to be the team to beat in the World Championships as they defeated previously unbeaten Hungary 25-18. stecak@sbcglobal.net (Marko Puljiæ) Thu, 25 Jan 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8894/1/John-Mayasich-Olympic-medal-winner-The-First-Miracle-on-Ice.html John Mayasich (right) has enjoyed an outstanding career as one of the top broadcast executives in Minnesota. A talented athlete, he is a member of the United States Hockey Hall of Fame and an Olympic medal winner.   olujanovine@hotmail.com (Tomislav Kapular) Thu, 11 Jan 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8893/1/Croatias-Ana-Jelusic-en-Route-to-the-Podium.html   Ana Jelusic was excited about her first ever World Cup podium on home soil after twice finishing fourth earlier this season. "I wondered if I could manage such a result here despite the pressure from the crowd and the media and I'm proud to have achieved such a performance in front of so many fans," said the young skier from Rijeka, who turned 20 on Dec. 29. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 10 Jan 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8892/1/Ljubicic-beats-Murray-to-win-Qatar-Open-title.html Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia (right) beat Andy Murray of Britain 6-4 and 6-4 to take home the trophy from the one million U.S. dollars Qatar Open tennis tournament on Saturday.    letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 10 Jan 2007 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8825/1/Glimpse-of-few-Croatian-Soccer-players-doing-very-well-this-weekend-all-over-Europe.html     letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 19 Nov 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8797/1/8220SUPER-MARIO8221-PRESKAR-STAYS-UNDEFEATED-with-6--KO--in-a-row.html   Croatian heavyweight boxer, 22-year-old "Super Mario" Preskar, blitzed his way to 11th win keeping his undefeated record last Saturday, November 4, 2006 in Phoenix, Arizona. Preskar, knocked out Gene Valdez with a powerful left right combination in the first minute  vnazor@yahoo.com (Vedran Joseph Nazor) Fri, 10 Nov 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8777/1/Australia-Croatia-win-reserves-league.html Croatia reserves came out league winners when they defeated Lions this weekend with Westlands coming third after a convincing win over Wanderers.   dalmatinac99@vip.hr (Ante Katalinic) Mon, 06 Nov 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8787/1/Croatian-Handball-Team-Wins-Statoil-World-Cup.html   violicalvert@optusnet.com.au (Violi Calvert) Sat, 04 Nov 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8768/1/Mario-Ancic-triumphs-in-St-Petersburg.html Croatia's Mario Ancic holds his trophy after defeating Sweden's Thomas Johansson in the final match at the St.Petersburg Open tennis tournament in St.Petersburg, October 29, 2006.   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 29 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8769/1/Ivan-Ljubicic-of-Croatia-lifts-the-trophy-after-winning-his-Vienna-Open-2006.html   Ljubicic wins Vienna title. The lanky Croatian, who added to his championships in Chennai and Zagreb, is the first player since Roger Federer in 2002 and 2003 to successfully defend the title "It's great to (successfully) defend a title. It's the first time in my life," said Ljubicic. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 16 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8743/1/Croatia-Overwhelms-England-2-0.html   ZAGREB, Oct 11 (Reuters) - Croatia claimed a fully-deserved 2-0 win over a lamentable England on Wednesday to go top of Euro 2008 qualifying group E with seven points, above their opponents on goal difference with a game in hand. Ivobach2@aol.com (Ivo Bach) Wed, 11 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8738/1/Great-escape-by-Bhupathi-Ancic.html Mahesh Bhupathi , left, of India and Mario Ancic of Croatia, right, pose with the winners' check and the trophies after defeating the Indian duo of Rohan Bopanna and Mustafa Ghouse in the doubles finals match of the Kingfisher Open Tennis in Mumbai, India, Monday, Oct. 2, 2006. Bhupathi and Ancic defeated Bopanna-Ghouse 6-4, 6-7, 10-8 to win the doubles' title.   dalmatinac99@vip.hr (Ante Katalinic) Sat, 07 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8737/1/-Ljubicic-wins-second-place-at-Thailand-Open.html American James Blake dominated top-seeded Croatian Ivan Ljubicic 6-3, 6-1 Sunday, Oct. 1, 2006 to win the Thailand Open final. Third-seeded Blake controlled the match from the start with superior ground strokes, wrapping up his fourth title of the year in less than an hour.   dalmatinac99@vip.hr (Ante Katalinic) Sat, 07 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8741/1/Chicago-Euro-2008-Soccer-Qualifying-Matches-at-the-Croatian-Center.html The Croatian Cultural Center of Chicago will be televising several Euro 2008 qualifying matches. Drinks will be served and food will be served during halftime. Read more... stecak@sbcglobal.net (Marko Puljiæ) Thu, 05 Oct 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8698/1/Ljubicic-Leads-Croatia-Charge-in-China.html Top seed Ivan Ljubicic (right) led a trio of Croatians into the second round of the China Open with a comfortable 6-4 6-2 victory over Japan's Go Soeda on Tuesday.  stecak@sbcglobal.net (Marko Puljiæ) Thu, 14 Sep 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8697/1/Kukoc-Calls-a-Halt-to-NBA-Career.html Toni Kukoc, who played on the last three of Chicago's Michael-Jordan led title-winning teams is to quit the NBA.  stecak@sbcglobal.net (Marko Puljiæ) Thu, 14 Sep 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8694/1/Mirko-quotCro-Copquot-Filipovic-wins-PRIDE-Open-Weight-Grand-Prix.html   On Sunday, September 10, 2006 Heavyweight Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic defeated two top-ranked opponents in one night to be crowned victor in PRIDE FC's Open Weight Grand Prix.   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 12 Sep 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8686/1/Ivan-Ljubicic-the-Silent-Type.html   Many things are going right with Ivan Ljubicic (pictured at left), besides his ranking of No. 3. One of them is his beautiful and highly accomplished wife Aida. A fellow refuge from Bosnia, now a graduate of the Law School in Zagreb, Aida, is hoping to become a judge. stecak@sbcglobal.net (Marko Puljiæ) Mon, 11 Sep 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8589/1/E-Two-Croatians-in-the-division-Joe-thats-not-something-you-see-everyday.html Bill Belichick: You know, two Croatians in the division, Joe, that's not something you see everyday                              Bill Belichick with Joe Benigno and Sid Rosenberg WFAN, Sports Radio 66AM New YorkJanuary 5, 2005     Host: ...the best coach that there is in the business right now, and that is the head coach of the World Champion New England Patriots, Bill Belichick. Coach, how you doing? Happy New Year. BB: Thank you Joe, Sid. How you doing? Host: Good. Nice to talk to you, Coach. And congratulations again. Let's start right here. Everyone's talking, obviously, about the Steelers' 14-game win streak, and Peyton Manning's record-breaking season. But somehow or another, through it all, your New England Patriots went 14-2, and looks like you're well on your way to another championship †at the very least at least vying for one. So congratulations on a great regular season. BB: I think it's a real accomplishment for our team. You know, they've gone through a lot of adversity, and met a lot of challenges along the way. But right now we're just where a lot of other teams are right now, we're 0-0. The team that wins will be the team that plays the best from here on out. So everybody that's in, is in. Nothing really matters except how we can each do going forward. That's where our focus is, to try to get our game to its highest level. Host: Coach, I know you don't like to lose, and I know you haven't done much of that lately †what is it, 29 out of the last 31? But I thought one of the best things that happened to this team was going down to Miami and losing that game to the Dolphins. Because it seemed like you came right back and smacked my team next week, of course. And then you win the final game of the season to go 14-2. But it seems like maybe that kind of refocused your team again, Coach. Do you agree with that or not? BB: Losing down there was tough. You got an 11-point lead with four minutes to go in the game, and end up losing to Miami. That was pretty disappointing. Host: I guess his answer's no. [Laughter] BB: Yeah, I don't think there were a lot of positives on that one. Host: How about the Steeler game? Let's talk about them for a little bit. Because the chances are, at least if you're asking me, I think the AFC title game is going to be you guys and the Steelers in a couple weeks in Pittsburgh. What happened in that game? Was it just a case that maybe you'd won 21 in a row, and you were due to lose, and you kind of ran into a bus? I mean, what happened that day in Pittsburgh, Coach? BB: You know, they played a lot better than we did. We didn't play very well defensively. We turned the ball over on offense †they ran one back for a touchdown, and recovered another two fumbles inside our 30. We just didn't play well. We got outcoached, outplayed, and they deserved to win, they were the better team. And there was no question about it that day. That's why they're the #1 seed. They're 15-1. You've got to give them all the credit in the world, they've had a tremendous regular season. Host: They did, they won 14 straight games. And everybody's talking about that matchup, Coach, with you and Pittsburgh. But... BB: I wouldn't worry too much about that one right now. Host: Right, that's what I'm saying. There's a good chance you're going to see Peyton Manning along the way, again, and you guys have been very successful here against Peyton Manning. [Both hosts talking at once] He's watching film on Manning right now. I know he won't admit it. Probably so. He's got the projector on as we speak watching Manning, figuring how we're going to beat him again. Now you guys have been very successful against him, Coach. Including back to Week 1 in this regular season, you won that game as well. But you went on to the record-breaking season. I mean, do you think that at this point that you can be successful against Peyton doing the same things you've done in the past, or has his game really gotten to the point now where you're going to have to make some changes? BB: Oh, I think there will have to be some adjustments made. I'm sure they will make some, and I'm sure we will make some. We didn't exactly †I mean, that game came down to a field goal on the last play of the game, and that was the difference. So that could have easily gone either way. I think that at this point we're prepared to play all three teams †the Jets, San Diego, and Indianapolis †depending on how things turn out this weekend. And we have a lot of respect for all three of them. We know that no matter who we play at this time of the season, they're all good. And I think if you look at †you know I'm not a big stat guy, but when you look at the league stats after 16 regular season games, and you see all those teams bunched up there in terms of turnovers, and rushing defense, and red area production, and all those kind of things, they're all right up there at the top. It doesn't really matter who you play at this time of year †everybody's good. It's just a question of which team goes out and plays well. And can you get your best performance on the field at this point in time. And that's really what it comes down to. There's plenty of talent on every team, and I'm sure we'll have some very competitive games as we go through the playoffs. But it'll just come down to the team that can execute the best at critical points in the game. JB: Coach, you know Andy Reid, Philadelphia, had everything wrapped up a couple weeks ago. Andy Reid had his team basically mail it in that game against the Rams and certainly last week against Cincinnati they got killed 38-10. You know, no Westbrook, no McNabb. And even though you really had nothing to play for †you were locked in last week against the 49ers †you still played Brady three quarters in that game, Coach. I mean, how about that? What's your feeling on, you know, do you feel maybe if you don't play your best players in these kind of games that maybe you lose momentum going in to the playoffs? BB: Well I think, Joe, that every coach does what he thinks is best for his football team. And whatever any other coach did, I respect that 100% because I know that that coach is doing what he thinks is best for the team. And where one team is, and where another team is, can often be two different things. In our case, our players are used to being in a routine, they're used to getting ready to play, and playing. They want to play. I don't think that they would have really accepted any other approach. To them it's football season, it's a game, and they want to play in it and they want to be prepared when they walk out on the field to play in it. That's the way we approached it. But we just do what we thought was right for us. I'm not saying that another team should have done it differently, or could have done it differently. We just try to make the decisions in the best interest of our organization. I don't want to tell anybody else how to do their job. Host: We are talking to the coach of the defending World Champion New England Patriots, Bill Belichick. Coach, lots of adjustments you had to make this year, especially on the defensive side of the football with the injuries, Ty Law going down in that Steeler game. And a guy like Troy Brown is out there picking off passes at the cornerback position. And a couple youngsters had to step in for you this year †the kid Wilfork from Miami, and Randall Gay as well. Last couple of years in New England, was this the toughest job you've had to do to kind of patchwork this defense together to get you through the second half of the season? BB: We've had to make some adjustments in the secondary, but on our defensive front we've actually been pretty consistent there with our defensive line and linebackers. We've had a lot of the same guys pretty much every week. So it seems like every year you've always got something, or one position, and sometimes a little more than that. But every team goes through that, and we just have to work our way through it. But Troy's done a nice job for us. And Randall Gay is an undrafted rookie, so he stepped in and probably given more than anybody would have expected from. Although once he started playing, he's played at a good, competitive level. Asante Samuel was our nickleback last year, and has got a lot more opportunity this year, and he's been able to take advantage of that playing time. So that's what a lot of just competitive sports is, are guys preparing and then getting an opportunity. Then a lot of times when they get that opportunity they're able to raise their play to a high competitive level. And that's been the case with some of the players for us in the secondary this year. Host: Coach, how tough has it been with the situation with Charlie Weis? You know, he accepts the Notre Dame job a couple weeks ago, but he's still your offensive coordinator. I guess he's kind of been shuffling back and forth between Foxborough and South Bend. How difficult has that been for you, and more specifically, for Charlie? BB: I think it's been probably more challenging for Charlie. My job hasn't changed a lot, and neither have the players' or any of their coaches. But Charlie's had to manage another situation. But I think all in all that it's gone fairly smoothly. We all know what it is, and there's no question that he's added some responsibilities. But he hasn't really been shuffling back and forth. He's basically been here, and he's done all the things that he would normally do. And he's done a good job. So I think that we can certainly work within the situation that we have to deal with. And I think we can handle that. Host: Talking about Charlie Weis and the offense here, Coach, let's stick with the quarterback position. You know obviously this year Ben Roethlisberger is getting an incredible amount of play. In fact, they started the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award back in 1957, and this year Ben Roethlisberger was the first quarterback ever to win that award. So he has the big year, everybody's talking about him. Peyton Manning breaks the record, everybody's talking about him. And there's the guy that plays for you that's won two Super Bowl MVPs in the last three years, who at least, in my opinion, never seems to get that respect. Tom Brady's name is never mentioned at the top of the list. Now with his accomplishments the last couple of years, do you think it starts to bother Tom at some point, or is he just so business-like it doesn't really matter? BB: Well I think Tom's focused on winning. And I think his record there speaks for itself. Tom's a winner. He prepares hard, he's a great leader, he's good with his teammates, and is a well respected team captain and teammate really from all quarters †offensively, defensively, guys on special teams. He's a player that I think everybody's glad is on this team, and has contributed a lot to our victories. I think that he understands that, and in the end that's the way he wants to be measured. And I think he's done a pretty good job of it. JB: You know, Coach, one thing that I'm sure bothers you †I know it's all about winning championships, obviously, for you †but I take a look at the Pro Bowl voting every year, and I think the only guy on the defense that makes it to the Pro Bowl is Richard Seymour. And I look at guys like McGinest, I look at guys like Tedy Bruschi, and I don't know if there's a better linebacker in the NFL right now than Tedy Bruschi. Does that kind of motivate these guys even more? I mean, you've got so many top-flight players on that defense, yet Baltimore's got like five guys going, and they're not even sniffing the playoffs. And you got one guy from the defense. How about that? BB: Well, Joe, you know, the Pro Bowl voting and all comes from a number of different areas †you know, the fans, the coaches, the players †and so that's the way it's set up. It's really hard, I know just from my standpoint, I don't get to see every single player in the AFC play. I see the ones that we play. So it's a hard thing to get totally accurate, because I don't think everybody gets a good full view of the league. You know, and then you start going on stats and reputation and so forth. So I'm sure that every team in the league has a couple players that they feel like should have gotten more recognition than they did. But, you know, unfortunately that's the way it goes. JB: But I would think, Coach, that that's the way you like it †again, talking to Bill Belichick from the New England Patriots †because going back to when you won the Super Bowl a couple of years ago, and you were kind of introduced as a team, and not the individuals. And you guys, in the last couple of years, have kind of epitomized what the team is all about in an era where it seems like it's all about the selfish individual. That's not your football team. So is it fair to say that maybe at the end of the day you're kind of happy? You know you guys are all-pro players, but you're still a team, and not a bunch of individual superstars? BB: I think that our players take a lot of pride in the success of the team. And I think it's important to them to support their teammates, and do their job, and not let their teammates down. So when we all walk out at the end of the day, I think number one you want to feel good about yourself and what you've accomplished. And you know you can't always react to externally what the judgments are †good or bad. I think our players are pretty mature about that, they have a good perspective on it. As long as they feel like they're doing all they can, then that's what counts the most for them. Host: Coach, Nick Saban, who was a protégé of yours †you had him in Cleveland as your defensive coordinator †had a tremendous success obviously at LSU, and now he's going to be in the division at Miami. How about that? What kind of a head coach do you think Nick's going to be in the NFL? BB: I think Nick's an outstanding coach, I don't think there's any question about that. I think he's one of the very best I've ever had the opportunity to work with. Nick is strong in every area of the game †personnel, strategy, motivation. He has a lot of experience, and he's very good at, as I say, at everything he does, and he can truly get all the bases covered. I think it just makes this division, which is already very tough, even that much tougher. You know, two Croatians in the division, Joe, that's not something you see everyday. [Laughter] Host: That's got to be a first, right Coach? BB: Probably is. Host: Alright Coach, let you go here. But as you're about to embark here on the playoffs †you're not doing a road game at the very least to get to the Super Bowl, but I think your team is certainly capable of doing that. And you've got all these great players, and Corey Dillon is here this year. You know the one thing that I guess we have to talk about is †no disrespect to Mike Vanderjagt in Indianapolis, or Jeff Reed in Pittsburgh †but the one guy we've got to talk about this time of year, maybe the most clutch kicker in the history of the game, and that's Adam Vinatieri. This is a guy that's made more big kicks for you than anybody can ever remember. BB: Well, you get in a very competitive situation like the playoffs where a lot of times teams are so close, and it comes down to a play or a kick, there's nobody we'd rather have than Adam. He's been familiar with kicking in the weather that we have in the northeast at this time of year †you never know what you're going to get. So, you know, he's a football player. He's not really a kicker, he's a football player. He has a lot of poise, has good talent, and has obviously come through for us in a lot of big situations. But again, his work ethic and his demeanor and what he puts into the game is really just as impressive as his performance. And we'll need everything we've got at this time of year. As I've said, every team we play we know is good, and we'll need every ounce and every resource that we have available. Host: Coach, before I let you go, I've got to ask you about the quarterback of my Jets, Mr. Pennington. Who every time you play him now recently finds the open Tedy Bruschi on a regular basis. What's your feel on him right now, where he is? Give me a little feel on what you think about Pennington right now. BB: I think that offensively the Jets are a good football team. They have a lot of weapons. It starts with Curtis, naturally. I think it always has. And then everything works off of that †the play action game, the vertical routes to McCareins and Moss, the utilization of the tightends, Becht and Baker, especially on those bootlegs and things like that. And they have a good offensive line, so the complementary plays and the complementary part of the offense flows very well together most of the time. Now sometimes when one aspect of it isn't really being productive, then that can effect another aspect. But I think overall the Jets are a good offensive football team. I think they have a lot of balance †one of the better balanced teams in the league †going even to their second tightends, and their fullbacks like Sowell, two good running backs. And a good set of receivers, Wayne as a third receiver, and even the whole receiving crew, Carter, I mean the whole works. So I think they're a good, balanced offensive football team, and I have a lot of respect for them. I have a lot of respect for what they do. And I think Chad's very accurate, and as long as, like any team, as long as you can keep those passing situations to manageable yardage †I mean there's not any quarterback that's really very good on 3rd-and-15 †but you know when it's 3rd-and-four, five, six, and you have a couple different guys that you can throw to, and you got the threat of the running game and all that, then those situations are advantageous for any quarterback in any offense. JB: Coach, you know you chopped him up pretty good two weeks ago. I mean he's got problems with the shoulder. Do you think he's playing hurt right now, in your mind, Pennington? BB: You know, it's hard to say, Joe. I don't know. I think that at this point in the season, every player who's playing a lot is less than 100%. I mean 16 regular season games against this competition, everybody's got bumps and bruises, everybody's sore, everybody would love to feel a lot fresher than they feel right now. But you know what, it's football time of year. It's crunch time, it's playoff time, so everybody just puts that behind them, they reach down, they suck it up. And you know, you're going to see the teams that play their best football now are teams that are going to be mentally tough, they're going to be physically tough, and they're going to be resilient. And I wouldn't worry too much about what happened last week or what happened two weeks ago. You know, it's about right now what every team can muster up and generate going forward. And they're all good, so whichever one of these 12 teams comes out on top, that team will deserve it because they will have mustered up the most energy and the best performance in the coming weeks. And that's what championship football's all about. Host: Coach, you breaking out a new sweatshirt for the playoffs? BB: No, probably not. Host: Did you get rid of that red one that you had on down in Miami when you lost? Did you burn that one? You must have. BB: Yeah, we'll move on from that one. SR: Will there be a 60 Minutes II with Lesley Stahl if you win the Super Bowl again this year? That was fascinating that piece. I love that piece you did last year. BB: No, that's not my call. You know, that's not really my thing, Sid. SR: I know, but you were great. I've got to tell you, Coach, I thought that was fascinating how you go about your work everyday. Even watching Tedy Bruschi a couple of weeks ago during the Monday night game †before the game, Coach, against the Dolphins †how he breaks down video every week. I mean, I don't think the average fan really realizes, Coach, how many hours you put in every single day. How many hours your players put in every day. We all know about practice, but I don't think the average person realizes, Coach, you know, 16, 17, 18-hour days that you guys put in. Do you ever sleep, Coach? BB: It's a very competitive league, and you're going up against the best every week. And every other team that you play, their coaching staff, their players, they're working just as hard as you are. And you just can't leave a stone unturned. You want to make sure that you've got your execution up to its highest level, because that's where it needs to be. It's such a competitive league, especially now. We go to this time of year where one play can mean everything. It determines the whole course of your season. So it's important, and you just want to put everything you have into it and get it right. Hosts: Coach, a great job as always. Appreciate you coming on. Thank you very much, Coach. Good luck in the playoffs. BB: It's a pleasure. And Joe, it's great to talk to you when the sun's up. I don't think we've ever done this before. Host: How about that? Well, you know, this is actually like late in the day for you. Do you ever sleep, Coach? I mean you never do, right? BB: Oh, yeah. Yeah. Host: What, an hour a day? An hour a week? What? BB: Oh, no. When I run low at the end of the day, that's it for me. I just sometimes I get an early start. Not as early as you start it though. Great to catch up with you, too. Host: You too, Coach. Good luck. We'll talk to you down the road, alright? BB: OK. Thank you. Hosts: Alright, there he is, Coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots. And he gave us quite a bit of time there, Joe. He did. Big fan of Joe Benigno, Bill Belichick. I tell you what, there's no question about it †THE best in the business right now. Yeah, it's not close. I think Parcells really took a beating with Dallas this year. Shanahan †Denver's falling off. Andy Reid †no, he's never even won a Super Bowl. Only guys who have won Super Bowls. You're right, you can't get that level till you win a Super Bowl. Mike Holmgren †you know, forget about it. This guy [BB] is the best right now. He's the best without a doubt. You and I've been saying this for a couple of weeks now, don't be surprised †three times in four years. Absolutely. We'll see, Belichick. Transcribed by the webmaster.Full audio available at WFAN.com  | home | stats | stories | archive | photos | games | super bowls || off the field | about | contact | photo by Andy Lyons, Getty Images c.mateo@verizon.net (Martin Cvjetkoviæ) Tue, 11 Jul 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8587/1/E-Croatian-NBA-by-Risha.html Croatian NBA by Risha   Toni Kukoc                       Zoran Planinic             Gordan Giricek       Andrew Bogut                     Mario Kasun                 contact Risha: batthound@yahoo.com letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 10 Jul 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8585/1/E-The-speed-and-power-of-Mario-Preskar.html The speed and power of Mario Preskar     The speed and power of Mario Preskarby Robert MladinichWhen undefeated heavyweight prospect Mario Preskar began boxing at the age of nine in his native Croatia, he dreamed of becoming the second world champion ever to hail from that country. The only other titlist to come from there is Mate Parlov, who won the WBC light heavyweight title from Miguel Angel Cuello in January 1978. Parlov made two successful defenses before losing the crown to Marvin Johnson nearly two years later. Parlov fought to a draw with Marvin Camel in a bout for the vacant WBC cruiserweight title in December 1979, and then lost a 15 round decision to Camel for the same title almost four months later. The last big name boxer to hail from Croatia was Zeljko Mavrovic, who gave a surprisingly good account of himself in going the distance with Lennox Lewis in a September 1998 WBC heavyweight title fight. He and Preskar are good friends, and they recently did a media blitz together. “Mate Parlov is the biggest boxer in the history of Croatia,” said the 22-year-old Preskar who is 9-0-1 (6 KOS) as a pro. But that was then, and this is now. Preskar, who speaks fluid English, gets one step closer to establishing his own boxing legacy when he takes on Matthew Greer, 7-2 (6 KOS), of Parkville, Missouri, on the undercard of IBF junior middleweight champion Roman Karmazin’s title defense against Cory Spinks at the Savvis Center in Spinks’ hometown of St. Louis on Saturday, July 8.“I have dreamed of being a champion for a long time,” said Preskar, who has sparred with Oleg Maskaev, Hasim Rahman, Wayne Braithwaite, Larry Donald, Owen Beck, and Gerald Nobles, among others.“I feel great, ready and eager to step in the ring again. After a long and arduous training period my strength and power have increased and I’m ready for anybody. Hopefully, Mr. Don King can help me achieve my dream.” The wild-haired promoter has been promoting Preskar, whose last fight was a sixth round knockout of Ervin Slonka in December 2005 in Berlin, for his entire professional career, which began with a first round TKO of Roman Armstrong in Las Vegas in July 2003. Since then, Preskar has laced them up three more times in Las Vegas, as well as three times in Germany, once in South Carolina, and once at New York’s Madison Square Garden. The one blemish on his record is a four round draw with Marcelino Novaes, who was 5-2, in Preskar’s fourth fight in Las Vegas. According to Vedran Nazor, Preskar’s New York-based advisor and publicist, trainer Yoel Judah told King about Preskar after watching him spar at Gleason’s Gym in Brooklyn. While Judah was unavailable for comment for this article, Bruce Silverglade, the owner of Gleason’s who is not easily impressed, remembers observing Preskar in the ring during that time period. “He’s a very smart guy, and you have to be smart to be a good boxer,” said Silverglade. “He’s young, has decent size and strength, is in good condition, works hard, and has a solid plan. With all of those components, he has as good a chance as anyone to go a long way.”Preskar began boxing at the urging of his father Zeljko, a cab driver whom he says is his biggest fan. A quick study, he soon began racking up one amateur accolade after another. He is a seven-time Croatian national champion, as well as a gold medalist in numerous European tournaments. His final amateur ring ledger of 45-5 probably would have been better if more boxers were willing to fight him. According to Nazor, a special license had to be obtained to allow Preskar to compete against fighters two to four years older than he was. “It was hoped that would provide Mario with the challenges he desired,” said Nazor. “It did not. The young men fell as easily as the boys. He was a prodigy. His combinations are an unbelievable mixture of speed and power punching. He flows inside the ring, delivering crisp straight punches and powerful hooks. He’s disciplined, intelligent and strong.” There is no question that Preskar is very smart. It takes all of a few seconds of conversation to realize that. Still, he forsook a college education to dedicate himself full-time to boxing. With the support of his parents, Zeljko and Visnjica, sister Zeljka, as well as his longtime trainer Leonardo Pijetraj, and a whole country behind him, he is certain that a championship reign is within punching distance. “I put all my guts and power into my boxing career,” said the always exuberant and extremely positive Preskar. “Step by step, in a few years I see myself with many championship belts.”Preskar is much too polite to speak ill of other boxers, but he believes that Wladimir Klitschko is the best of the current heavyweight champions. Whether or not Klitschko is still at the top when Preskar’s time comes to fight for a title is yet to be seen. But one thing is certain. “I will be ready,” said Preskar. “When my time comes, I will be ready to beat the best. Everything is coming together, just as planned.”The next step for Preskar is Greer, who might just be a bit more challenging than expected. If he is victorious, Preskar would love to fight at home this summer and become as big an attraction in his native country, which many people consider one of the most naturally beautiful places on Earth, as the Ukrainian-born Klitschko is in his adopted homeland of Germany. Eastern Europeans are dominating the heavyweight landscape these days, and Preskar is eager to get on the bandwagon. “Mr. King is working on promoting me in Croatia,” said Preskar, who is 6’1” and about 220 pounds, which at his age gives him plenty of time and room to fill out. “Maybe that will happen this summer. I hope so, Fighting in Croatia would be great, but fighting in Zagreb, which is the capitol, as well as my hometown, would be really special.“Mate Parlov was the biggest athlete there in the last century,” he continued. “I want to be the biggest in this century.”Contact Robert Mladinich @ TheSweetScience.com http://www.thesweetscience.com/boxing-article/4055/speed-power-mario-preskar/ vnazor@yahoo.com (Vedran Joseph Nazor) Sat, 08 Jul 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8584/1/E-Undefeted-Mario-Preskar-Wins-Again-in-St-Louis-on-July-8th-2006.html Mario Preskar, of Croatia winner by unanimous decision Mario Preskar, of Croatia, delivers a punch to the body of Matt Greer, left, during their six-round heavyweight fight in St. Louis Saturday, July 8, 2006. Preskar was the winner by unanimous decision. (AP Photo/James A. Finley)Mario Preskar, of Croatia, delivers a punch to the body of Matt Greer, left, during their six-round heavyweight fight in St. Louis Saturday, July 8, 2006. Preskar was the winner by unanimous decision. (AP Photo/James A. Finley)   A boxing fan holds a Croatian flag during the introduction of Mario Preskar of Croatia before his boxing match against Matt Greer in St. Louis Saturday, July 8, 2006. Preskar was the winner by unamous decision. (AP Photo/James A. Finley) vnazor@yahoo.com (Vedran Joseph Nazor) Sat, 08 Jul 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8583/1/E-Ancic-and-protesters-fail-to-foil-Federer.html Ancic and protesters fail to foil Federer  By Dominic BlissPublished: July 6 2006 03:00 | Last updated: July 6 2006 03:00Those who believe Roger Federer to be the greatest grass-court player ever received more evidence for their argument on Wednesday when the three-times Wimbledon champion eased through his quarter-final.His opponent Mario Ancic of Croatia played superbly, varying his style between powerful serve-and-volleying and solid baseline play. But it simply was not enough to hold the Swiss at bay. Despite rain breaks and a court invasion by fathers' rights protesters - one of them dressed as a young John McEnroe - Federer was able to maintain concentration and squash Ancic three sets to love, 6-4 6-4 6-4.When play started on Centre Court, thunder clouds were looming above south-west London. Only four games were completed, all going with serve, before the services of the court coverers were called upon.Once back on court, Federer then required only three points to break his opponent. He quickly proceeded to steamroller his way through the rest of the match, thwarting every increasingly desperate attempt Ancic made to resist him.The 22-year-old from Split, who learnt much of his court craft from compatriot Goran Ivanisevic, was the last man to beat Federer at Wimbledon. That was in 2002, however, before the champion had fully asserted his All England Club dominance. Nowadays Federer has elevated his grass-court matches to an entirely different level. There comes a stage halfway through every one of them when his opponent's shoulders start to droop and his facial expression gradually switches from hope to exasperation.The latter emotion began to manifest itself at the beginning of the second set, when Federer had whipped yet another of his angled forehands past the flailing Ancic. Every time Ancic produced a fine shot, the 24-year-old Federer would trump it with something even more brilliant. Deep volleys were met with unreturnable passing shots; dying drop-shots were inevitably retrieved. Players less mentally strong than Ancic would have thrown up their arms in despair.Three-love down in the third set, the Croat needed both luck and immense skill to do it, but finally broke his opponent's serve - only the second time this has happened during the tournament. It was a teasing glimmer of hope that served only to delay Federer's inevitable win by a few minutes.Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2006http://www.ft.com/cms/s/68465a82-0c8b-11db-8235-0000779e2340.html letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 06 Jul 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8582/1/E-Anthony-Artukovich-Up-For-US-Junior-National-Team-Competition.html Anthony Artukovich Up For U.S. Junior National Team CompetitionSix Trojans Set Up For U.S. Junior National Team CompetitionUSC players join Junior National Team for tournaments in Italy and Slovakia.Men's Water Polo Trojans Sweep Peter J. Cutino AwardsJune 29, 2006The USC men's water polo team has six players capping up for the U.S. Junior National Team this summer, as the squad is set for competition in Italy and Slovakia beginning this week. Sophomore Arjan Ligtenberg is joined by five incoming freshmen -- Anthony Artukovich, J.W. Krumpholz, Justin Rappel, Matt Sagehorn and Nico Sardo -- as the Trojans playing for Team USA. The U.S. Junior National Team opens international competition June 29-July 2 at the Memorial Tournament in Italy, where teams from Hungary, Croatia, Serbia, Italy and Greece will also get in on the action. Those teams may also meet up at the USA's next tournament stop in Slovakia for the High Tatras Cup from July 7-9. The U.S. squad will take the international experience garnered from this European trip to the Junior Pan American Games in August. As a freshman on the USC team, two-meter man Arjan Ligtenberg (Los Altos Hills, Calif./Gunn HS) helped the Trojans to win the 2005 NCAA Championship and post an all-time best 26-1 overall record. He was a member of the U.S. Youth National Team last year, traveling to Slovakia for the Low Tatras Cup last summer. The five USC freshmen on the roster are part of a stellar incoming class for the Trojans. Anthony Artukovich and Matt Sagehorn both hail from Long Beach, Calif., as graduates of Wilson High School. Both are regarded as two of the top young players entering the collegiate ranks this year. Artukovich has trained with the U.S. National Team and also has already competed as a member of the U.S. Youth and Junior teams. Sagehorn has a similar national team resume to Artukovich, and was named the CIF Southern Section Division I Player of the Year as a senior at Wilson HS. He scored nine goals for Team USA at the 2005 Junior World Championships. Also no stranger to the U.S. National Team system is J.W. Krumpholz (Santa Ana, Calif./Foothill HS), who played with the men's national team at the 2005 World Championships in Montreal, and scored 13 goals at the Junior World Championships while playing alongside future Trojan teammates Artukovich, Sagehorn and Nico Sardo (La Jolla, Calif./Bishop's School), who is making a repeat appearance on the Junior National Team roster. Left-hander Justin Rappel (Sherman Oaks, Calif./Harvard-Westlake) rounds out the Trojan talent pool on this summer's U.S. Junior National Team. http://usctrojans.cstv.com/sports/m-wpolo/spec-rel/062906aaa.html letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 06 Jul 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8586/1/E-Baric-to-coach-Albania-for-Euro-2008-qualifiers.html Baric to coach Albania for Euro 2008 qualifiers  Mon Jul 3, 2006 2:01 PM BSTEmail This Article | Print This Article | RSS [-] Text [+] TIRANA, July 3 (Reuters) - Otto Baric will replace German international Hans-Peter Briegel as Albania coach for the Euro 2008 qualifiers, the Croatian said on Monday."Briegel has done a good job with this team, he has taken Albania two or three steps forward," said the 74-year-old, who coached Croatia to third place at the 1998 World Cup."I shall do my best to qualify, but my main aim is to help this team take more steps forward."Albania have been drawn in Group G with the Netherlands, Romania, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Belarus and Luxembourg. The qualifiers start on Sept 2 and end in November 2007. The finals run from June 7-29, 2008 in Switzerland and Austria.Under Briegel, the national team became a symbol of reborn Albanian national pride after beating European champions Greece in Tirana.They have risen to 86 in the FIFA world rankings but failed to qualify for the World Cup, finishing fifth in their qualifying group. http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldFootballNews&storyID=2006-07-03T130128Z_01_L03597287_RTRIDST_0_SPORT-SOCCER-ALBANIA-BARIC.XML   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 03 Jul 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8590/1/E-MARIO-PRESKAR-BACK-IN-THE-USA.html MARIO PRESKAR BACK IN THE USACroatian heavyweight, 22-year-old Mario Preskar, will box again in the USA. After a string of 3 knockouts at the end of 2005, Preskar will fight after a 7-month pause on Saturday, July 8, 2006 in St. Louis, Missouri at the 22,000-seat capacity Savvis Center. “I feel great, ready and eager to step in the ring again. After a long and arduous training period my strength and power have increased and I’m ready for anybody,” said Preskar, whose opponent has not been announced. Preskar, who is under promotional agreement with legendary promoter Don King has a record of 9 wins (6 by knockout) 1 draw and 0 losses. Don King and his promotional company DKP return to the Gateway City (St. Louis-Gateway to The West) to host the evening with 2 Championship fights including Cory Spinks, against IBF 154-pound champion Roman Karmazin, a former cruiserweight champion Jean-Marc Mormeck plus others for an evening of 10 bouts. Tickets are $500 (ringside), $300, $200, $100, $60, $45 and $25. For tickets call: (314) 622-5400 or (314) 622-5435. Croatian TV (HTV) will televise Preskar’s match.King visited Croatia last month in advance of World Boxing Council (WBC) 45th Annual Convention which will be held from October 29 to November 4 of this year in Dubrovnik. Leonard Pijetraj, trainer/manager to Preskar was King’s guide and translator in Dubrovnik. This was King’s second visit to Croatia in the last 12 months. There are plans to have DKP events in Croatia later this year headlining Mario Preskar. June 27, 2006VJNhttp://15rounds.com/ Preskar to fight July 8 in St. LouisBy Marc AbramsUndefeated Heavyweight prospect, Mario Preskar will return to the U.S on Saturday July 8 in St.Louis to fight on the big Don King Promotions card against a yet to be determined opponent that will be headlined by Roman Karmazin taking Cory Spinks for the IBF Jr. Middleweight championship and Steve "USS" Cunningham battling Gulliermo Jones for the Vaxant IBF Cruiserweight title.Preskar, 9-0-1 with six knockouts will be making his first appearance in a U.S ring since October, 2004. Since then the 22 year old Croatian has scored three knockouts in Germany.http://15rounds.com/boxing/News/2006/06/preskar-062906.php letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 29 Jun 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8588/1/E-The-most-pulsating-dramatic-heart-stopping-contest-of-a-thrilling-World-Cup.html Croatia 2 - 2 Australia GIANNI RUSSO in Stuttgart June 23 2006 Scorers: Croatia – Srna (3), Kovac (56); Australia – Moore (38 pen), Kewell (79)The most pulsating, dramatic, heart-stopping contest of a thrilling World Cup ended with Australia booking a last 16 meeting with Italy.Harry Kewell's 79th-minute angled drive sent Guus Hiddink's Australia charging into the knockout phase for the first time in their history.Yet the mere scoreline does not even start to get close to explaining the story behind a truly extraordinary game which Australia ended with 10 men and Croatia nine.Twice Australia were forced to come from behind to grab the point they required after conceding initially in the second minute, then at the start of the second period following a mistake to rank up with any the competition had ever seen from recalled goalkeeper Zeljko Kalac.Yet, showing the pugnacious spirit which has enabled them to become world champions at so many sports, Australia simply refused to lie down.Craig Moore pulled them level just before half-time when he kept his nerve to fire home from the spot, then, after Australia had another clear spot-kick appeal turned down by the English referee Graham Poll, Kewell drove home the goal which blasted open the door to the second round.Nobody celebrated the draw more enthusiastically than the Australia coach Guus Hiddink, who had almost seen the biggest gamble of his entire coaching career go disastrously wrong.Hiddink stunned his supporters by bringing back Kalac, who spends his winters sat on the AC Milan bench, ahead of established No.1 Mark Schwarzer.Kalac had barely touched the ball when he was picking it out of his own net, a legacy of Mark Viduka's third-minute foul on the Croatia captain Niko Kovac. Up stepped Darijo Srna to stroke a 25-yard free-kick beyond Kalac and into the top corner.For half an hour thereafter, Australia battered the Croatia defence for no reward. Tim Cahill, Mark Viduka and Kewell all wasted chances to equalise and Australia were starting to run out of ideas when Stjepan Tomas stuck up a fist to deflect away a Brett Emerton cross.Poll spotted the infringement and, though the gap between the Premiership official blowing his whistle and Moore stepping up to take the kick seemed to last forever, the former Rangers defender kept his cool to fire home.Then came Kalac's extraordinary aberration. Getting right behind an apparently innocuous Kovac strike, the keeper somehow managed to let the ball slip through his grasp and into the net. With Schwarzer sat not five yards away, Hiddink must have wanted the ground to open up and swallow him.It was another shattering blow. Yet Australia refused to buckle. Time and again they bashed away.Another Tomas handball was missed by Poll, Kewell's shot was brilliantly pushed over by Stipe Pletikosa, Cahill went agonisingly close.Eventually Marco Bresciano floated over a cross from the right and John Aloisi flicked it into Kewell's path. Kewell's talent did not fail him. Control with the chest, finish on the volley. Easy as that.Australia lived on their nerves for those final 10 minutes, though. Dario Simic and Brett Emerton were both red-carded as the action intensified, while Moore booted on effort off the Australian line.Amid the frenzy, Poll booked Josip Siminic, a Melbourne-born Croat, for a second and then a third time, before eventually brandishing red in his face after the final whistle.The Australian fans celebrated as they would any Ashes triumph or rugby victory.Scorers: Croatia – Srna (3), Kovac (56); Australia – Moore (38 pen), Kewell (79)http://www.theherald.co.uk/sport/64673.html letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 23 Jun 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8581/1/E-Match-Schedules-for-Soccer-World-Cup-2006.html Match Schedules for Soccer World Cup 2006   Match Schedules for Soccer World Cup 2006: Click Here Group Standings: Click Here letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 14 Jun 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8579/1/E-Thank-God-for-Croatia.html Thank God for Croatia Jayaditya Gupta Thursday, June 15, 2006 Kaka saves Brazil’s dull day out We never thought we’d say this in a Brazil match but thank God for Croatia. The team from the Balkans was inventive, purposeful, energetic, and completely unawed by the world champions, and should have gone away with a point. Instead, Brazil began their campaign on a winning note, Kaka’s sweetly struck volley just before half time doing the damage. After the match coach Carlos Alberto Parreira pointed out that teams aiming to win the World Cup must pace themselves but at this pace Brazil should be looking at lifting the trophy in 2010, not a month from now. Much of their problem stemmed from their strike force of Ronaldo and Adriano (though for Brazil everyone is a goalscorer), and it is a moot point that the only goal came from a midfielder. Ronaldo, in what was his 100th Brazil match, was palpably unfit; not injured, just overweight. Brazil’s reputation has grown since they last won the World Cup, but in Ronaldo’s case only his shadow has got bigger. Too slow to respond to the quicksilver wiles of Ronaldinho and Kaka, he was mercifully taken off just after the hour. And the sparkle shown by his replacement, his Real Madrid teammate Robinho, means Parreira will have a problem keeping the younger player out of the starting line-up. Brazil’s troubles lie elsewhere too. The fact that Croatia enjoyed 50 per cent of the possession is proof of their ability to win the ball in central midfield, where Emerson and Ze Roberto were too often outwitted, especially by Kovac and Babic, the latter also selling Cafu a brilliant dummy towards the end. Though Cafu and Roberto Carlos, with 69 years between them, were not embarrassed today, the pressure will be immense over the next few matches. Harry Kewell, in particular, should enjoy his duel with Brazil’s captain on Sunday. Their next two opponents will be tricky. Australia are on a high after their incredibly last-gasp win, further boosting their typical Oz superconfidence. Japan will be desperate to open their account, and should benefit from some inside knowledge provided by their coach. The ultimate truth, however, is that one writes off Brazil at their peril. Parreira says a slow build-up is part of their plans and in any case we are not dealing with a team of mere mortals. It takes a moment for Kaka, or Ronaldinho, to change the match. It may take substantially longer for Ronaldo to find his form but they didn’t need him yesterday. Conclusion: Brazil have the making of a winning team but must step up at least a couple of gears if they aren’t to be overtaken, possibly much before the home straight. jayaditya.gupta@expressindia.com http://www.indianexpress.com/story/6490.html letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 14 Jun 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8578/1/E-Tennis-Players-Showing-Tough-Croatian-Grit.html Tennis Players Showing Tough Croatian Grit   Following an unexpected Davis Cup victory in 2005 and a successful start to the 2006 campaign, Croatian tennis fans had much to be happy about. Still, we had little to look forward to, at least for the spring clay court season. Croat tennis players have long been known for their powerful serves and huge ground strokes, a style that greatly contrasts with the loopy shots and baseline speed needed for success on clay. For this reason, not much was to be expected out of the Croats. However, at the 2006 French Open, the foremost clay court tournament in the world, the Croatians went well represented. Entering Roland Garros 2006, Ivan Ljubicic was not only Croatia’s #1 ranked tennis player, as he has been since the retirement of legend Goran Ivanisevic, but he was also the 4th-ranked player in the world. Despite his #4 seed at the tournament, “Ljubo” was not predicted by many to reach the semifinals- he had historically not done well on clay, as his game is predicated upon his huge serve and power. However, Ivan was granted a friendly draw. Ljubicic defeated his first round opponent, Carlos Berlocq of Argentina, in dominant straight-set fashion. Through to the second round, Ivan had already advanced further than the previous year, and was then set to face Spaniard Oscar Hernandez. After getting through, 6-3 6-7(7) 6-1 6-2, Ivan was pitted against Argentina’s Juan Monaco in the third round. Although Monaco is a well-known claycourt specialist, Ivan was still considered the favorite to win the match. However, Ljubicic lost the first two sets and appeared ready to bow out of the tournament. But Ivan fought back, and showing tough Croatian grit, he defeated the Argentinean, delighting his fans. Ivan had rallied from two sets down to win in five, grueling sets, and in doing so, had reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam for only the second time in his career and for the first time at Roland Garros. Facing another clay court specialist in the fourth round, Ivan next played Ruben Ramirez Hidalgo of Spain, who took out 15th seed David Ferrer in the third round. Ivan’s stellar clay court play continued, as he took out the Spaniard in four sets. Ivan had now reached the quarterfinals of the French Open, where he was set to play another unseeded player, hometown favorite Julien Benneteau. In the quarters, Ivan quickly dispatched of the unheralded Frenchman, 6-2 6-2 6-3. Despite losing to eventual champion Rafael Nadal in the semifinals, Ivan Ljubicic put together an unbelievable two weeks of tennis. He made his nation proud in reaching the semifinals for the first time in his career. What made this past French Open so amazing was not just the success of the #4 player in the world. It was the simultaneous success of the #12-ranked player in the world and Croatia’s #2, Mario Ancic. In this French Open, Mario put his name alongside the top names in tennis on a surface on which he had not found much success in the past. Ancic struggled through the first round, but prevailed, defeating Australian Nathan Healey in four sets. Next up was Paul Capdeville of Chile, a solid clay court player, whom Ancic defeated in straight sets. He was later hit with a $3000 fine for getting into a tiny post-match scuffle with the Chilean, which the chair umpire had to break up. Just like last year, Mario was through to the third round of the French Open. In the third round, Ancic absolutely demolished Albert Montanes of Spain in straight sets, and set up a fourth round encounter with Montanes’ countryman and the #7 player in the world, Tommy Robredo. Robredo had been on an absolute tear during the clay court season, winning the Tennis Masters Series Hamburg and entering the French Open as a threat to take home the trophy. Mario, typically known as a hard court or grass court player, shocked many by taking the first set off of the Spaniard. However, Robredo fired back and took the next two sets in a rather convincing fashion. After the fourth set went in favor of the man from Split, both players fought off cramping and exhaustion in the fifth. After taking a 5-2 lead and squandering it, Mario Ancic finally captured the match, 6-4 4-6 6-2 6-4 7-5, over Tommy Robredo. In doing so, Ancic proved to the world not only that he is a formidable opponent on all surfaces, but that Croatian tennis is here to stay, as our top two players reached the quarterfinals of the French Open. Although Mario would lose to the #1 player in the world, Roger Federer, in the quarterfinals, his French Open run was one to be remembered. With his amazing achievement at the 2006 French Open, Mario Ancic vaulted himself to #9 in the world rankings. For the first time in memory, not one, but two Croats are in the top ten of tennis! And it is not that two Croats made the quarterfinals that is so amazing- though it is truly an accomplishment to behold- but it is that two Croats made the quarterfinals of the French Open. On the surface on which we were not supposed to have success, we had the best success we have had since 2001, when Goran Ivanisevic won Wimbledon. And even then there were zero Croatians in the top ten, let alone two. With last year’s Davis Cup victory and the still-more-recent World Team Championship triumph, Croatian tennis was at its new zenith. However with the recent results at the French Open, a new pinnacle has been reached. Only better things can be expected at the upcoming Wimbledon Championships, on the surface on which we are supposed to succeed. Thanks to Ivan Ljubicic and Mario Ancic, who made the semifinals and quarterfinals of the French Open respectively, it has never been a better time to be a fan of Croatian tennis. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 14 Jun 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8576/1/E-Impressive-Croatia-far-from-humbled-by-Brazil-loss.html Impressive Croatia far from humbled by Brazil loss (Reuters)Updated: 2006-06-14 15:47   Croatia's fans lit flares and celebrated at the end of their 1-0 defeat to Brazil in their opening World Cup match at the Olympiastadion on Tuesday to show just how proud they were of their team. Croatia fans hold flares as they cheer during Group F World Cup 2006 soccer match between Brazil and Croatia in Berlin.[Reuters]Croatia coach Zlatko Kranjcar said afterwards that they always knew that this would be a game they would probably lose -- but that wins over Japan and Australia in their remaining two Group F fixtures should be enough to see them through. "We always thought we might well find ourselves in this position after the first game so it's no surprise and no real disappointment," he said. "We were perhaps unlucky not to get a point but we know what we have to do to qualify now." Victory in the next two matches cannot be taken for granted of course, but if Croatia play as well against Japan and Australia as they did against Brazil, the odds are probably on them taking all six points. Croatia had far the better of play for about 20 minutes at the start of the second half and only some outstanding saves by Brazilian goalkeeper Dida stopped them reaping reward for inventive midfield play and direct attacking. They probably could have even afforded to be rather more adventurous against Brazil and if Dado Prso had played in a more central role in the Croatia attack rather than trying to cut in from the wings, he might have ended the game with a goal or two. Croatia are desperate to do well in these finals after flopping out at the first-round stage in 2002 following their semi-final appearance on their debut in 1998. WELL ORGANISED Kranjcar's team is well organised and proved against the world champions they could not be intimidated. One brilliant tackle in the second half by Robert Kovac summed up their speed of thought and their commitment. Kranjcar's son Niko had a fine game in his usual attacking midfield role and went close with a header late in the game when Croatia looked as though they were easily capable of securing a draw. Captain Niko Kovac, who failed to finish the game after picking up a rib injury following a heavy challenge from Brazil's Ze Roberto towards the end of the first half, agreed with his coach on what their priorities were now. "We have to win both of the other games. We knew that before but now it's reality," he said. "Now we all need to concentrate on that." He said he would know after training later on Wednesday whether he would be fit in time for the next game against Japan on Sunday in Nuremberg. http://chinadaily.com.cn/sports/2006-06/14/content_616950.htm letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 14 Jun 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8574/1/E-Emil-Milihram-wins-C1-World-White-Water-Championship.html Emil Milihram wins C1 World White Water Championship Emil Milihram of Croatia on his way to win the C1 race of the World White Water Championships on the Tepla River in Karlovy Vary, Czech Republic, Wednesday, June 14, 2006. (AP Photo/CTK, Ivan Babej) letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 14 Jun 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8580/1/E-Support-two-youth-from-Croatia-to-further-their-development-at-Tabor-Academy.html www.basketballforchampions.com     Join us as we support two youth from Croatia to further their development as student-athletes at Tabor AcademyIstria Sports Club28-09 Astoria Blvd, Queens, NY 11102 7pm June 21 ST $25 at the door includes appetizers Contact Chris Matesic 646-831-1522  My name is Chris Matesic I am a Croatian-American New Yorker! My father is from Zadar and grew up in Rijeka and my mother was born in Rijeka and came to the US via Genoa, Italy. I have been a basketball coach/trainer in NYC for over five years. I have worked with many elite student-athletes preparing to play college basketball and beyond. It is always been a dream of mine to work with my friends and family in Croatia to bring Croatian players over to the states to train as student-athlete basketball players. I am bringing over two boys Ivan Biondic and Alen Blesic from Rijeka to attend Tabor Academy, a prestigious prep school in Massachusetts. During these two years I will be supporting them to get a basketball scholarship to a University to further their studies in theUS. Ivan and Alen will be pioneers in our new non-profit “Basketball for Champions.” It is the vision of the organization to inspire young to people to be champions in school, on the court and in life! It is our intention that the young people that participate in our programs ultimately be of service to the community. The inspiration for Basketball for Champions came from the late great Drazen Petrovic, a Croatian champion who was of great service to the Croatian community around the world. We are promoting a fundraiser for the boy’s expenses at the Istria Sports Club in Astoria, Queens, New York. The information is on the flyer on the website:www.basketballforchampions.com We invite you all to come and be a part of special evening to celebrate the arrival of two Croatian boys on their journey to the US.With great respect,Chris Matesic 646-831-1522cmatesic@basketballforchampions.com letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 13 Jun 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8577/1/E-Local-Croatians-World-Cup-crazy.html Local Croatians World Cup crazyTue, June 13, 2006Despite loss to powerhouse Brazil, fans happy with gameBy NADIA MOHARIB, CALGARY SUNLosing by just one goal to the best soccer team in the world is a victory in itself, say some Calgary Croats after their home team took on Brazil in today's World Cup match.Ivan Vukelic, president of the Croatian Canadian Cultural Centre at 3010 12 St. N.E. where the game was televised, was one of several hundred supporters to nervously take in the match, which ultimately saw Brazil go home with a 1-0 win."Honesty, I'm very happy with the score," Vukelic said."I wouldn't expect more than that.""If we would tie I would be happy - we were playing against the best team in the world."Watching the game with fellow Croatians, including his father visiting from his homeland, was not an option for Ivo Ceko."I'm actually working this afternoon," Ceko said midway through the match."I'll be late but my boss is English - he's going to understand that."Using an analogy to Canada's national sport Ceko explained his passion for soccer."Over there soccer is like hockey is here," he said."It's soccer first and everything after that."Six-year-old Maria Slisko has yet to be convinced."It's pretty boring and my father's yelling scares me a bit," she said while taking a breather from her overzealous parents to find a quiet corner at the cultural centre."I'm just trying to do my homework in my head."Her mother, Ivanka, said the family has a bigger TV at home but chose to join fellow team Croatia fans so they could tap in to the team spirit.The win sees Brazil open its attempt for a record sixth title.Croatia, which is in just its second World Cup, reached the semifinals in 1998 and must now get points from Japan and Australia to revive its chances for this year.http://calsun.canoe.ca/News/Alberta/2006/06/13/1630550.html letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 13 Jun 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8575/1/E-3-Croatian-Coaches-at-the-World-Cup.html Three Croatian Coaches at the World Cup   From the Los Angeles TimesCoaching Characters Color the LandscapeGet ready for a heavy dose of the offbeat when it comes to the men whoare guiding the soccer dreams of nations all over the world.By Grahame L. JonesTimes Staff Writer June 2, 2006 HAMBURG, Germany — England Coach Sven Goran Eriksson's much-publicizedaffair with a secretary at the English Football Assn. and his earlierwell-documented fling with a Swedish television producer were ancienthistory by the time he made his third, much more costly, faux pas. That was in January, when he was foolish enough to journey to Dubai tomeet an oil-rich sheik said to be interested in hiring him. Sad to say for Eriksson, the "sheik" turned out to be an impostor in theemploy of an English tabloid newspaper. Eriksson's admission that hewould abandon England for the right opportunity and his incautiousgossip about the foibles of David Beckham, Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinandand the rest of England's high-priced and high-living players made luridtabloid headlines for weeks. The federation, which had turned a more-or-less blind eye to the earlierindiscretions, was not amused and suggested, rather firmly, thatEriksson might want to step down from the $8-million-a-year job it hadgiven him in 2001. After the World Cup, that is, federation officials were quick to add. So England has a lame duck Swede with a colorful resume coaching it intothe 32-nation, 64-game tournament that begins one week from today. Strange to say, there is nothing odd about that. In fact, Eriksson fitsright in with the cast of offbeat characters who will be directingmatters from the wings when their players take the stage, starting June9, in the 18th edition of soccer's quadrennial world championship. Indeed, the 32 World Cup coaches represent 19 nationalities, topped byfive Brazilians (if Costa Rica's Brazilian-born Alexandre Guimaraes isincluded), four Dutchmen, three Frenchmen and three Croatians. And the Cup runneth over with oddball coaches. Take Luiz Felipe Scolari, for instance. "Big Phil," as he is known, isthe gruff, no-nonsense character who coached his native Brazil to thetitle at the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan. He parlayed that into a job with Portugal, which he led to the final ofEuro 2004, only to lose to upstart Greece. This spring, when Englandcame calling in search of a replacement for Eriksson, Scolari rejectedthe advances. He also turned his famous wrath on the Portuguese media, which hadcriticized him for even talking to the English. "Your coaches negotiate, am I any different?" he fumed at reporters inLisbon. The idea "that someone who is born here is a saint and someoneborn on the other side of the Atlantic is a devil, that doesn't exist. "It's time to stop that clown show. I'm just like anybody else. I've gottwo legs, two arms and a head." Colorful language is one thing many of the World Cup coaches have incommon. That and some blunt opinions. Otto Pfister is Togo's coach. He is also German, but that has notstopped him from dismissing Germany's dream of winning the Cup aswishful thinking. "Germany have no chance," Pfister said last month. "I don't think theycan even get to the final, or even the semifinal…. It's quite simple:you need skill, and Germany doesn't have that." Pfister also ventured far out on a politically incorrect limb when heforbade his Togo players from talking to Korean reporters, because SouthKorea is one of Togo's first-round opponents. Just to make sure, Pfister also ordered them not to talk to Japanese orChinese journalists either. The racist overtones are clear but pale in comparison to the blatantremark recently attributed to Ukraine Coach Oleg Blokhin when he talkedabout player development in his country's professional league. "The more Ukrainians there are playing in the national league, the moreexamples there are for the young generation," Blokhin said. "Let themlearn from [Ukrainian players] and not some zumba-bumba whom they tookoff a tree, gave two bananas and now he plays in the Ukrainian league." Blokhin, incidentally, was Europe's player of the year in 1975 and, inperhaps the most bizarre job-coupling among all the World Cup coaches,is also a Communist Party member of Ukraine's parliament. Human frailties are everywhere to be seen among the 32 coaches. Three of them, for instance, have put relatives on their World Cuprosters. In the case of Mexico's Ricardo Lavolpe, it is his son-in-law,Rafael Garcia, an indifferent player but naturally left-footed. At leastthat was the reason given for his inclusion. In the case of Serbia and Montenegro Coach Ilija Petkovic, it was hisson, Dusan, a truly mediocre player. The reaction was swift, withjournalists and former players calling it "scandalous." Croatia Coach Zlatko Kranjcar also named his son to the team, but NikoKranjcar is a decent midfielder and might have made it no matter whoheld the coaching reins. In any case, the elder Kranjcar has other things about which to worry,such as a rumored drinking problem. "It's true, I like to drink a glass, even a bottle, of good wine, butonly in good company when I'm not working," he said. "I don't let itinterfere with work." The current batch of World Cup coaches vary widely in age. They rangefrom Marco Van Basten of the Netherlands and Juergen Klinsmann ofGermany, each 41, to Togo's Pfister, who is 68. Seven are in their 40s, 16 are in their 50s and nine are in their 60s.Their average age is 55. U.S. Coach Bruce Arena is the longest-serving of the group with eightyears under his belt. Among the coaches are quite a few with a top-level soccer pedigree. Fourof them already have won the World Cup. Germany's Klinsmann won as a player in 1990 and France Coach RaymondDomenech won as an assistant coach in 1998. Scolari did so as coach ofBrazil in 2002, and his compatriot, Carlos Alberto Parreira, won the Cupwith Brazil in 1994. It takes more than coaching talent to win, of course. Luck always playsa part. That might explain the behavior of Spain Coach Luis Aragones, whorefuses to allow the color yellow anywhere around his team because hesays he believes it brings bad luck. Recently, he ordered star strikerRaul to remove a yellow T-shirt when he showed up wearing it totraining. And then there is the good fortune enjoyed by the likes of Poland CoachPawel Janas. Asked about the pressure World Cup coaches are under as thetournament approaches, Janas, smiled. "It is not the end of the world," he told World Soccer magazine. "Sevenyears ago I overcame lymph gland cancer. Can you imagine a biggerpressure? I have already won the most important battle in my life."   Relying on imports Only 15 of the 32 teams in the World Cup are coached by natives of thatcountry: Country Coach Age NationalityAngola Luis Olivera Goncalves 45 AngolanArgentina Jose Pekerman 56 ArgentineAustralia Guus Hiddink 59 DutchBrazil Carlos Alberto Parreira 63 BrazilianCosta Rica Alexandre Guimaraes 46 BrazilianCroatia Zlatko Kranjcar 49 CroatianCzech Republic Karel Bruckner 66 CzechEcuador Luis Fernando Suarez 46 ColombianEngland Sven Goran Eriksson 58 SwedishFrance Raymond Domenech 54 FrenchGermany Juergen Klinsmann 41 GermanGhana Ratomir Dujkovic 54 SerbianIran Branco Ivankovic 52 CroatianItaly Marcello Lippi 58 ItalianIvory Coast Henri Michel 58 FrenchJapan Zico 53 BrazilianMexico Ricardo Lavolpe 54 ArgentineNetherlands Marco Van Basten 41 DutchParaguay Anibal Ruiz 63 UruguayanPoland Pawel Janas 53 PolishPortugal Luiz Felipe Scolari 57 BrazilianSaudi Arabia Marcos Paqueta 47 BrazilianSerbia and Montenegro Ilija Petkovic 60 CroatianSouth Korea Dick Advocaat 58 DutchSpain Luis Aragones 67 SpanishSweden Lars Lagerback 57 SwedishSwitzerland Jakob Kuhn 62 SwissTogo Otto Pfister 68 GermanTrinidad and Tobago Leo Beenhakker 64 DutchTunisia Roger Lemerre 64 FrenchUkraine Oleg Blokhin 53 UkrainianUnited States Bruce Arena 54 American   http://www.latimes.com/sports/soccer/la-sp-soccer2jun02,1,5668457.story?coll=la-headlines-sports letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 13 Jun 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8573/1/E-Croatias-Cup-opens-a-world-of-memories.html Croatia's Cup opens a world of memories  Seattle-area immigrants gather to reminisce, cheer homelandBy CASEY MCNERTHNEYTuesday, June 13, 2006Rooting for the home team: This is the fourth in a series of stories created to tap into the passion of soccer through the life experiences of Seattle residents.The friends gathered on Frank Brozovich's back patio looked like an extended family.Upon arrival, each guest was swarmed with a hug and "hello," and given a Dos Equis to celebrate the day. Conversations flowed as though there was no gap between meetings. Men in their 60s were attentive to the 30-somethings as though they were their sons.Jim Bryant / P-I Luka Radic, 2, tries to untie the shoes of his 5-year-old brother Neven. Their father, Zoran Radic, left Croatia in the early 1990s and found a Croatian community in Seattle. The group of 14 Croatian immigrants and children of Croatian immigrants usually meet once every month or so at dances, picnics, weddings or funerals. But it was excitement for Croatia's third World Cup that made Brozovich, Washington state's Croatian consul, gather the group at his South Seattle home.Not all of them were star soccer players, but everyone present has passion for the game.Milan Stipetic, a 67-year-old Ogulin native, recalled the soccer balls neighborhood kids would make from old socks, and feet so injured from playing that he couldn't wear shoes.Branko Kukolja, whose father survived the Bleiburg massacres of 1945, despises cable TV but subscribed to watch the Croatians play Brazil today at noon."When you see people talking about Croatian soccer, it brings back memories and you feel good about it," said immigrant Zoran Radic. "To be a small nation and to be part of such a world event means a lot."And each person at Brozovich's home Saturday went through a lot to be there.Radic was a 20-year-old on the front lines when the Yugoslav People's Army attacked the city of Dubrovnik in 1991, following Croatia's independence. The conflict killed 114 civilians, according to the Croatian Red Cross, and Radic recalls seeing fellow soldiers shot and killed.He jumped ship as a merchant marine and came to Seattle in 1992 to find an uncle. He met Mike Mikacenic, another immigrant and friend of Brozovich.Radic said life was harder then, knowing almost no one from the home he wished he could go back to. His outlet was a motorcycle he drove too fast, and parties that never ended too early.But that changed with time after Brozovich introduced him to others in the Seattle Croatian community. Radic married another Croatian native and has two children: Neven, 5, and Luka, 2.The self-described rebel is now a dad concerned that his sons would drink too much Pepsi without his attention."I was lucky enough to survive," he said, wearing a Croatia soccer jersey.Mikacenic was, too.Yugoslavia -- from which Croatia declared its independence in 1991 -- became a federal independent Communist state under the rule of Marshal Tito after World War II. Mikacenic was 24 when he fled in 1963, dodging police dogs and camping in bushes. He was jailed after arriving in Austria, and was sentenced to 35 days in prison.When released, he went to Montreal, and came to Seattle in 1969 for a job with Lockheed.He grew up playing soccer in Zagreb, Croatia's capital, and started a men's amateur team in Seattle.The team won regional titles in Denver for the U.S. Open Cup and U.S. Amateur Cup. It won the National Amateur Cup in 1982.Thirty years after arriving in Seattle, his daughter, Nancy Mikacenic, graduated from Lakeside High School, where she was a two-time Parade All-American soccer midfielder and Gatorade Circle of Champions state player of the year.Bozidar Yerkovich, who sat across a table from Mikacenic on Saturday, said he was nowhere as talented as Mikacenic, but equally as spirited.Yerkovich was born near Zagreb. Two weeks after completing his undergraduate degree in Croatia, he went to Connecticut for graduate study."I cried my eyes out the first night," he said.He lived in graduate housing, only knowing a few words of English. He woke up the day after his arrival and couldn't cook the canned food he found because he couldn't read the labels."You go to bed with a headache for weeks because of the pressure," said Igor Vuletic, an Opatija native.Friends like those Yerkovich spent time with Saturday have helped him adapt. And watching his team on a global stage brings the fond memories of home."We'll watch the games at somebody's house," Yerkovich said. "It doesn't matter what else is happening that day, the game is the most important event that day for us. Because Croatia is smaller than the state of Washington, it's like we are watching our own family. It feels like an extended family."CROATIAOfficial name: Republika Hrvatska Continent: EuropePopulation: 4.42 millionCapital: Zagreb World Cups: 3rd in 2006Cup titles: NoneLast Cup: 2002 (lost 1st)Cup matches: 10 (6-4)Goals for / against: 13 / 8Coach: Zlatko Kranjèar How qualified: Won Group 8 qualifying with a 7-3 record.Famous players: Aljosa Asanovic, Slaven Bilic, Zvonimir Boban, Alen Boksic, Robert Jarni, Drazen Ladic, Robert Prosinecki, Zvonimir Soldo, Stanic Staniæ, Davor Suker, Milan Rapaic.Did you know? Croatia has qualified for every World Cup it has entered as an independent nation (since 1990). ... Croatia has won several international environmental awards for having the cleanest waters in the Mediterranean. ... Slavoljub Eduard Penkala of Croatia became a legend for inventing the mechanical pencil (1906) and solid-ink fountain pen (1907). He also built the first Croatian two-seat airplane in 1909.From Croatia: Cravat (neck tie), electric speedometer, hot water bottle, hydroelectric power plant, parachute, rail-car brake, torpedo.-- Steve Rudmanhttp://seattlepi.nwsource.com/othersports/273703_wccroatia13.html letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 13 Jun 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8571/1/E-Brazil-squeaks-by-Croatia.html Brazil squeaks by Croatia Tuesday, June 13, 2006, at 849 p.m.A goal by Kaka held up for a 1-0 win for World Cup favorite Brazil against Croatia in Group F play today. Brazil will play again Sunday against Australia, which beat Japan 3-1 on Monday. Croatia plays Japan on Sunday. In Group G matches Tuesday, South Korea edged Togo 2-1 and France and Switzerland tied 0-0.See tomorrow’s Times Free Press for more coverage.http://www.tfponline.com/absolutenm/templates/breaking.aspx?articleid=1924&zoneid=41 letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 13 Jun 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/8572/1/E-Croatia-beat-US.html Croatia beat U.S., Czechs upset Argentina Eurosport - 22/05/2006Croatia claimed a 2-1 win over the USA while Czech Republic surprised Argentina with an identical scoreline at the World Team Cup on Monday. Croatia's Ivan Ljubicic overcame American James Blake 5-7 6-3 7-6 in a magnificent contest that hung in the balance until the final point. Robby Ginepri then levelled the tie for the U.S. by beating Ivo Karlovic 6-4 7-6 before Ljubicic and Karlovic defeated the world's top-ranked doubles pair Bob and Mike Bryan 6-3 7-6. Blake, who is finding his feet on clay after once struggling on the surface, made Ljubicic fight hard for his victory. The Croat broke to lead the final set 5-4 but failed to serve out the match. After breaking again at 5-5 with a superb backhand winner, he was still unable to convert two match points as Blake took the contest to a tiebreak. "I think it was a really, really high quality match," said Ljubicic. "I played tough and he played very good. There were winners all over the place, not many unforced errors. Just really good tennis." "I think I deserved the win... I had most of the chances. I just couldn't close it out earlier. I thought I played probably my best match on clay this season." Even Blake could take something from the pulsating battle. "I'll think about the positive things," the American told reporters. "I broke him twice when he was serving for the match, and he's not an easy guy to break at any time. So it's something I take from the match. "I really feel good about my game on clay. It seems just so much better than it was last year at this time and in years past. Hopefully, my clay court game will continue improving." The Czech Republic beat Argentina without Radek Stepanek, who withdrew with exhaustion after being beaten by Tommy Robredo in the Hamburg Masters final on Sunday. Robin Vik defeated Gaston Gaudio 7-6 6-3. The Argentine had broken to lead 6-5 but was unable to serve out the set. Vik sped to a 5-0 lead in the second set before Gaudio offered late resistance. Tomas Berdych then beat David Nalbandian 6-4 6-4, with Nalbandian later complaining of a sore shoulder. The World Team Cup, which features six of the world's top 10 players, is played between eight teams split into two groups, with the winners of each group contesting Saturday's final. http://www.eurosport.com/tennis/world-team-cup/2006/sport_sto890422.shtml letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 22 May 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7729/1/E-ANDREW-BOGUT-INTERVIEW.html ANDREW BOGUT INTERVIEWBy Katarina TepeshNew York â€" When Milwaukee Bucks played in Madison Square Garden on April 14 in front of the sellout crowd of 19,763, every Bucks player, including Andrew Bogut, was gently booed when the player introductions took place against the New York Knicks. That is basketball, New York style, where the Knicks are the center of the basketball universe and carry thousands of loyal New York followers. However, that the Knicks have been losing almost the entire season, and expectedly lost to the Bucks by the score of 97-80. The game was thrilling and Andrew Bogut played one of his best games of the year, scoring 18 points. The next night, Bogut scored career-high 24 points and 12 rebounds against the Atlanta Hawks.Bogut was born on 11/28/1984 in Melbourne, Australia to Croatian parents. Last year, the forward/center was the first overall pick in the NBA draft by Milwaukee Bucks. “This is a dream come true for me,â€? said Bogut. “I’ve worked extremely hard to get to this point and I’m honored to be a member of the Bucks. I look forward to a successful NBA career.â€?His talent and imposing stature of 7-0 / 213 centimeters and 245 lbs, promises to help him achieve his goal. As a rookie, Bogut averages 9.4 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists.A starter for the 2004 Australian Olympic Team in Greece, Bogut was a star in Athens Olympics, where he averaged 14.8 points and 8.8 rebounds in five games. He was named Most Valuable Player of the 2003 FIBA Junior World Championships in Greece. At age 20, Bogut was named the consensus National Player of the Year in 2004-05 out of the University of Utah. As a sophomore, he ranked 19th in the NCAA in scoring 20.4 ppg and 2nd in rebounding 12.2 RPG in 35 starts for the Utes. That year, he was named First Team All-American by the Associated Press. K â€"What is your assessment of your game so far?“My rookie season has been up and down, inconsistent. I’m looking forward to improving. During off season I want to work on everything, improve jump shot. We have had one of the toughest schedules in the NBA. Constant traveling and being on the plane so much, even if it is first class, it’s hard to get used to.â€? K â€" Do you feel a lot of pressure, especially now with the playoffs?“Kind of. There is no excuse. We got some key wins against some good teams, but we also struggled against some lower-ranked teams. We need to beat up on them when they come into our house.â€? Andrew is excited about his future, while Australians and Croatians are happy, celebrating Bogut’s talent, personality and work ethic. “My Croatian parents have raised me strictly and disciplined me a lot. I love Croatian food, especially noklice which is semolina dumplings in soup. I hired a Croatian woman to cook for me when I’m in Milwaukee. I also like to listen to Croatian music. I will be in Croatia for a couple of weeks again this summer. I’ll spend some time probably in Zagreb, visiting my family and on the island of Brac.â€?In Bogut’s family, team work prevailed and it paid off. Andrew’s success is even more impressive considering that his father, Miso, who is from Osijek, is not a coach or trainer. He ran an auto shop in Melbourne when Andrew was growing up, and the younger Bogut remembered some lean times for the family. His mother Ankica is from Karlovac, now working as a volunteer in the community helping kids from Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina with the English language. “My mom always helped my dad with business and my sister Michelle works as a secretary and studies real estate.â€? Bogut has worked as a waiter in a Salt Lake City sports-themed restaurant to help pay his rent in college. He said he chose that line of work so he could better relate to the average American.The first wave of Croatian migration to Australia was precipitated by the news of the discovery of gold in 1851. Andrew’s parents left Croatia for Australia in the early 70’s.Photos of his parents pride and joy and of grandmother’s Helen Jurisic beaming smile was widely circulated during Bogut’s selection as No. 1 on July 1, 2005.While his family connection to Croatia is close, Bogut prefers to stay clear of turbulent Croatian politics. “The war is over; it’s been over ten years. It’s tough obviously. It’s a war-torn country.â€?Bogut said he wasn’t even a fan of any Australian players when he was growing up playing basketball, rugby, soccer and tennis. One of his idols is late Drazen Petrovic. “What impressed me most about Drazen was his work ethic. He was always motivated to improve his game. I hope that I can be true to Drazen’s example of work.â€? Bogut visited Petrovic’s grave on first visit to Croatia in 2003. Andrew was quoted on Miami center Shaquille O’Neal, “He’s going to be looked at like George Mikan; he is going to have a legacy that will carry on forever.â€? The quote came about during the 2005, when Shaq ended up paying for Mikan’s funeral. Mikan was born in the United States to Croatian parents.George Mikan was first superstar and the ABA’s first commissioner. At six-foot-ten and 240 pounds, Mikan was a dominating force that altered the history of the game. “Mikan was a fundamentalist,â€? adds Bogut. Bogut admires other players of Croatian descent currently in the NBA, saying that Kasun from Orlando Magic, Planinic from New Jersey Nets and Giricek from Utah Jazz, “are all solid players.â€? As for other Milwaukee Bucks players, Bogut said, “We have some great guys on the team, great characters that make traveling much more fun. I’ve been hanging out with guys like Toni Kukoc and Jiri Welsch on the road. That’s been my group of guys that I get together with and have lunch and dinner with before games. They’re a lot of fun.â€? In the beginning of the NBA season, Bogut said, “Scoring isn’t going to be my role too much this year, so I’m just trying to get the rebounds, steals, blocks and assists.â€? Since then Bogut has been dealing with critique. As a rookie he has been closely scrutinized, as the League’s first pick usually is. “Bogut has made a nice contribution to the Bucks’ success, perhaps not of the level production that would be expected of a No. 1 overall draft pick,â€? said one critic. Another stated, “No one questions that Bogut is a good player with the potential to be great. But whether he is worth the No. 1 pick is a matter of debate.â€?On the court, the Milwaukee Bucks’ mission is to play hard and pursue victory. Off the court, the Bucks mission is to contribute to a better quality of life in Milwaukee and Wisconsin and to positively affect the lives of all people in this community. During 2005, Bogut decided, “I’m going to make a lot of money in my life and I don’t need it all. If I can give back to people who have nothing, especially young people who might be stuck in crime or drugs, maybe putting a basketball in their hands will get them out of that.â€? According to Bogut’s agent, David Bauman from SFX Basketball, Bogut would probably earn $26 million over five years and $100 million during his career.When asked about his charity Andrew Bogut 4 Foundation to benefit underprivileged youth in Australia, Milwaukee, Utah, and Croatia, Bogut said, “I’m working on it trying to set it up. It’s kind of hard, I’m so busy. We will do camp sometimes next year in Croatia and Australia. I have other plans for the future. This summer, I’m so busy getting ready to play World Championship in Australia.â€? Bogut has already donated $125,000 to University of Utah to buy new lockers. He also distributed gifts to kids in Milwaukee during Christmas 2005. “Financially, I’m taking care of my family and friends who were there when I needed them,â€? explains Bogut.Andrew has played all 82 NBA games despite a broken nose suffered on November 23 against Philadelphia. He underwent surgery and had to wear a face mask which he hated and was planning on lighting it on fire. Later, once he took it off, he changed his mind. “I think the plan is to auction off the two masks and raise some money through my foundation for basketball camps.â€? Besides basketball, Andrew’s passion is to watch Seinfeld, a long-running TV sitcom, and the Sopranos, a drama series about a New Jersey mafia family. “I have a DVD player now watching movies to keep me amused and keep me sane when I’m on the airplane for so long.â€? Fans can read Andrew Bogut blog at www.bucks.com  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 21 Apr 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7732/1/E-Kostelic-breaks-season-points-record.html  Kostelic breaks season points record Mar. 19, 2006 12:00 AM Janica Kostelic won the women's World Cup giant slalom finale Saturday at Are, Sweden, and broke the record of Pernilla Wiberg for the number of points in a single season. Kostelic, who clinched the World Cup overall title on Thursday, ended the season with 1,970 points after the last of 36 races. Sweden's Wiberg had 1,960 points in the 1996-97 season. The Croat needed to win Saturday's giant slalom to break the record. "That's cool, right?" Kostelic said. "Maybe next year someone will say '10 more points and we'll beat Janica's record.' It's good to be one of those people whose record has to be beaten. I'm on top now, so it's great." Anja Paerson clinched the World Cup giant slalom title by finishing ahead of Maria Jose Rienda Contreras. Rienda Contreras, who had hoped to give Spain its first World Cup title, had entered the race trailing Paerson by 45 points.http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/sports/articles/0319sptbriefs0319.htmlKostelic breaks recordMost points for a single season By ERICA BULMANKostelic's brother criticizes Swedish organizers Janica Kostelic of Croatia speeds down the course on her way to win an Alpine Ski World Cup Women's giant slalom, at the World Cup finals, in Are, Sweden, Saturday, March,18, 2006. (AP Photo/Enrico Lodi) ARE, Sweden (AP) - Janica Kostelic won the women's World Cup giant slalom finale Saturday to break the record for points in a single season. Kostelic ended the season with 1,970 points after 36 races, surpassing former Swedish ski star Pernilla Wiberg's mark of 1,960 points in the 1996-97 season. Kostelic had needed to win the giant slalom to break the record. Sweden's Anja Paerson finished seventh to clinch the World Cup giant slalom title. Her only remaining challenger, Maria Jose Rienda Contreras finished eighth. Contreras, who had hoped to give Spain its first World Cup title, entered the race trailing Paerson by 45 points. It marked Paerson's sixth career World Cup title. She won the overall in the two previous seasons, and has one slalom and three giant slalom globes. "When I stood up there before the second run I was tired," Paerson said. "But I thought this could be the last race in a long time so I just wanted to enjoy it and have fun and I did. "I ended the season the way I wanted. I won the downhill here and won the giant slalom World Cup." Croatia's Kostelic, who led after the opening run, finished with an aggregate two-run time of 2 minutes, 6.41 seconds. Canada's Genevieve Simard moved from third into second in 2:07.02 with a strong second run. Austria's Nicole Hosp, who was second after the opening run, tied for third with Tanja Poutiainen in 2:07.95. Paerson, who last year edged Kostelic by three points for the overall title, was runner-up with 1,662. Michaela Dorfmeister of Austria, who is retiring, finished third with 1,364 points. Paerson topped the season-ending giant slalom standings with 586 points. Contreras was second with 537, while Kostelic finished third with 464. Kostelic clinched the World Cup overall title on Thursday with a fourth-placed finish in the final super-G, and won the slalom title in Levi, Finland, last week. AP Sports Writer Stephan Nasstrom in Are, Sweden, contributed to this report.http://www.canoe.ca/Slam/Skiing/2006/03/18/1494198-ap.html  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 20 Mar 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7731/1/H-Janica-osvojila-Veliki-kristalni-globus-slalomski-globus-i-.html  Janica osvojila Veliki kristalni globus, slalomski globus i postavila rekord u Svjetskom kupu Skijanje, zavrsnica Svjetskoga kupa Aare, Svedska 15. do 18. ozujka 2006. Janica osvojila Veliki kristalni globus, slalomski globus i postavila rekord u Svjetskom kupu 17. ozujka. - Janica Kostelić treći je put u karijeri osvojila Veliki kristalni globus namijenjen ukupnoj pobjednici Svjetskoga kupa! Naslove je osvojila i 2001. i 2003. godine. Usto, Janica je ukupna pobjednica u slalomu, u kojem se od 2002. godine u svim utrkama u kojima je zavrsila obje voznje penjala na pobjedniÄ?ko postolje. No to nije sve. Snjezna kraljica je postala i apsolutna rekorderka po broju osvojenih bodova u sezoni. S 1.970 bodova prestigla je dosadasnju rekorderku SveÄ'anku Pernillu Wiberg, koja je 1997. godine skupila 1.960 bodova. To je sjajno. Lijepo je kad si ti taj koga svi zele 'skinuti'. Ovo je najbolji mogući zavrsetak sezone, zakljuÄ?ila je Janica. Janica na zavrsnicu stigla s 254 boda prednosti Janica je na zavrsnicu sezone u svedskom Aareu stigla s 254 boda prednosti ispred najveće konkurentice, domaće skijasice Anje Paerson. JaniÄ?in tim odluÄ?io je propustiti utrku spusta, kako bi se dobro odmorila za veliki finis. To je Anja iskoristila i u posljednjoj ovosezonskoj utrci spusta izborila 34. pobjedu u Svjetskom kupu. S novih stotinu bodova tri utrke prije kraja svedska je skijasica smanjila zaostatak za nasom Janicom na 154 boda. Sreća prati hrabre Anja ipak nije izdrzala pritisak lova na bodove. Sljedeći je dan u utrci superveleslaloma promasila jedna vrata u gornjem dijelu staze i ostala bez plasmana. Janica je sigurnom voznjom doskijala do izvrsnog Ä?etvrtog mjesta, s 87 stotinki zaostatka za pobjednicom, Austrijankom Nicole Hosp. Druga je bila jos jedna Austrijanka, Michaela Dormeister, koja je jos prije osigurala naslov pobjednice u superveleslalomu (i spustu), a treća Njemica Martina Ertl-Renz. 204 boda viska za novo slavlje S novih 50 bodova Janica je otisla na nedostiznih 1770 bodova, 204 boda vise od Paerson. Nakon sto je prosle sezone izgubila tijesnu borbu sa SveÄ'ankom za samo tri boda, iako je zbog bolesti propustila velik broj utrka, ove sezone Janica je dokazala svoju superiornost i pitanje ukupne pobjednice rijesila dvije utrke prije kraja sezone. Veselje, ali i ozbiljnost do samoga kraja sezone Sretna sam, naravno da sam sretna, jer sad mogu uzivati u skijanju preostala dva dana. Nisam oÄ?ekivala da će se sve zavrsiti nakon danasnjeg super G-ija, Ä?ak ni kad sam Ä?ula da je Anja izasla sa staze, rekla je Janica i dodala da ne namjerava jos slaviti jer pred njom su jos dvije utrke. Veliki globus mozda nije tako Ä?aroban kao olimpijska pobjeda, ali je to konstantni play-off, koji se sastoji od 36 utrka u kojima moras biti dobar i zato je to sportski najvrjednija nagrada, rekao je JaniÄ?in otac i trener Ante. Demonstracija moći u slalomu S ukupnom pobjedom i slalomskim kristalnim globusom u dzepu, Janica je trećeg dana zavrsnice lezerno odvezla svoju najjaÄ?u disciplinu - slalom. Opustena i moćna Janica bila je sigurna u obje voznje i popela se na najvisu stepenicu pobjedniÄ?kog postolja. Drugo mjesto osvojila je Austrijanka Marlies Schild, a treća je bila SveÄ'anka Anja Paerson. Nove bodove osvojile su i Ana Jelusić plasmanom na 11. i Nika Fleis na 15. mjesto. Pobjedom u veleslalomu Janica zakljuÄ?ila sezonu Rekord Pernille Wiberg nasa je skijasica srusila na impresivan naÄ?in - drugom ovosezonskom pobjedom u veleslalomu, posljednjoj utrci sezone. Ponovno je ostvarila najbolje rezultate u prvoj i drugoj voznji. Drugoplasiranu KanaÄ'anku Genevieve Simard ostavila je za 61 stotinku, a treće su mjesto podijelile Finkinja Tanja Poutiainen i Austrijanka Nicole Hosp. U sjeni JaniÄ?ina senzacionalnog uspjeha, veleslalomski kristalni globus osvojila je Paerson, koja je osmim mjestom pred svojim navijaÄ?ima pretekla izravnu konkurenticu Spanjolku Riendu Contreras. Cilj mi je bilo pobjedniÄ?ko postolje, a znala sam da ću imati prigodu i za pobjedu. Dva ovosezonska slavlja u veleslalomu ulijevaju mi jos veće povjerenje u sebe za sljedeću sezonu u toj disciplini, rekla je Janica, dodavsi: Bila sam opustena, a kad ne razmisljas previse i jednostavno odskijas najbolje sto znas, dobre stvari se dogaÄ'aju. Snjezna kraljica slavila u svih pet disciplina Svoju svestranost Janica je pokazala pobijedivsi ove sezone u svih pet disciplina (slalom, veleslalom, superveleslalom, spust, kombinacija) i ostvarivsi ukupno devet pobjeda, uz pet drugih i tri treća mjesta. U karijeri je ostvarila 30 pobjeda u Svjetskome kupu. TakoÄ'er, sezonu će zavrsiti meÄ'u pet prvoplasiranih u svim disciplinama, s velikim i malim kristalnim globusom, te olimpijskim zlatom u kombinaciji i srebrom u superveleslalomu! KonaÄ?ni poredak u Svjetskom kupu 1. Janica Kostelić (HRV) 1970 2. Anja Paerson (Sve) 1662 3. M. Dorfmeister (Aut) 1364 4.  Nicole Hosp (Aut) 1112 5. Lindsey Kildow (SAD) 1067 6. Marlies Schild (Aut) 961 7. Kathrin Zettel (Aut) 872 8. Julia Mancuso (SAD) 755 9. A. Meissnitzer (Aut) 753 10. Elisabeth Goergl (Aut) 602     KonaÄ?ni poredak u slalomu 1. Janica Kostelić (HRV) 740 2. Marlies Schild (Aut) 550 3. Anja Paerson (Sve) 485 4. Kathrin Zettel (Aut) 399 5. Tanja Poutiainen (Fin) 320 6.  Nicole Hosp (Aut) 307 7. Therese Borssen (Sve) 248 8. Laure Pequegnot (Fra) 227 9. Lindsey Kildow (SAD) 214 10. Sarka Zahrobska (Čes) 206 Izvor: http://sport.hrt.hr/htvsport/izdvojeno/06/janica_velikigl.html   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 20 Mar 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7730/1/H-Lynne-Yelich-pocasni-gost-na-ZADRU-2006.html  Lynne YelichZASTUPNICA U KANADSKOM PARLAMENTU – POCASNI GOST NA HRVTASKIM SVJETSKIM IGRAMA U ZADRU  www.lynneyelich.com www.zadar2006.com Lynne Yelich, treca generacija kanadskih Hrvata i zastupnica u kanadskom Parlamentu s odusevljenjem se odazvala na poziv da bude pocasni gost Hrvatskih svjetskih igara u Zadru ove godine. I ako je gdja Yelich treca generacija Hrvata, vrlo je ponosna svojim hrvatskim porijeklom sto i istice na poslovnoj internet stranici na kojoj uz kanadski barjak, stoji i hrvatski!Lynne Yelich zivi sa suprugom Matt-om i kcerima Aleana-om i Ivanom u malom prerijskom mjestu Kenaston, u Provinciji Saskatchewan. Kenasto je nekad bio jaka hrvatska zajednica. Hrvati su ovamo doselili pocetkom dvadesetog stoljeca iz Lovinca u Lici i uglavnom se bavili poljoprivredom. Lynne Yelich je Hrvatsku posjetila samo jedan put, 1989. godine, i to je putovanje bilo katalist osjecaja koje je vec odavno gajila prema Hrvatskoj. «Po dolasku u Liku osjecala sam neku duboku povezanost, osjecaj prpadnosti. Kao da sam vec tamo bila, a Lovinac sam poznavala samo iz prica prenesenih od mojih pradjedova na moje djedove i roditelje.» kaze Lynne Yelich. «Taj je posjet ucvrstio moju bliskost s Hrvatima, ne samo u Kanadi, vec svugdje po svijetu.Osjetila sam da je to moj narod.' O Hrvatskim svijetskim igrama rekla je slijedece: «Kad sam cula sam za 'Hrvatske svjetske igre' koje ce se ovog ljeta odrzati u Zadru, bila sam istinski radosna da ce se omoguciti mladima rodjenim izvan Domovine da se upoznaju, druze i da razvijaju zajednicke interese za sport. Uvjerena sam da je to najbolji nacin povezivanja Hrvata s Domovinom i medjusobno. Nasa kci Ivan se je prijavila za kosarku i nasa ce cijela obitelj putovati u Zadar na Igre. Nadam se da ce se Igre nastaviti svake godine ili barem svake druge godine. To bi mogao biti jedan prekrasan pocetak zajednicke suradnje i stvaranje hrvtaskih veza po cijelom svijetu.'Katrina Pejakovic, Ottawa Ottawa Parliamentary Office 715 Confederation Building House of Commons Ottawa Ontario K1A 0A6 Yelich.L@parl.gc.ca  613-995-5653   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 20 Mar 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7733/1/EH-Ivo-Karlovic-beat-No-3-seed.html   Ivo Karlovic beat No. 3 seed Tommy Robredo  Scroll Down for English  Ivo Karlovic nezadrzivo je projurio medu cetiri najbolja tenisaca na 380.000 dolara vrijednome ATP turniru u Las vegasu. Div sa Salate veceras je sa 7:6 (4) i 6:4 pobijedio trecega nositelja i 18. igraca svijeta, Spanjolca Tommyja Robreda. To je bio drugi sudar ove dvojice tenisaca i druga pobjeda Zagrepcanina, koji je prvi put slavio na zemlji u Rimu 2004. godine.Tijekom citavog dvoboja Karlovic je sigurno drzao svoj pocetni udarac, Robredo nije uspio doci niti do jedne jedine prilike za break. S druge strane, Spanjolac je uspio prvi set dovesti do odlucujuce igre, ali jedan mini-break bio je dovoljan Karlovicu za osvajanje te dionice.Odmah u prvome gemu drugoga seta Karlovic je izborio prvu priliku za oduzimanje servisa, ali ju nije iskoristio. Propusteno je ispravio kod rezultata 3:3, kada je ostvario jedini break u mecu, a zatim je bez problema jos dva puta drzao svoj pocetni udarac.U polufinalu Karlovic ce igrati protiv pobjednika dvoboja izmedu petog nositelja Amerikanca Jamesa Blakea i Danca Kennetha Carlsena.To je drugo Karlovo polufinale u karijeri. Najveci uspjeh ove godine bilo mu je cetvrtfinale Zagreb Indoorsa, gdje je izgubio od Austrijanca Stefana Koubeka. Dosad mu je najveci uspjeh u pojedinacnoj konkurenciji finale u londonskome Queen's Clubu prosle godine.Ove je sezone vrlo dobar bio u paru, pa je prosli tjedan u Memphisu osvojio svoj prvi naslov uopce u kombinaciji s Juznoafrikancem Chrisom Haggardom.HRTweb sport (am)Ivo Karlovic beat No. 3 seed Tommy Robredo LAS VEGAS -- Ivo Karlovic beat No. 3 seed Tommy Robredo, and top-seeded Lleyton Hewitt cruised to an easy victory Friday in the quarterfinals of the Tennis Channel Open. Playing in winds gusting from 30-40 mph, Karlovic downed Robredo 7-6 (4), 6-4. Hewitt made the semifinals with a 6-2, 6-0 win over Philipp Kohlschreiber.Karlovic, a 6-foot-10 Croatian, dominated his match with hard serves, some surpassing 140 mph."I was not trying to think about the wind," Karlovic said. "I was trying to concentrate on my game. I was happy that I won. I'm playing well, but with the wind it's difficult for me to play to my potential."   Formatted for CROWN by Ivo Bach  Distributed by CroatianWorld.net. This message is intended for Croatian Associations/Institutions and their Friends in Croatia and in the World. The opinions/articles expressed on this list do not reflect personal opinions of the moderator. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, please delete or destroy all copies of this communication and please, let us know! Ivobach2@aol.com (Ivo Bach) Fri, 03 Mar 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7744/1/E-Dado-Prso-presents-the-FIFA-World-Cup-2006-kits.html  Croatia's Dado Prso International soccer players (L-R) Australia's Marco Bresciano, Damarcus Beasley of the U.S., South Korea's JS Park, Netherland's Ruud van Nistelrooy, Brazil's Adriano, Portugal's Luis Figo, Croatia's Dado Prso and Mexico's Jared Borgetti present the FIFA World Cup 2006 kits at the Olympic stadium in Berlin February 13, 2006. On Monday the kits of eight national soccer teams in the FIFA World Cup 2006 were presented to the media. REUTERS/Tobias Schwarz   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 13 Feb 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7737/1/E-Zadar-2006-Razgovor-Jure-Strika.html  Snimak razgovora sa Jurom Strikom - Zadar 2006 http://www.lijepanasadomovinahrvatska.com/audio06/22.01.06_Jure_Strika.wma- audio - snimak razgovora sa Jurom Strikom 22.01.2006 - posjetite http://www.zadar2006.com/ Razgovor vodila Veronika Topic slusajte "Hrvatski informativni program" svake nedjelje u 9pm (EST) , 03:00 sati (ujutro) po hrvatskom vremenu na AM530 http://www.am530.ca diljem svijeta  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 13 Feb 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7736/1/H-Hajducki-zakoni.html  Hajdučki zakoniAutor: Jura Ozmecjura.ozmec@hrt.hr Priznajem, ja sam tradicionalist. Vise me zanima skijasko trčanje u kojem se ljudi natječu od pamtivijeka, nego novokomponirano prebacivanje preko glave (čitaj: egzibicionizam) na jednoj dasci, po ledu, u disciplini imena pola-cijevi, tj. 'snjezni kanal'. No, i to je olimpijski sport, a ja kao tradicionalist cijenim olimpijsku tradiciju i samim time postujem nečiji odabir sporta na rasporedu olimpijskih igara. No, istodobno sam svjestan da su olimpijski glavesine svojedobno morali popustiti pritiscima sponzora i uvrstiti i 'kanal' i skakanje po hupserima kao olimpijski sport. Inače bi se te igre ugasile (mislili su oni tada...). Smijesno, da nije bolno. Za koljena poglavito.Ali u toj svojoj tradicionalističkoj odrednici neću ovdje dalje pisati o olimpijskim sportovima i procjenama koji je skijaski vid popularniji - alpsko ili nordijsko skijanje. To si, naime, dozvoljavaju neki novinari, pa i skijaski djelatnici ovih dana, nakon sto je 'učinjena sramota' Albertu Tombu i nije on upalio olimpijski plamen, nego 'nekakva' Stefania Belmondo.... Smjesno, drugi put.A smijesno treći put je vezano uz Hajduka. Zapravo, idem redom. Prvo, tradicionalist u meni kaze da mi je iznimno drago da u Splitu toliko jako drze do tradicije, da su ne samo proslavili svojih 95 godina, nego su dizajnirali posebne dresove, doveli na priredbu i Premijera, da su ga uspjeli nagovoriti da predlozi da Split dobije ulicu HNK Hajduka. To sve potpisujem, to je prava stvar, jer bez tradicije, bez podsjećanja na nju, bez dokaza da godinama postoji konstanta u sportu nema napretka, nema uspona sporta. Bilo kojega. Kad za 50 godina prezivi 'snjezni kanal' kao olimpijski sport, onda ću i ja s postovanjem govoriti o pobjednicima koji su osvajali medalje. Ako prezivi.Vraćam se Hajduku. Premijer je navijač Hajduka. Zasto ne bi bio? I ministar čija je domena i sport je navijač Hajduka. Zasto ne bi bio? A Hajduk je pred stečajem. Zasto ne bi bio, reći ćete vi, jer vi ponekad dobijete dojam da se nalazimo u pravnoj drzavi u kojoj se svi pridrzavaju Zakona. Ali neće to isto reći i spomenuta dvojica visokih duznosnika Vlade RH. Njih dvojica već nekoliko dana forsiraju prihvaćanje i usvajanje novoga Zakona o sportu, koji će - napokon, kazu oni - rijesiti probleme (i) Hajduka. Premijeru je netko nedovoljno informiran (ili predobro informiran?) ubacio i misao o tome kako bi svi klubovi Prve HNL morali u 4. ligu, zbog financijskih problema, pa ju i Premijer ponavlja, uporno. A nije tako. Ne bi bas svi klubovi 1. HNL u 4. ligu. Samo neki, uključujući i Hajduk. A tamo, na tom stadionu, u tom gradu, u toj regiji, čini mi se da i Premijer računa na neke glasove na skorim ili bilo kojim izborima? Slično je, jasno, i u drugim regijama iz kojih bi nogometni klubovi mogli u stečaj, pa samim time i u 4. ligu, a navijači (zbog toga) u neku drugu stranku.....Ali za Hajduk i za sve oko njega, ispada, zakoni ove Drzave uopće ne vrijede. Jer i po postojećem Zakonu Hajduk (i svi slični klubovi) bi morao u stečaj i samim time u 4. ligu. Pa postupak je pokrenut, uostalom. Novi Zakon o sportu samo nudi potencijalnim ulagačima s viskom novaca (bas me zanima koliko će takvih biti) ili na koncu i Drzavi samoj da Hajduka (i slične klubove) izvuče iz kome.... Po postojećim zakonima ne samo na drzavnoj razini (po Zakonu o sportu, a vjerojatno i po zakonu o javnom okupljanju), nego i u nasoj nogometnoj organizaciji, utakmica koju gomila divljaka prekine na 10 ili čak i vise minuta paleći bezbrojne baklje (a nije im prvi put!) mora biti prekinuta i registrirana 3:0 za protivnika, uz privodjenje i kaznjavanje prestupnika. Uključujući i one koji su dopustili unosenje stotina baklji na gradski stadion. A klub domaćin mora biti kaznjen, kako zbog baklji, jos vise zbog rasističkog vrijedjanja gostujućih igrača. To i Europa kaznjava, jako, pa i retroaktivno, pa i kaznjavajući cijeli Savez, reprezentaciju, druge predstavnike u euronatjecanjima. A Hrvatska bi organizaciju EP?Ali, sto to nas briga, kad kod nas to nije uopće vazno. Kad i Premijer svojom pojavom i glasnim spominjanjem rjesavanja problema 'čim usvojimo novi Zakon' zapravo radi prekrsaj? Pa, ponavljam - zar ova Hrvatska nema već neke zakone? Zar sve već odavno nije rijeseno, napisano, objasnjeno? Očito, sudeći prema izjavama Premijera, nije. Nego čekamo novi Zakon, kojeg se opet neće nitko pridrzavati? Blago pravnicima....A, kad Premijer svjesno zaobilazi zakone (jer, ruku na srce, neki zakon mu to sigurno omogućava), pa zasto bi ih se pridrzavali divljaci koji unose i pale baklje, gadjaju kamenjem kamermane HTV-a i napadaju novinare, divljaci koji tuku predstavnike gostujućeg kluba na svečanoj tribini, divljaci koji zaustavljaju aute i pale ih dok su putnici jos u njima. Nitko od njih nije, a kako se čini niti neće, biti osudjen.Zivjeli zakoni! Da nije tragično, bilo bi smijesno.13. veljače 2006.http://sport.hrt.hr/htvsport/aktualno/hajducki_zakoni.html   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 13 Feb 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7738/1/E-Zadar-2006---Daniel-Kraljevics-Story.html  ZADAR 2006: CROATIAN WORLD GAMESBASKETBALLER DANIEL KRALJEVIC OUT TO IMPRESS AS WELL AS HAVE FUNBy: Tonci Prusac / Croatian Herald / 03.02.2006MELBOURNE - Melbourne's Daniel Kraljevic will be keen to prove that Andrew Bogut isn't the only Australian Croat who can play basketball, when he takes to the court to represent the Australian Croatian community at the inaugural Croatian World Games 'Zadar 2006' (15-21 July) later this year. The friendly giant, who lives in the outer south-western suburb of Altona, has signed up with several friends to play basketball in the inaugural games, aimed at uniting Croats from all over the world through the ambitious week-long festival.We caught up with Daniel earlier in the week to discover exactly what he plans to achieve in this exciting sporting/cultural event.- CROATIAN HERALD (CH): How did you first get into basketball?- DANIEL KRALJEVIC (DK): I used to play soccer up until 2003 when I was 19. Then I finally decided that I was too tall to play soccer so I changed over to basketball. A teacher from my old high school is involved with the Altona Gators, who compete in the BigV Division 1. He told me to start training with them.At first I thought training at an elite level was going to be beyond me but hard work and determination has helped me get better and I am looking forward to the future.- CH: How did you find out about Zadar 2006?- DK: Last year I kept hearing from a lot of people that there was going to be an Olympics style competition held in Zadar. I found the website www.zadar2006.com while searching the internet and decided to apply from there.- CH: Do you know anyone else from Melbourne that will be going?- DK: I have managed to convince my friend Joe Pajic to come along and participate. We are both going to Croatia in July so I thought he might as well play in the games as well. I have heard on the Melbourne Croatia (youth) forum there might be some other people from Melbourne that will be going. The more people the better the experience will be.- CH: What are you hoping to achieve at the games in the sporting sense?- DK: I am hoping to have fun and play well. It is a chance to see how I compare to other players from around the world. It is a dream of mine to be good enough to play overseas and I see this as a great opportunity to show others what I can do.- CH: What are you most looking forward to at Zadar 2006?-         DK: Being able to meet other Croatians from around the world and to spend a week with them is going to be an experience I will never forget. I haven't been back to Croatia since 1998 so I am looking forward to this holiday. I can't imagine a better experience that playing basketball for a week and spending the rest of my holiday visiting the islands on our beloved coast.www.zadar2006.com letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 12 Feb 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7735/1/H-Kostelici---cijela-istina---nova-knjiga-Tomislava-Birtica.html  Kostelici Cijela Istina www.tomislavbirtic.com  Knjigu mozete kupiti direktno od autora. JANICA D.D. - PRVI DIOObitelj Kostelić - tvornica novcaOd najvećeg sponzorskog ugovora - tri milijuna eura za dvije i pol godine - Ante Kostelić trazio je samo 5.000 dolara mjesečnoPise: Tomislav BirtićTomislav Birtić, novinar koji je objavio 'aferu stitnjača', dvije je godine radio na knjizi o obitelji Kostelić koja će pod naslovom 'Kostelići - cijela istina' svjetlo dana ugledati u veljači. Neautorizirana biografija obitelji nastala je na temelju svjedočanstava vise od sto zivotnih suputnika bez premca najpopularnijih Hrvata, a poslovni tjednik Lider u nastavcima ekskluzivno donosi ekonomske aspekte njihove zivotne priče.T-Mobile nije ni potvrdio ni zanijekao da je vrijednost sponzorskog ugovora s Hrvatskim skijaskim savezom 3,000.000 eura. Sektor za odnose s javnosću i interne komunikacije kaze: 'Ugovorom potpisanim u studenome 2003. godine HTmobile se obvezao da će do kraja trećeg mjeseca 2006. godine biti generalni pokrovitelj Hrvatskog skijaskog saveza, i to hrvatskih alpskih skijaskih reprezentacija te hrvatske snowboard reprezentacije. Tata Williams odbio milijun i priskrbio 60 milijuna dolara godisnjeKad se već vidjelo da će sestre Venus i Serena Williams napraviti velike teniske karijere, jedan je proizvodjač sportske opreme Williamsovima ponudio ugovor na milijun dolara. 'A sto kazete na 107 milijuna?' hladno je odgovorio otac Richard Williams. Nedugo zatim, potpisavsi ugovor za ne bas 107 milijuna, ali ni za mnogo manje, svojih je pet minuta, koje traju i danas, dočekao na Amerikancima najvidljivijem teniskom tlu, polufinalu US Opena u koje su se plasirale obje kćeri. U lozi namijenjenoj obiteljima i prijateljima sportasa, usred tog, kako su ga mediji nazvali Williams Showa, tata Williams je, okrenut prema sky-boxu kompanije kojoj je dao kosaricu, stajao s transparentom napravljenim od stijenke kartonske kutije: 'Jesam li vam rekao!' Samo od Pume obje sestre Williams zaradjuju 12,000.000 dolara na godinu, a reklamirajući proizvodjača reketa Wilson, McDonald s, mliječne proizvode... oko 60,000.000 na godinu.HTmobile ujedno je osobni sponzor Janice Kostelić, a vezano uz navedenu suradnju u ime HTmobilea pregovarao je HTmobile tim. Vrijednost ugovora poslovni je podatak kompanije'.Interes Hrvatskog telekoma bio je vrlo jasan. Postavsi 'suvlasnikom' jedne od najvećih hrvatskih dragocjenosti, dobivsi ujedno visegodisnji monopol nad telekomunikacijama, automatizmom je postao jedna od omrazenijih kompanija. Kad udje na neko trziste, jedan od kraćih putova prema popularnosti za novoga je igrača sponzoriranje sporta. Janica Kostelić ne samo da je svojim licem Hrvatski telekom učinila prihvatljivim hrvatskoj javnosti nego čak i simpatičnim, a bilo bi vise nego zanimljivo saznati podatke kompanijskih i neovisnih istrazivanja i analiza o svim konkretnim koristima Hrvatskog telekoma, danas T-Mobilea, od suradnje s Janicom i Hrvatskim skijaskim savezom. Posebnu pohvalu, u ovom slučaju, zasluzuje onaj tko je čelnim ljudima kompanije sugerirao da poslovno suradjuju bas s Janicom Kostelić. Vjerojatno ne postoji Hrvat koji nije njezin navijač, pa posredno i 'navijač' njezinih sponzora.'Katkad cilj nije nastaviti rast, nego se zadrzati na dostignutoj razini poslovanja', kaze Alen Basić iz tvrtke za sportski marketing Hecron, savjetnik nekoliko kompanija u pregovorima sa sportskim drustvima koja te kompanije namjeravaju sponzorirati. 'Recimo, koliko je meni poznato, Hrvatski skijaski savez na koristenje je dobio 32 Renaultova automobila, a Renault je na trziste izbacio i model s Janičinim potpisom. Partnerstvo mozda nije rezultiralo rastom prodaje, ali suradnja s Kostelićima, jer Hrvatski skijaski savez zapravo su Kostelići, najbolji je mogući potez za svaku tvrtku.'Svojedobno mi se direktor marketinga Radenske zalio: 'Dok god Jamnicu reklamiraju Janica i Ivica, nijedan proizvodjač vode na hrvatskom trzistu nema nikakvih izgleda da im se suprotstavi. Toliko je jak njihov utjecaj na prodaju.Konkretno, jedini način da se Jamnica pobijedi u Hrvatskoj sklapanje je sponzorskih ugovora s Janicom i Ivicom.' sto ne bi bilo nimalo lako jer je Jamnica jedan od prvih sponzora obitelji Kostelić pa iako je posao uglavnom samo posao, tesko je zaboraviti da ti je netko pruzio ruku u vrijeme kad je stotinjak tisuća kuna značilo vise nego danas milijun eura...Hypo, OMV Istrabenz, Mizuno, Salomon - sve su to investitori koji, prije nego sto novac uloze u sport, sto puta promisle je li njihov 'maneken' od onih koji jedno lice imaju danju, a drugo noću. Ćudljivost nekih sportskih zvijezda, lose ponasanje, kakav ispad u sekundi nepromisljenosti moze donijeti vise stete nego četiri godine koristi. Ali odabravsi Janicu Kostelić, svi su njezini partneri počeli suradnju s posebnom djevojkom koja jednostavno ne moze ljudski pogrijesiti, pa tako ni naklonost publike ne moze doći u pitanje...Posebna je cijela obitelj Kostelić predvodjena glavom Antom Kostelićem, koje se sve to gotovo uopće ne tiče. Dobro, tiče ih se u mjeri ostvarivanja slobode nesmetanog sportskog napredovanja, no isti izvor koji je donio vijest o ugovoru vrijednom 3,000.000 eura kaze da je Ante Kostelić, kad su ga pregovarači Hrvatskog skijaskog saveza pitali sto on zahtijeva od cijeloga kolača, lakonski odgovorio: 'Sve moje potrebe zadovoljava kuća, koju već imam, i 5.000 dolara na mjesec.' Za sedam Tour de Francea i pobjedu protiv raka - 15 milijuna dolara na godinuLance Armstrong, sedmerostruki uzastopni pobjednik najslavnije biciklističke utrke Tour de France pobijedio je rak testisa. Godine 1993. Armstrong je postao najmladji pobjednik etapne utrke na Touru, tri godine zatim potpisao je s francuskom momčadi Cofidis ugovor vrijedan vise od 2,000.000 dolara na godinu da bi mu se svijet ukrasen predivnom kućom u Austinu i Porcheom u garazi srusio kad je osjetio bol u testisima. Nekoliko dana prije 25. rodjendana povraćao je krv. Operacijom mu je bolesni testis uklonjen, ali rak se već prosirio na pluća, abdomen i mozak. Craig Nochols, doktor koji ga je liječio, kaze da u zivotu nije vidio osobu snaznije volje: Armstrong je pobijedio rak.Prvi pokusaj povratka biciklizmu zavrsio je lose, iscrpljenosću i depresijom. Ali radost ponovnog rodjenja zasladjena je mahnitim treniranjem, a karizma nepobjedivog sportasa neslomljiva duha, plus pobjede na najnapornijem natjecanju koje sport poznaje, danas vrijede 15,000.000 dolara na godinu. Usput rečeno, kad bi mu do toga bilo stalo, financijski savjetnik mogao mu je spasiti dio plaće sugerirajući mu da je dolar nestabilna valuta, pa ako već ne zeli ugovorenu ratu vezati za japanski jen ili svicarski franak, neka je bar umjesto za dolar veze za euro. Ali Kosteliću je to nevazno, kao sto nije imao nista ni s Janičinim prijavljivanjem boravista u Monte Carlu...Doista, neobična priča, sva sila nula  i otkvačena obitelj koja ih je, bit će, i zaradila jer nikad nije bila opterećena novcem.Ante Kostelić, u mladosti rukometas Poleta (kasnije preimenovanog u Dinamo), Mladosti i Zagreba, o odnosu prema novcu odredio se jos kad se, osvojivsi sa Zagrebom prvenstvo Jugoslavije, domogao sanse da putuje u inozemstvo i, svercajući u socijalizmu trazenu robu, znatno popravi svoj standard. Treba biti posten i reći: Ante Kostelić bio je dovoljno dobar za jugoslavensku reprezentaciju, ali pratio ga je glas osvijestenog hrvatskog domoljuba, a ta je karakteristika bila pogubnija od poznatoga 'ključa', sastavljanja reprezentacija tako da u njima budu zastupljeni svi narodi i narodnosti. I kad se osvojenom titulom prvaka drzave izborio bar za pravo da kao vrhunski sportas moze putovati po svijetu, donositi u Zagreb britvice, najlonke i ostalo sto su sportasi preprodavali jer im je to vlast presutno odobravala, Kostelić se iz Zagreba vratio u sasvim prosječnu Mladost.Jednostavno, nije bio zadovoljan minutazom. 'Čuj, stari, bolje je biti prvi u selu nego drugi u gradu', rekao je začudjenim prijateljima i vratio se u klub koji se nedugo zatim rasformirao.Dok je bio rukometas, Ante Kostelić doslovce je isijavao volju da suigrače, sve oko sebe, istrgne porazu iz ruku, no njegova gorljivost bila je podjednako neshvaćena i kad je postao, jer od nečega se moralo zivjeti, trenerom. Velimir Kljaić, kovač hrvatske zlatne olimpijske medalje osvojene u rukometu u Atlanti 1996. godine, i Zoran Gobac, mozda kontroverzni administrativac, ali u svakom slučaju glavni logističar svih hrvatskih rukometnih uspjeha, ne dvoje:'Da je Ante Kostelić kojim slučajem bio Rus ili Ukrajinac, danas nitko ne bi ni znao za Igora Turčina. Jugoslavija nije sustavno rjesavala pitanje uvjeta za treniranje niti se disciplina igrača podrazumijevala, sto je u Sovjetskom Savezu bio slučaj. Kostelić je, kao rukometni trener, bio znatno ispred svoga vremena, u ondasnjem je vremenu zahtijevao istinski profesionalizam ili, drukčije rečeno, nije shvaćao kako se netko moze baviti sportom, a da mu se potpuno ne preda.Zato je mnogo puta 'izgorio', uprave bi ga potjerale jer bi se igrači pobunili. Njima je to bila puka zabava, a njemu smisao zivota.'U doba kad je Ante Kostelić bio rukometni trener igračicama bi vise nego dovoljan razlog za prelazak iz kluba u klub bilo zaposlenje u nekoj tvrtki (fiktivno ili stvarno) ili upis na fakultet preko veze, no zakleti nepusač Kostelić nikako nije mogao prihvatiti da sportasica ili sportas puse. Jednom postavsi trener Tresnjevke, već je na upoznavanju s Marinom Njirić, jednom od igračica na kojima je klub gradio nadolazeću sezonu (igrom slučaja danasnjom suprugom direktora rukometnih reprezentacija Silvija Njirića), igračicu najurio jer je pila kavu i pusila.Ali mozda to i nije najbolji primjer... Jednom zgodom Kljaić mu je pronasao angazman u Njemačkoj, u nizeligasu Nürnbergu. Igračice navikle vjezbati dva ili najvise tri puta na tjedan jos su nekako i prihvatile svakodnevne treninge, ali Kostelić je u Nürnbergu 'trajao' samo sedam dana jer je, ni manje ni vise, iz ekipe izbacio zenu predsjednika kluba koji je ujedno bio i jedini financijer!Naravno da je unaprijed bio svjestan posljedica svoje odluke, ali doista nije bilo, nema, niti će biti izgleda da taj čovjek prihvati kompromis na stetu njemu jedinoga svetog ideala  djevičanski čistog sporta. Svjesno se iz vise nego snosljive, svojom odlukom, vratio u vrlo neizvjesnu egzistenciju... Jedna od knjiga o Michaelu Jordanu najboljeg kosarkasa svih vremena savrseno portretira već samim naslovom - When Nothing Else Matter - kad nista drugo, osim kosarke, nije vazno. Kostelića bi jednako dobro opisao naslov, ne knjige, nego cijelog zivota: Kad je samo olimpijsko zlato vazno! Medjutim, kad mu je oduzeta prilika da smisao zivota ostvari kao sportas, a zatim i kao trener u nekom kolektivnom sportu (izrazena nacionalna crta bila je funkcija-eliminator i kad je riječ o izbornicima), sansu je dočekao kao trener svoje djece, Ivice i Janice.'Bas me zanima kako će Austrijanci lomiti jezik izgovarajući I-vica Ko-stelić kad se bude penjao na pobjedničko postolje', zabavljao je svoje prijatelje izgovarajući sretni zavrsetak vizije kao da prepričava nesto sto se već dogodilo, a ne kao da je riječ o mastariji čija je vjerojatnost ispunjenja jednaka nuli.Nakon silnih putesestvija po rukometnim klubovima, vrativsi se zauvijek u Zagreb, Ante Kostelić zaposlio se kao trener u skijaskom klubu Zagreb koji je krajem osamdesetih bio najbolji neslovenski klub u Jugoslaviji. U Medvesčaku ga nisu htjeli jer ga je pratio glas da, zaludjen sportom, vise trenira sebe nego druge, a bio je i previse impulzivan. No predsjednik Zagreba Ivo Drinković zaključio je da boljega kondicijskog trenera od Kostelića nikako ne bi mogli pronaći.Zagreb je imao pet trenera, a dobro poslujući, organizirajući turistička putovanja u inozemna zimovalista te ubirući članarinu od svojih tisuću članova, uprava je uspjela kupiti i dva autobusa i tri kombija, sto je znatno smanjilo cijenu vlastitih putovanja. Novo radno mjesto Kostelić je preuzeo s odvaznom rečenicom: 'Čuj, Ivo, ja sam ovamo dosao napraviti svjetske sampione!' U Zagrebovoj upravi, naravno, nisu vjerovali u svjetske sampione, nadali su se konačnom priključivanju Slovencima i da bi s Kostelićem u ekipi mogli stvoriti bar jednog natjecatelja koji će se natjecati u Svjetskom kupu.Kostelić je u trenu podigao kvalitetu suhih treninga, a upravu je začudio poznatom koncepcijom winning without technology - pobjedjivanje bez tehnologije: ne treba mu voki-toki, ni kolci, ni busilice... nista, on sve to ima u glavi.Medjutim, ubrzo je enormno povećao broj snjeznih treninga, sa sto na sto i pedeset ili sto i sezdeset dana, pri čemu je morao svladati otpor dijela roditelja. Zapravo, na kraju svake natjecateljske godine roditelji su ga pokusavali smijeniti, ali uprava nije dala trenera čiji je rad nagovjestavao ostvarenje dugogodisnjih snova, priključenje Slovencima.Kostelić je, osim juniora, trenirao i svoga sina Ivicu, a Janica je sa strane gledala treninge i trčkarala uokolo.- Kaj bus s malom? pitao je Kostelića jednom zgodom Drinković.- Ona bu ili balerina ili tenisačica.- Ma, jesi ti lud?! Ne vidis kakve motoričke sposobnosti ima?- Ali, nemam novca za dvoje djece...Ipak, uoči putovanja na Kaprun, gdje su zagrebasi trenirali, Drinković je 1988. godine Janici darovao skije svoga sina, rodjenog iste godine kao i Janica, 1982. Svi koji su vidjeli te doslovce prve Janičine skijaske korake bili su zaprepasteni njezinim talentom. Poput Mise Talja, koji je kao sestogodisnji dječak, gledajući sahovske partije svog oca i njegova prijatelja, bez ičijih uputa naučio pravila i čim je i sam počeo igrati, pokazao zavidno razumijevanje igre, tako je i Janica prvi put stavsi na skije odmah i skijala.Beskrajno talentirana djevojčica iz neskijaske zemlje vrlo je brzo, i to u serijama, počela sokirati svijet, ma kako 'svijet' zvučao samo hrvatski i slovenski. Skijajući na natjecanjima slovenskih vrsnjakinja, Janica je pobjedjivala s tolikom prednosću da su i suci i okupljena publika sumnjali da se elektronska stoperica pokvarila. Jednom su malu Hrvaticu  sto je grubo krsenje pravila  jos umornu od voznje vratili na start i natjerali je da vozi ponovno, ali pomoći nije bilo. Iako zakinuta, i u tim je neravnopravnim uvjetima pobijedila.Godine 1997. Janica je startala u dvadeset i dvije utrke i u svima pobijedila. U tom se pobjedničkom nizu nasla i najcjenjenija dječja utrka Troffeo Topolino koji, a to posebno vrijedi kad je riječ o skijasicama, gotovo nepogresivo predvidja seniorske prvakinje.Svijet mozda i nije shvaćao da će Janica dominirati skijanjem najmanje idućih deset godina, ali sjeverni susjedi vise nisu sumnjali u njezine krajnje dosege.Već su dovoljno dugo gledali kako se moćna hrvatska gomilica, odlučna da udje u povijest, muči iznad granica ljudske izdrzljivosti, i Slovenci su odaslali ponudu: 500.000 njemačkih maraka za 'transfer', to jest da Janica uzme njihovo drzavljanstvo, plus idealni uvjeti za trening i premije. Otac modernog slovenskog skijanja Tone Vogrinec negira da je Slovenija to ponudila Kostelićima. Preciznije, kaze: 'Da je takve ponude bilo, ja bih za to morao znati. A ne znam.' No Vogrinec nije demantirao izjavu danu novinaru Danu Figenwaldu. Takodjer, kad je autor ovog teksta kolegu Figenwalda suočio s Vogrinčevom tvrdnjom, novinar nije uzmaknuo ni za milimetar, a i sam Kostelić je, kad je tema naturaliziranih sportasa reaktualizirana stajanjem plivača Duje Draganje pod katarsku zastavu, rekao da se njegova obitelj imala priliku izbaviti iz nevolja uzimanjem drugog drzavljanstva...Ante Kostelić je inzistirao da njegova djeca olimpijske i druge medalje osvajaju pod hrvatskom zastavom, a to se uskoro počelo i dogadjati. Janica je počela pobjedjivati i u seniorskoj konkurenciji.Nakon niza dobrih rezultata u FIS utrkama, koje bi se mogle nazvati predvorjem elite, Janica je na Olimpijskim igrama u Naganu osvojila osmo mjestu u kombinaciji.Sljedeću je sezonu, kako se to kaze sportskim zargonom, eksplodirala. Dana 5. prosinca 1999. godine u francuskom Serre Chevalieru prvi je put pobijedila u slalomu, i to ostavivsi drugoplasiranu Trinu Bakke čak 1,78 sekundi iza sebe. Nekoliko dana poslije u talijanskom je Sestrieresu opet pobijedila s prednosću većom od jedne sekunde. Sa samo 17 godina bila je vodeća u Svjetskom kupu, a medju najboljih deset u svim disciplinama. Nazalost, serija veličanstvenih pobjeda prekinuta je jezivim padom na treningu spusta u St. Moritzu.Liječnici su bili skeptični, čula su se i misljenja da će biti sretna bude li uopće mogla hodati. Ali vratila se u najvećem stilu.U Svjetskom kupu 2000./2001. pobijedila je osam puta i usla u neizvjesnu zavrsnicu s Renate Goetschl, koja nije izdrzala psiholoski pritisak. U almanasima će ostati zapisano da je Janica u zavrsnici u Aareu bila u tako losem zdravstvenom stanju da se na startu utrka nije svom snagom sjurivala na stazu, nego se samo odgurivala stapovima. Kako bilo, osvojila je Veliki kristalni globus, za pobjedu u ukupnom redoslijedu Svjetskoga kupa, i Mali, za slalom.U proljeće i ljeto tri je puta operirana, sto je znatno skratilo vrijeme priprema za natjecanje koje je lajtmotiv cijelog zivota Kostelićevih.Olimpijske igre u Salt Lake Cityju.Sretna je okolnost bila sto je te sezone briljirao Ivica pa su oči domaće i svjetske javnosti, koje stalno moraju imati na oku bar nekoga iz obitelji Kostelić, bile uprte u njega.Ante Kostelić je odlučio: sto se Janice tiče, Svjetski kup ide u drugi plan, sve će biti podredjeno pripremama za Olimpijske igre. Epilog: zlatne medalje u kombinaciji, slalomu i veleslalomu, srebrna olimpijska medalja u superveleslalomu!I tako dalje i tako dalje...Medju onime sto se Kosteliće savrseno ne tiče nije na odmet spomenuti ni čudjenje Ivice Vidovića, prvog čovjeka McCann-Ericksona Hrvatska, sto se čelni ljudi hrvatskog turizma jos nisu dosjetili Janicu i Ivicu Kostelića iskoristiti kao glavna lica medjunarodne kampanje Jadranske obale. Vidović smatra da bolji 'manekeni' za to ne postoje.Kosteliće, junake priče o 'speku, luku i olimpijskom zlatu', nije previse briga postoji li uopće iznos koji, nekoć HTmobile, a danas T-Mobile ne bi trebao platiti u zamjenu za popularnost koju im je vjerojatno samo Janica mogla donijeti. I tu treba biti posten pa se retorički zapitati: Postoji li ijedan sportas u Hrvatskoj koji bi ne bas omiljenu kompaniju mogao dovesti makar do 'pozitivne nule popularnosti', a kamoli je učiniti simpatičnom osim Janice Kostelić?! I poznajući sposobnosti Vedrana Pavleka, stvarno bi bilo zanimljivo domoći se nekakvog stenograma pregovora vodjenih u studenome 2003. godine i prije jer u zraku je morala visjeti prijetnja prelaska najljućem konkurentu VIPnetu...Često čujemo: 'Eh, da je, recimo, Talijanka ili Amerikanka, zaradjivala bi sav novac ovog svijeta.' Ali dovoljno je biti i Hrvatica pa da los menadzer Rosignola dobije po prstima ili da mu se 'odrubi glava' jer je bio u prilici sklopiti ugovor s Janicom Kostelić, sto je učinio netko pametan u Salomonu...Podcijenjena Tamara BorosSportskim znalcima kristalno je jasno koliko su vrijedni njezini rezultati, ali ona druga priča, proizvodnja ekonomske vrijednosti, zahtijeva nekog Vedrana Pavleka u Hrvatskom stolnoteniskom savezu, a takvog čovjeka ondje, nazalost, nema. Skromna djevojka rodjena je 1977. u vojvodjanskoj Senti, a 1993. s obitelji se preselila u Hrvatsku. Trnja, dakle, ne nedostaje, a ako su se okolnosti pobrinule za dramaturgiju, Tamara se napornim radom domogla zvijezda. Samo, Tamara Boros je najveći hrvatski marketinsko-sportski grijeh: u njezinu se sportu nije nasao nijedan čovjek dovoljno uporan da naciji objasni koliko je ta djevojka zapravo veličanstvena sportasica. Ni u kojem slučaju ne umanjujući grandiozan uspjeh obitelji Kostelić, ne treba zaboraviti da Tamari Boros na putu stoji stotinjak milijuna suparnica vise - Kineskinja.Tamara Boros je prva Europljanka koja je na nekom svjetskom prvenstvu uspjela osvojiti medalju, a u posljednjih trideset godina taj su pothvat izvele jos samo tri neazijke! Drugoplasirana na svjetskoj rang-listi u najmanju je ruku ravna Goranu Ivaniseviću, a to nije pravedno valorizirano. Ne samo da se ne smije zaboraviti da su dva milijuna Kineskinja unutar 'dva boda razlike' nego ni da je jedan od temelja sportske metodike stolnoteniske velesile 'kloniranje' suparnica i suparnika. To znači da najbolje Kineskinje, prije nego sto se za stolom susretnu s Tamarom Boros, imaju sate i sate treninga sa sunarodnjakinjama čija je igra do u detalje identična Tamarinoj. U tom svjetlu ne smije se zaboraviti ni nepravda Tamarine 'podeksponiranosti' u hrvatskoj javnosti, a ni grijeh indolentnosti ljudi iz Hrvatskog stolnoteniskog saveza koji nisu uspjeli kapitalizirati sportsku heroinu veliku koliko i Janica Kostelić.© Lider press, 2005www.liderpress.hr  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 11 Feb 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7742/1/E-Janica-Kostelic-plans-to-compete-in-all-five-skiing-disciplines.html  Janica Kostelic plans to compete in all five skiing disciplines at the Winter Olympics TURIN, Italy Feb 7, 2006 (AP)The Croatian, who won three gold medals at the Salt Lake City Games four years ago, has battled bad knees throughout her career. But on Tuesday, her official Web site said "if Janica will be in optimal form … her competing in all those disciplines shouldn't be doubtful." The site said Kostelic made the decision after consulting with her father and coach, Ante Kostelic, and national team director Vedran Pavlek. Kostelic won the slalom, giant slalom and combined in Salt Lake City to become only the third Alpine skier to win three golds at a single games Toni Sailer in 1956 and Jean-Claude Killy in 1968 are the others. This season on the World Cup tour, Kostelic became only the second woman to win five different disciplines in a season. She won the slalom Sunday in Ofterschwang, Germany, while fighting the flu. Besides defending her golds in the slalom, giant slalom and combined, Kostelic will also compete in the super-G and downhill. On the Net: Janica Kostelic: http://www.janica.hr http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory?id=1589406  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 07 Feb 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7747/1/E-Croatia-defeat-Austria---Davis-Cup-2006.html  Croatia in quarterfinals Croatia became the first titleholder in two years to survive the opening round Mario and Ivan - Amazing duo. Little Croatia with two Tennis Giants LONDON: Defending champion Croatia, Argentina, France, Russia, Belarus and Chile advanced to the quarterfinals of the Davis Cup on Saturday by winning doubles rubbers to seal unbeatable 3-0 leads. Survives Croatia became the first titleholder in two years to survive the opening round when Ivan Ljubicic and Mario Ancic rallied from 2-0 down to defeat Jurgen Melzer and Julian Knowle 3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 8-6. Croatia will host Argentina in April's quarterfinals. Last year they met in the semifinals. The results: At Minsk: Belarus 3, Spain 0: Vladimir Voltchkov & Max Mirnyi bt Feliciano Lopez & Fernando Verdasco 7-6(2),6-4,7-5. At Geneva: Switzerland 1, Australia 2: Yves Allegro & Stanislas Wawrinka lost to Wayne Arthurs & Paul Hanley 7-6(6),6-4,4-6,7-6(5). At Amsterdam: The Netherlands 0, Russia 3: Raemon Sluiter & John van Lottum lost to Igor Andreev & Mikhail Youzhni 6-2,3-6,6-4,6-4. At Halle: Germany 0, France 3: Tommy Haas & Alexander Waske lost to Arnaud Clement & Michael Llodra 6-7(6),6-3,6-4,6-1. At Buenos Aires: Argentina 3, Sweden 0: David Nalbandian & Agustin Calleri bt Jonas Bjorkman & Simon Aspelin 6-2, 7-6(4), 2-6, 6-4. At Graz: Austria 0, Croatia 3: Jurgen Melzer & Julian Knowle lost to Mario Ancic & Ivan Ljubicic 3-6,3-6,6-4,6-4,8-6. At La Jolla: U.S. 2, Romania 1: Bob and Mike Bryan bt Victor Hanescu and Horia-Vlad Tecau 6-2, retired. At Rancagua: Chile 3, Slovakia 0: Nicolas Massu and Fernando Gonzalez bt Michal Mertinak and Lukas Lacko 6-2, 7-5, 3-6, 6-4. â€" Agencieshttp://www.hindu.com/2006/02/13/stories/2006021310471700.htm Croatia at AustriaPosted on February 06, 2006Site: Schwarzl Freizeit Zentrum, Graz, AustriaSurface: Red clay indoorsBall: Wilson Tour Davis CupThe Austrians will need their homecourt advantage, the slow red clay, and then some against the Davis Cup defending champion Croatian team comprised of Ivan Ljubicic and Mario "Baby Goran" Ancic. On Sunday, Croatian fans in Zagreb got a Davis Cup preview when Ljubicic easily handled the hot-handed Austrian Stefan Koubek in the final. Jurgen Melzer will join Koubek in shoring up the Austrian singles, with Julian Knowle and Alexander Peya likely taking up the doubles duty.Melzer beat Ljubicic last year in their only career meeting but that was on the slick lawns at Wimbledon, and the Austrian has never faced Ancic. Koubek is now 3-3 versus Ljubicic, but those wins came before the Croat's confidence surged with his standing in the Top 10, and after injury has caused Koubek's ranking to plummet. As with Melzer, Ancic has likewise never faced Koubek.The slower the dirt, the better chance the Austrians will have, so look for a mud bog in Graz and for the scrappy Melzer and Koubek to potentially make it interesting.-- Tennis-X.comhttp://www.tennis-x.com/story/2006-02-06/h.php   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 06 Feb 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7739/1/E-TENNIS-SENSATION-MARIN-CILIC.html  Up Close and Personal with Newest Croatian Tennis Sensation Marin Cilic  by Jeffrey Lesser Men's tennis returned to Zagreb this week for the first time in nine years. Along with the PBZ Zagreb Indoors came a chance for Croatia to showcase its players. Croatia's three marquee players, Ivan Ljubicic, Mario Ancic, and Ivo Karlovic, were all featured, and Ljubicic actually put together terrific tennis to win the event. However, the biggest story of the tournament was of the player who received a special wild-card invitation to the tournament- 17-year-old Marin Cilic, the 585th-ranked Zagreb resident. Fans may remember Cilic, the 2nd best Junior in the world, as the boy who won the 2005 French Open Junior Championships. To put it in fewer words, he is the future of Croatian tennis.Cilic had played only one ATP match in his entire career, which was at the Croatian Open in Umag, where he was also a wild-card invite. In that match, Marin lost to 73rd-ranked Kristof Vliegen of Belgium, 7-5 6-2. In the first round at the Zagreb Indoors this past week, Marin was given an even tougher task- to play the 7th seed and 25th-ranked player in all the world, Igor Andreev of Russia. The extreme underdog, Marin Cilic showed his potential to be a great player, as he shocked the tennis world by defeating Andreev. In the second round, Cilic even had a one-set advantage over 55th-ranked Andreas Seppi of Italy before losing, 4-6 6-4 6-4. In his performance, Marin showed that the future for Croatian tennis is shining brighter than ever.I had the opportunity to meet with and interview Cilic at the 2005 US Open. In our sit-down conversation, I learned much about Marin's inherent desire to succeed and found out that he truly has what it takes to be a great pro. First, we talked about the French Open. He conceded that he was not confident that he could win the French Open until he reached the semifinals. While I was extremely impressed by his results at the Juniors level, Marin downplayed his past. He said that it was far easier to win on clay in the Juniors, because there are no real clay court specialists, whereas in the pros, it is a different story. Cilic, who practices on clay courts in the hot Croatian weather and on hard, indoor courts for the remaining six months of the year, had past experience on clay that proved vital during the tournament. He continued to put his success into perspective rarely seen in a kid his age. "Juniors in Grand Slams are good to improve your game," he remarked. Not dwelling on Juniors success, Marin seems to look towards life as a pro.This professional mindset was never more evident than when I asked him about his favorite match he ever played. I expected to hear that winning the French Open Juniors was his greatest moment to date. However, he had another response in store. Marin said that his favorite match was his only pro match, the "big experience" against Vliegen. His greatest moment was his only professional moment. This sophisticated answer showed unbelievable poise and determination to become a great pro. Cilic said he is also willing to put in the hours necessary to succeed at the professional level. He currently practices about five hours every day and "will do a lot in my training" to become stronger physically in the next few years. Marin wants to improve his serve, adding power and placement. Even though he plans to be a hard-serving baseliner (much like the man off whom he models his game, Marat Safin of Russia), Cilic wants to improve his volleying. He considers his current groundstrokes strong enough to enable him to compete at a high level in the pros. Marin said that the main difference between himself and professionals is his lack of mental strength. "Professional players are very calm," he said, whereas he occasionally throws his racket. However, mental toughness comes with experience. Marin believes that he could have defeated Vliegen at Umag, except that due to his lack of match experience, Cilic was "a little nervous" playing in front of his country. I brought to his attention that Andrew Murray, the Brit who Marin defeated at the semifinals of the French Open Juniors, has been achieving success at the professional level. He said that this success happened as a result of Murray playing lots of challengers and futures events. Cilic resolved that in 2006 he "will try to play more Futures and Challengers" in order to gain match play experience and mental toughness, as well as valuable ranking points. He plans to officially turn pro and ditch the Juniors after succeeding in the Futures and Challengers events.By dismissing most of his Juniors success as mere practice for the pros, Marin Cilic has showed he is ready for the pros and ready to commit his life to becoming a better tennis player. Still, while he is playing on the tour, he is separated from his parents and brothers. Being on the road means that there is "not a lot of time for friends and family," but Marin is prepared to sacrifice this to become a successful pro.This past week, Marin Cilic confirmed my belief that he has what it takes to become a fantastic pro. Forget about Futures and Challengers. After beating Igor Andreev and giving Andreas Seppi all he could handle in the second round, Marin Cilic proved that he is not only the future of Croatian tennis, but also the present.  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 06 Feb 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7745/1/E-Croatia-Sending-24-Athletes-to-Compete-in-Turin-Olympiad.html  Croatia Sending 24 Athletes to Compete in Turin OlympiadText of report in English by Croatian news agency HINA Zagreb, 4 February: Seven days remain before the start of the 20th Winter Olympic Games in the Italian city of Turin. Croatia will be represented by 24 athletes in six sports. The most numerous Croatian team will be in Alpine skiing with 12 skiers: five representatives in women's competitions and seven in men's races. Croatia's team has also qualified for four man bobsleigh competitions. Other Croatians will compete in figure skating, Nordic combined, skeleton and biathlon. The triple Olympic gold winner, skier Janica Kostelic, will carry the Croatian flag during the ceremony of the opening of the games on 10 February. It will be Italian Giorgio Rocca to take the solemn oath of the athlete at the ceremony. Over 2,500 athletes coming from 85 nations will compete in the Games.http://www.redorbit.com/news/technology/379838/croatia_sending_24_athletes_to_compete_in_turin_olympiad/index.html?source=r_technology  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 05 Feb 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7743/1/E-Croatian-World-Games-are-awaiting-you-from-July-15---22-2006-in-Zadar.html  July 2006 in Zadar: Croatian World Games Are you a Croatian aficionado? Have you ever wanted to meet Croatians from all over the world in one place? Are you found of sports? Spread the word - the first Croatian World Games are awaiting you from July 15 - July 22, 2006 in Zadar, Croatia!Participants from the U.S., Canada, Australia, Argentina, Germany, Sweden, Austria, Switzerland and other countries have started to apply and will be competing in 15 disciplines, such as Athletics, Swimming, Tennis, Basketball, Volleyball, Table Tennis, Soccer, etc. Imagine the Olympics with only Croatian players competing!The goal of this event is to bring Croatians from Croatia and Croatians from all over the Globe closer together!  Don't worry if you are not a pro in any of these disciplines; join the crowd and compete for your own fun and pleasure. If you feel that you are a pro, go and prove it to the world! You might be discovered as a talent and accepted into one of the Croatian national sport teams!For the price of EUR 285, you get a seven day accommodation with two meals a day in a bungalow at the popular tourist district of Zaton, a chance to participate in the athletic part of the Games, to enjoy free entrance to all Games sites and an entertainment program, to use the recreation facilities in the sports village and transportation within the sports village, as well asthe unlimited access to the IT center.Visit www.zadar2006.com and find out more about this first global  Croatian sports event.Sign up today and be part of this unique Croatian event! However, if you already have other plans for the Summer 2006, send this article to all of your friends, relatives and acquaintances. Give everybody you know a chance to participate in this truly unique opportunity! letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 05 Feb 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7741/1/E-Stjepan-Beg-Rab-Croatia--Roman-Stoisavljevic-Zagreb-Croatia.html  Men’s Tennis Blanks Utah State Courtesy: New Mexico State UniversityRelease: 02/05/2006Courtesy: Julie BaishThe men's tennis team downed WAC foe Utah State 7-0, Saturday afternoon. Las Cruces, N.M. – The New Mexico State men’s tennis team dominated the Utah State Aggies 7-0, Saturday afternoon at the NMSU Tennis Center. The Aggies are now 2-0 in WAC matches in 2006 and 3-1 overall.NMSU started strong in doubles action as they won two of three matches where the team of Stjepan Beg (Rab, Croatia) and Brice Magnanou (Montauban, France) defeated Zelle and Pinho 8-6 in the number one position andRoman Stoisavljevic (Zagreb, Croatia) and Tim America (Roermond, Netherlands) beat Tyden and Young 8-4 at the number two spot.In singles action, the Aggies won all six matches, five of them in straight sets as Beg defeated Zelle (6-2, 6-4), Magnanou defeated Pinho (7-5, 6-3) and Stoisavljevic beat Netto (6-0, 6-2) in the one, two and three spots. In the four, five and six positions, Ricardo Gorostiaga defeated Young (6-1, 6-2), America dropped Marchant (6-2, 7-5) and Halligan beat Tyden (6-0, 1-6, 6-2).“We played a little shaky in doubles play, but managed to hang on for the win, so that was good,” Aggie head coach Don Ball said. “Then we won five of six singles matches and the number six match was pretty close, but the others were never really in question. Both of our tennis teams are now 4-0 for the weekend and you can’t complain about that. The men now have two conference wins under their belt and overall it was a pretty good day.”The Aggie men will be back in action tomorrow as they take on Northern Colorado at 9:00 a.m. at the Youth Tennis Center in El Paso.Aggie ResultsDoubles: 1. Beg/ Magnanou (NMSU) d. Zelle/ Pinho (USU) – 8-6 2. Stoisavljevic/ America (NMSU) d. Tyden/ Young (USU) – 8-4 3. Banks/ Marchant (USU) d. Gorostiaga/ Pfeifer (NMSU) – 8-6 Singles: 1. Beg (NMSU) d. Zelle (USU) – 6-2, 6-4 2. Magnanou (NMSU) d. Pinho (USU) – 7-5, 6-3 3. Stoisavljevic (NMSU) d. Netto (USU) – 6-0, 6-2 4. Gorostiaga (NMSU) d. Young (USU) – 6-1, 6-2 5. America (NMSU) d. Marchant (USU) – 6-2, 7-5 6. Halligan (NMSU) d. Tyden (USU) – 6-0, 1-6, 6-2http://www.nmstatesports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=1900&ATCLID=234711  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 05 Feb 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7740/1/E-Tamara-Boros-of-Croatia-won-Liu-Jia-at-the-European-Top-12-finals.html  Tamara Boros won European Top 12     Tamara Boros of Croatia returns a shot to Liu Jia of Austria during the women's final at the European Top 12 table tennis tournament at the KB Stadium Hall in Copenhagen February 5, 2006. Boros won 11-9, 4-11, 11-6, 11-7, 11-8. NORWAY OUT DENMARK OUT SWEDEN OUT NO THIRD PARTY SALES REUTERS/Jakob Boserup/Scanpix   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 05 Feb 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7746/1/E-Croatia-is-first-among-140-countries-in-the-world.html  Croatia is first among 140 countries in the world  Current Davis Cup Rankings Rank Nation Points Played Previous 1 Croatia 25,002.5 10 [4] 2 Spain 23,200.0 12 [1] 3 Slovak Republic 13,942.5 10 [6] 4 Russia 13,643.8 11 [2] 5 Argentina 13,575.0 11 [7] 6 Australia 13,500.0 10 [3] 7 USA 12,397.5 11 [8] 8 France 11,500.0 11 [5] 9 Belarus 7,110.0 10 [9] 10 Switzerland 7,046.9 9 [10] 11 Netherlands 4,906.3 8 [11] 12 Sweden 4,843.8 8 [12] 13 Romania 3,928.1 8 [13] 14 Austria 2,957.5 9 [14] 15 Chile 2,930.0 9 [15] 16 Germany 2,762.5 8 [16] 17 India 2,187.5 11 [17] 18 Czech Republic 2,081.3 8 [18] 19 Thailand 1,932.5 12 [19] 20 Ecuador 1,920.0 10 [20] 21 Canada 1,835.0 9 [21] 22 Belgium 1,662.5 8 [22] 23 Italy 1,570.0 10 [23] 24 Pakistan 1,570.0 12 [24] 25 Great Britain 1,562.5 8 [25] 26 Japan 1,507.5 9 [26] 27 Paraguay 1,270.0 11 [27] 28 Uzbekistan 1,155.0 8 [28] 29 Morocco 1,145.0 9 [29] 30 Venezuela 1,122.8 10 [30] 31 Peru 1,035.0 11 [31] 32 Luxembourg 1,011.9 9 [32] 33 Israel 956.3 8 [33] 34 Serbia & Montenegro 951.3 10 [34] 35 Chinese Taipei 949.4 9 [35] 36 China, P.R. 768.8 10 [36] 37 Korea, Rep. 735.0 12 [37] 38 Mexico 733.8 10 [38] 39 Zimbabwe 720.0 10 [39] 40 Brazil 657.5 10 [40] 41 Ukraine 568.8 9 [41] 42 Portugal 535.0 10 [42] 43 South Africa 534.4 9 [43] 44 Finland 503.1 8 [44] 45 New Zealand 500.0 10 [45] 46 Indonesia 492.5 9 [46] 47 Dominican Republic 426.9 13 [47] 48 Bulgaria 406.6 9 [48] 49 Uruguay 402.5 10 [49] 50 Slovenia 330.0 10 [50] 51 Hungary 297.2 12 [51] 52 Poland 254.7 12 [52] 53 Greece 250.0 9 [53] 54 Norway 221.6 10 [54] 55 Kuwait 210.9 11 [55] 56 Algeria 198.8 14 [56] 57 Hong Kong, China 162.8 12 [57] 58 Bahamas 155.0 9 [58] 59 Denmark 152.5 12 [59] 60 Lebanon 150.0 9 [60] 61 Latvia 145.0 11 [61] 62 Netherlands Antilles 140.3 11 [62] 63 Pacific Oceania 130.0 17 [63] 64 Colombia 103.8 11 [64] 65 Kazakhstan 95.0 11 [65] 66 Georgia 94.5 14 [66] 67 Jamaica 93.8 14 [67] 68 Cuba 92.5 8 [68] 69 Philippines 91.3 8 [69] 70 Ireland 85.0 11 [70] 71 Cote D'Ivoire 70.0 11 [71] 72 Iran 61.3 11 [72] 73 Haiti 55.6 14 [73] 74 Egypt 55.0 11 [74] 75 Macedonia, F.Y.R. 43.8 19 [75] 76 Cyprus 42.5 18 [76] 77 Guatemala 37.5 17 [77] 78 = Honduras 35.0 20 [78=] 78 = Bolivia 35.0 20 [78=] 80 Tunisia 33.8 14 [80] 81 Lithuania 31.3 19 [81] 82 El Salvador 31.3 20 [82] 83 Vietnam 30.3 14 [83] 84 Malaysia 30.0 14 [84] 85 Puerto Rico 28.8 17 [85] 86 Turkey 28.8 19 [86] 87 Bahrain 28.3 20 [87] 88 Ghana 27.5 10 [88] 89 Nigeria 25.5 18 [89] 90 Monaco 21.3 14 [90] 91 Namibia 21.3 19 [91] 92 Qatar 21.3 20 [92] 93 Armenia 21.0 17 [93] 94 Bosnia/Herzegovina 20.0 20 [94] 95 Sri Lanka 19.0 17 [95] 96 Iceland 19.0 18 [96] 97 Saudi Arabia 18.0 19 [97] 98 Estonia 17.5 15 [98] 99 Tajikistan 17.5 17 [99] 100 United Arab Emirates 16.8 19 [100] 101 Panama 16.5 20 [101] 102 Singapore 16.3 17 [102] 103 Oman 15.3 18 [103] 104 Moldova 15.0 16 [104] 105 Andorra 13.8 16 [105] 106 Bangladesh 13.5 16 [106] 107 Costa Rica 13.3 19 [107] 108 Azerbaijan 13.0 15 [108] 109 Rwanda 13.0 19 [109] 110 Barbados 12.0 19 [110] 111 Syria 11.5 19 [111] 112 Madagascar 11.3 17 [112] 113 Trinidad & Tobago 11.0 16 [113] 114 Botswana 11.0 18 [114] 115 Senegal 10.0 13 [115] 116 San Marino 9.0 19 [116] 117 Benin 8.0 8 [117] 118 Kyrgyzstan 8.0 18 [118] 119 St. Lucia 8.0 20 [119] 120 Kenya 7.8 16 [120] 121 US Virgin Islands 7.8 19 [121] 122 Myanmar 7.5 12 [122] 123 Angola 7.0 10 [123] 124 Jordan 7.0 14 [124] 125 Bermuda 7.0 19 [125] 126 Malta 5.0 17 [126] 127 Togo 4.0 4 [127] 128 Uganda 3.5 19 [128] 129 Burkina Faso 3.0 4 letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 30 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7757/1/E-Hungary-and-Croatia-hold-meeting-in-Budapest.html  Hungary and Croatia hold meeting in Budapest13:35 2006-01-26Croatia's efforts to join the European Union, cooperation on energy matters, and a joint bid to host soccer's 2012 European Championships are expected to dominate Thursday's joint Cabinet session between Hungary and Croatia. Hungarian Prime Minister Ferenc Gyurcsany and his Croatian counterpart, Ivo Sanader, will lead the session, to be held at Budapest's Museum of Fine Arts. The EU opened accession talks with Croatia, a prelude to eventual membership, on Oct. 4, after delaying them for months because of Croatia's failure to capture a top war crimes suspect, Ante Gotovina. Gotovina was eventually arrested in Spain on Dec. 7. Hungary, which joined the EU in 2004, has been a solid supporter of the accession of Croatia, home to an ethnic Hungarian minority of around 17,000 people. Croatia hopes to join the EU in 2009. Linking the two countries' natural gas pipelines and cooperation on the management of oil reserves are among the energy issues the governments are expected to discuss Thursday. The two Cabinets are also expected to reiterate their support for a joint bid to host soccer's 2012 European championships. The winning bid is planned to be chosen Dec. 8 and the other two finalists are Italy and a joint bid by Poland and Ukraine. The meeting will not be held in parliament "so the shadows of history are not projected onto cooperation in the modern era between Hungary and Croatia," Gyurcsany told Hungarian state news wire MTI. Croatia was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire until World War I and under some form of Hungarian or Austrian authority as far back as the 12th century. Sanader and his Cabinet are also scheduled to meet with Hungarian President Laszlo Solyom later Thursday, reports the AP. N.U.http://newsfromrussia.com/world/2006/01/26/71824.html   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 26 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7752/1/E-Tomislav-Japec-a-victory-in-his-opening-match.html Tomislav Japec, victory in his opening match  Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Editor Overcoming Nerves Photo By: Sanjin Strukic LIEBHERR Croatian Open, Zagreb Tomislav JAPEC, a nervous start but victory in his opening match  1/24/2006The disappointment for table tennis fans intending to watch the Liebherr Croatian Open in Zagreb is the withdrawal from the Men’s Singles of top seed Germany’s Timo BOLL. Nevertheless, the tournament still has a host of world class players on duty and on the morning of Tuesday 24th January 2006 the home supporters had smiles on their faces, thanks to the efforts of twenty-one year old Tomislav JAPEC.He recovered from a two games to nil deficit to beat Janez PETROVCIC of Slovenia 7-11, 9-11, 12-10, 11-9, 11-8, 11-7.'I was nervous before the start of the match and I was tentative in the first game', said a somewhat relieved Tomislav JAPEC. 'It’s a long time since I’ve played in Croatia and that had an effect on me, in fact my last tournament in Croatia was the Liebherr Croatian Open a year ago.'PressurePlaying in front of your home crowd adds a degree of pressure to the situation; it’s a fact that was endorsed last week by Lleyton HEWITT at the Grand Slam tennis tournament in Australia after he had lost to Juan Ignacio CHELA of Argentina in the second round of the Men’s Singles event and it’s a scenario that seemingly haunts Great Britain’s Tim HENMAN with regards to Wimbledon. They are both tremendous sportsman, superb tennis players but on home soil so much is expected, the pressure is that much greater and both cannot win the title they so crave, the Grand Slam event in their own country.Nevertheless after a below par first two games JAPEC recovered and duly won the last four games to secure victory. DeterminedTomislav JAPEC is one of Croatia’s most promising new generation of players and he is a determined young man. One of the national leagues that has grown in strength in the past decade is undoubtedly the French League and for the 2005-2006 season JAPEC moved joined Hennebont in the south of France, having previously played for STK Vecenrnji List in Zagreb. The competition for places in the men’s team in Hennebont is severe but the practice available is of a very high level. BAI Feng Tian, WANG Xin, Artur GRIGORYEV, Dániel GORAK and the man currently ranked number eleven in the world, Kalinikos KREANGA all play for the club. 'I want to make progress, I want to improve, I want to play professionally', said Tomislav JAPEC in a determined tone of voice. 'In Hennebont we have a good coach and of course the players to train with is outstanding.' The coach in question is Milan STENCIL who for several years guided the fortunes of Croatia’s current leading player, Zoran PRIMORAC and has worked for several clubs and national associations in Europe. He is a man with a wealth of knowledge and JAPEC will most certainly benefit from his tutelage.Improvements'In the last year I think my head is better, mentally I’ve improved', continued JAPEC. 'I ‘m more professional and I think I appreciate more what I have to do in order to play at a high level.'The mental aspect of sport is crucial to success. Ask any of the superb Chinese players why they won and time and time again they will tell you that it was because they were mentally strong and had a clear mind. Also, they are the best in the world when it comes to returning the ball short over the net, the deft returns, the flicks, just as important in table tennis as the booming forehand winners. In this area of play Tomislav JAPEC believes he has improved. 'I’m better at short, short', he said. 'My control and feeling have improved, also my forehand has got better in the last twelve months, my backhand has always been my strength but now my forehand is catching up.'ConqueredHe is improving and today he conquered both his adversary and himself. 'The first two games were not good, I was nervous, people watching expected a lot of me', he added. 'After the second game I had to really fight but as I got more into the match I moved better, I served better and of course it motivated me when I heard people cheering for me.'It was a tough opening match, another match on the learning curve to a higher status. He was nervous but he was strong enough to recognise that fact and he conquered his nerves. More and more Tomislav JAPEC knows what it takes to be a high level table tennis table and furthermore he would seem to have the appetite to succeed.http://www.ittf.com/stories/Stories_detail.asp?Year=2006&General_Catigory=General&ID=8548  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 26 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7751/1/E-Were-magicians---Small-Is-Big-in-Mens-Tennis.html  Small Is Big in Men's Tennis, Where Swiss, Croatians Top U.S. Listen Jan. 20 (Bloomberg) -- Switzerland's Roger Federer, the No. 1 player in men's tennis, comes from a country with fewer people than New York City. The sport's top team title, the Davis Cup, belongs to Croatia, a nation four years younger than second- ranked Rafael Nadal of Spain. Small countries rule and traditional men's tennis powers such as the U.S. are struggling as the sport plays its first Grand Slam tournament of the year at the Australian Open. Federer began the Open in Melbourne having won five of the eight majors over the past two years. Ivan Ljubicic may be playing the best tennis in the world after leading 15-year-old Croatia to the Davis Cup in December. Andy Roddick is the top American at No. 3 and hasn't won a Grand Slam tournament in three years. ``These smaller countries are concentrating on what they have, rather than having so much to select from,'' said Nick Bollettieri, who helped develop former top-ranked U.S. players such as Andre Agassi and Jim Courier. ``They can see what they have and give it enough financial support.'' Promising players can train at one place and are treated as an elite group with a strong support system, said Bollettieri, 74, who also worked with Grand Slam title record-holder Pete Sampras and 2004 Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova.The U.S. Tennis Association spent $64 million on developing players in 2004, according to the group's most recent figures. Switzerland's governing body for tennis spent about 3 million Swiss francs ($2.34 million) on development last year, while Croatia's federation spent about $500,000. "We're magicians,'' Marina Mihelic, executive director of the Croatian Tennis Association, said in a telephone interview. New Champions Federer, 24, became the first man from Switzerland, population 7.3 million, to win a Grand Slam title when he beat Mark Philippoussis of Australia at Wimbledon three years ago. Ljubicic's 11-match winning streak in the Davis Cup helped Croatia defeat 13-year-old Slovakia for the title. Ljubicic ended last year ranked ninth after reaching finals in four of his last six events, winning two. He won the Chennai Open in India last month as the 2006 season began. Nadal, Carlos Moya and Juan Carlos Ferrero of Spain have won the French Open over the last eight years after another Spaniard, Sergi Bruguera, ended an 18-year winless Grand Slam spell among men for their country at the same tournament in 1993. Argentina has three players in the top 10. ``The writing's been on the wall,'' said Courier, 35, formerly No. 1 in the world with four Grand Slam titles. ``Tennis takes us all over the world. People aspire to be the players they see on TV, and that's where dreams come from.''Croatian Boom Croatia's interest in tennis boomed when Goran Ivanisevic beat Australia's Patrick Rafter in a five-set final at Wimbledon five years ago, said Micho Dushanovic, a former Croatian junior player who works as a tennis broadcaster for state-run HRTV. Interest in the Davis Cup victory among Croatia's 4.4 million citizens might have surpassed that for the national soccer team's third-place finish at the 1998 World Cup, he added. The country's success in tennis may continue with players such as 17-year-old Marin Cilic, the world's top-ranked junior. ``After soccer, tennis is for sure No. 2 in popularity,'' Dushanovic, 54, said in a telephone interview. ``It wasn't like that in the past.'' Tennis officials say the shift from big to small hasn't affected marketing. The Association of Tennis Professionals spends $5 million on marketing every year, said Richard Davies, chief executive of the commercial wing of the men's tour.``As a global sport, we can afford to have pockets of strength and relative evenness, without really affecting the total pie,'' Davies said in a telephone interview. ``Growth is never a bad thing.'' Sponsors In November, the ATP signed a three-year contract extension with Daimler-Chrysler's Mercedes Benz, the German-based No. 2 luxury automaker and a chief partner. ``Most of the revenue for the tour has always come out of Europe,'' Davies said. ``America has never really dominated.'' The U.S. still needs to produce successful men's players to maintain American interest in the game, said Michael Stirling, founder of London-based Global Sponsors, which provides advice to companies on sponsorship strategies. ``It's important because it attracts youth and the investment required to maintain standards,'' Stirling said in a telephone interview. ``If you have a long period where you don't have a star, it'll be even harder to find one.'' Roddick, 23, ended 2003 ranked first and has failed to reach the semifinals at five of eight Grand Slams since. The 35- year-old Agassi, an eight-time Grand Slam champion, is the only other American in the top 15. He skipped the Australian Open with an ankle injury after losing to Federer in the U.S. Open final last September. The bright spots for the U.S. include James Blake, who rebounded from a broken neck to make the top 25, and Robby Ginepri, who reached the U.S. Open semifinals in New York. He lost in the second-round of the Australian Open to 177th-ranked Denis Gremelmayr. Donald Young, 16, is second to Cilic in the junior rankings.To contact the reporter on this story:Ravi Ubha in London at rubha@bloomberg.net .http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000085&sid=acmojJHJI6cY&refer=europe   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 25 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7755/1/E-LJUBICICS-TRIUMPH-DESPITE-LOSS.html  Ivan Ljubicic represented Croatian tennis in superlative fashion and should be exceptionally proud of his achievementIVAN LJUBICIC'S TRIUMPH DESPITE LOSSBy Jeff Lesser For the second straight year, Ivan Ljubicic, Croatia’s #1 player and the 7th ranked player in the world, fell in the Australian Open to unseeded Marcos Baghdatis of Cyprus. While this would normally sound like a severe upset and a certain Grand Slam choke-job by the 6’4’’ Croat, this was anything but the case. Instead of losing in the second round, as he did last year, Ljubicic was defeated this time three rounds laterâ€" in the quarterfinals. It was an extremely impressive showing for the Croatian that will only bolster his confidence and success in the coming year. Ljubicic broke through in the rankings during the latter portion of last year to become one of the top ten players in the world. This recent rise in rank left Ivan the highest-ranked player to have advanced past the third round in a Grand Slam in his entire career. In this year’s Australian Open, Ljubicic posted an extremely valiant effort, as he finally performed well in a major to reach the quarterfinals. In doing so, Ljubicic dispatched a formidable first round foe, hard-serving Australian Chris Guccione, in straight sets. In his first ever match in Rod Laver Arena, the main court at the Australian Open, he easily sent home Germany’s Philipp Kohlschreiber. The third round pitted Ivan against 31st-ranked Feliciano Lopez, and Ivan played another great match, again winning impressively in straight sets. At this point, he had already had the best Grand Slam showing of his career, reaching the fourth round.In the fourth round, Ljubicic played one of the greatest matches of his life, with a surprisingly-easy dismissal of the 10th-seeded 2002 champion, Sweden’s Thomas Johansson. Ivan had entered the quarterfinals of a major for the first time in his life and, in doing so, had not dropped a set. In the quarters, Ivan was set to face Marcos Baghdatis, who shockingly defeated second-seeded Andy Roddick in the fourth round. Baghdatis carried with him a versatile game, a large and vocal fan base, and enormous confidence.The quarterfinal match began well for Baghdatis, as he took the first two sets with little resistance from Ljubicic. However, Ivan fought tremendously, and took the next two sets on the strength of solid play and more aggressive groundstrokes. The dedicated Croatian fans had much to cheer about, as the atmosphere was more like a Davis Cup rubber than a Grand Slam match. It appeared that Ljubicic had the momentum, the experience, and the crowd support to pull out the fifth-set victory and reach the semifinals. However, Baghdatis’ relentless play wore on Ljubicic and youth prevailed over age, as the 20-year-old Cypriot defeated a man six years his senior and 47 ranking spots his superior. Baghdatis ultimately won the match, 6-4 6-2 4-6 3-6 6-3. Ivan Ljubicic battled and put forth a more-than-respectable effort in not only pushing Baghdatis to the fifth set, but in reaching the quarterfinals in the first place.Fans who see only the score will get an incorrect picture. They will see that the seventh seed lost to an unseeded player in the quarterfinals, getting outclassed in the fifth set. They will think that a player who has played fantastic tennis in the past half year simply choked in the quarterfinals of a major tournament. However, those familiar to Ivan Ljubicic and his past trials and tribulations know what a success story this is. Ivan Ljubicic finally broke through in a major. He put up such a valiant struggle in the quarterfinals that he almost pulled off a comeback from being down two-sets-to-none. Ivan Ljubicic built off of his Davis Cup recent ATP tournament success to put together the greatest Grand Slam showing of his career. This performance will only add to his confidence and game. Fans should expect only bigger and better things from Ivan, as he will use this quarterfinal appearance to achieve greater feats. With a successful Grand Slam under his belt, Ivan Ljubicic has solidified his position at the top of the tennis game. In reaching the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, Ivan Ljubicic represented Croatian tennis in superlative fashion and should be exceptionally proud of his achievement.  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 24 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7749/1/E-US-Mens-Figure-Skating-Champ-Johnny-Weir-Skates-to-Croatian-Music.html  US Men's Figure Skating Champ Johnny Weir Skates to Croatian MusicJohnny Weir won the 2006 US Men's Figure Skating Championship in St. Louis, MO., this past Saturday, January 14, 2006. For his long-form, free skating program, Weir skated to the music of Croatian painist Maksim Mrvica (the songs used are "Amazonic", Hana's Eyes" and "Wonderland").Weir was the US 2004 and 2005 champion and is a top contender to win a medal at the upcoming Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy.  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 24 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7748/1/E-Blanka-Vlasic-of-Croatia-celebrates-her-victory-in-Moscow.html  Blanka Vlasic of Croatia celebrates her victory Blanka Vlasic of Croatia celebrates her victory in the High Jump event at the Russian Winter Indoor Athletics meeting in Moscow January 25, 2006. Vlasic won with 2.00 metres. REUTERS/Grigory Dukor Blanka Vlasic of Croatia competes in the High Jump event at the Russian Winter Indoor Athletics meeting in Moscow January 25, 2006. Vlasic won with 2.00 metres. REUTERS/Grigory Dukor  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 24 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7758/1/E-Gordan-Giricek-Playing-Ball-with-the-Jazz.html  Playing Ball with the JazzGordan Giricek talks about life in the NBAGordan Giricek, right, with Jazz assistant coach Scott Layden.By Frank Vinko MustacGordan Giricek, who plays shooting guard for the Utah Jazz of the National Basket­ball Association (NBA), was in Wash­ington, D.C., on January 9 to play the Washington Wizards.For the game, which Utah Jazz won 97-89. Giricek had 8 points, 1 rebound, 2 assists and 1 blocked shot. For the season, Giricek averages 10.6 points per contest.Before the game, the 6-foot 5-inch 210-pound 28-year-old Zagreb native spoke with the Croatian Chronicle about life as an NBA player, the phone call he received a while ago from NBA rookie Andrew Bogut and living so far from his daughter, family and friends back in Croatia.Giricek also had some choice words to say about the media as well as the many people back in his homeland who do not often speak kindly towards successful Croat­ians.Croatian Chronicle: What is life for you like in the NBA?Gordan Gircek: Pretty good. Everything is organized and the only thing you have to worry about is playing the games, everything else they do for you.CC: You probably did not have time to go back to Croatia for the Christmas holidays. How did you spend the holidays?GG: No, we didn't have time. The only time off we have is the All Star break in Feb­ruary and after the season. So I didn't have time to go home, but I spent Christmas at my friend's house in Salt Lake City. It was nice.CC: Did you have what could be considered a traditional Croatian Christmas meal?GG: Yeah, we had pork and francuska salata (French salad) and prsut (procuitto), eggs, and all the things you eat for Christ­mas.CC: Talk about the story that appeared in a Salt Lake City newspaper that Milwaukee Bucks rookie Andrew Bogut, who is Aus­tralian of Croatian descent, left you a message on your answering machine and that you didn't return his phone call. What happened?GG: They made a big deal of it. Even in the Croatian newspapers. Bogut probably got angry or something. I don't know. I really don't want to go into it, because it's ridiculous for me. I told my side of the story. I'm the only guy that knows what happened. He tried to leave a message in Croatian, and let's be honest, he didn't speak Croatian well at that time. I didn't understand any word, so I thought someone was messing with me. I listened to the message twice or three times and I erased it because I really couldn't understand any words he was saying. I erased the phone number also with the message. So basically I didn't call back the number. CC: The same newspaper article reported that you met Bogut at a restaurant in Salt Lake City after that.GG: No I didn't meet him after that. You know newspapers. They always add something to make a story. No, we didn't meet after that, only when we played against each other.CC: Talk about how you came from Zagreb to play in the NBA.GG: I started professionally when I was 16. I considered that professional because I started to practice twice a day for a professional club. Then I came to play for Cibona, the main club in Zagreb.Then at 24, I signed with CSKA in Mos­cow, Russia. Then the year after that, I went to the NBA, to the Memphis Grizzlies. And then they traded me to Orlando, then Orlando traded me to Utah.This is my second year, going on my third, playing for Utah. I like it. I would like to stay here. NBA Utah Jazz player Gordan Giricek, from Zagreb, after a team shoot around at the MCI Center in Washington, D.C., January 9. CC: How would you compare playing in Europe to playing in the NBA?GG: It's way harder. The guys you play against in the NBA are very tough, very competitive. Every night you have a hard job, especially playing defense against shoot­ing guards. You have to guard all these guys that score above 20 points a game. So it's very hard. We're also traveling a lot. Every other day we're in an airplane. But that's why the NBA teams make it very easy for us. They do everything for us, because they know it's a hard rhythm, so we need to rest and we need to concentrate on the games.I mean I like it. It's better than the Euro­pean leagues. The NBA is tougher, but it's better organized. At the end, it's safer money. It's guaranteed, so whatever you sign for, at the end of the season you end up getting. It's okay. It's good.CC: Were there any particular cultural challenges you faced or things that surprised you about the United States?GG: No. I'm a pretty easy-going guy. I can adapt. I can adjust to any culture. I don't have problems with that.But I know I won't be able to live here after my career that's for sure. The main reason is because it's so far away from Europe, and I still have my family and all my friends back in Croatia. After the season, all the Utah Jazz players go away from Salt Lake City. If I stay there, I have no one to hang out with. And I'm too old to make new friends right now outside of basketball. I have my old friends from my high school and my childhood, and all of them are in Croatia. Also, my parents and my daughter are back in Croatia. My heart is back in Croatia. I go back every summer.CC: What do you miss about Croatia?GG: I miss the country. I miss my friends and my family. I don't miss other people, to be honest with you. Definitely I'm going to have one other option in Europe to live somewhere.In our country, Croatia, they don't treat you too well. I don't say they have to admire me, but at least have respect, because they always try to find some bad things to say about you. CC: You mean the media?GG: Everybody. Generally people are very jealous. I know it's a very hard situation in Croatia economically, but when you have money, people usually assume you stole something from somebody, that you don't deserve that money. And it's just not a good atmosphere for me.I'm in the kind of position of someone who goes back for two months, and I start feeling that pressure. People are always asking for something, and if you don't want to do something then you're acting like a star. I would like to please everybody, but sometimes it's not possible. I have to have my own rhythm, my own life. People start talking, and then the rumors spread very fast. Then you end up being a bad guy, but you're not that kind of guy. So I have to have some other options. I'll probably move to Spain. That's my dream right now. So we're going to see. For me, life is not playing chess, making all the right moves.I'm going to try and fulfill a dream to live in two places, Croatia and Spain.CC: Do you hear the same kind of thing from other Croatian professional athletes?GG: I didn't hear, we didn't talk about it, but I think they have the same situation, the way I see it. I think all successful people are pushed away from living in Croatia, because people start talking badly to the newspapers. Every newspaper is a gossip newspaper. Successful people try to run away from it. They don't want to invest there. It's not good for us. That's what I think.The country is the greatest. I never saw a country with more qualities than Croatia, but something is always missing.What I can tell from socializing with people, Croatians don't appreciate ... I mean here, if you're a legend, you're always a legend. In Croatia, I'm not talking about myself, I'm talking about guys that did some good things in their careers. They make a few mis­takes, then they're considered the worst people. But what about the things they did before? I mean you have to respect something.Many Croatian people don't respect anything. They just try to pull you down. That's the only thing I don't like.CC: Growing up, who did you admire as a player?GG: Drazen Petrovic, definitely. He was the only guy who was put on the table for me at that time. When I was living in Zag­reb, he was playing for Cibona, so I had a chance to see him play. He was one of the best players for sure.He opened it up for all the European guys to come play in the NBA. He had, I think, the hardest time coming here, but he overcame all that. CC: How about some of the American players?GG: At that time, I think I admired Scottie Pippen and Grant Hill. CC: And now, who are some of the toughest NBA players to defend against for you?GG: All these guys can average 20 shots a game, because you know they're going to take their shots and it's very hard to guard them. You know there are two or three screens in a row are coming for you. You have to get ready every game for that job.Sometimes Allen Iverson plays the two-guard. Ray Allen, Tracy McGrady, Kobe Bryant, Richard Hamilton. I mean all these guys. So it's a pretty hard job for us to do, for me to do.CC: Is there a Croatian community in Salt Lake City?GG: There are lots of Bosnian people. Some Croatians and a little bit Serbs. I hang out with them all. They all helped me out. They helped me a lot when I came the first time there. I even found a Croatian restaurant, a Croatian guy from Bosnia from around the border between Croatia and Bosnia. His wife is Serbian. Everyday I'm there. It's close to my house. I like it.CC: Do you ever get calls from people in the Croatian community while you're on the road like in Chicago or New York?GG: Not really. You know what, I don't have time. Sometimes I don't have the will or I'm tired. I want to rest. Like I said, I want to please everybody, but sometimes you just can't. I hope no one will take that as a bad thing. Sometimes I just want to stay in my room and watch TV and rest, because I had a tough night, a tough game.CC: Do you have a family?GG: I'm divorced, but I have a daughter, Lara. She will be 2 years old in March. She's in Croatia. I can hardly wait to see her.Right now I'm seeing her over an Internet Web camera. Last night was the first time I saw her on the Web camera, so it was nice.CC: Anything else you would like to add?GG: In general everything is good. I like Salt Lake City. It's a great city, very clean. The only bad thing about Salt Lake City is it's far away. When I'm going back home to Croatia, it's pretty far. That's the only bad thing. Everything else for me is perfect. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 23 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7753/1/E-Tennis-rackets-flying-out-of-the-sports-stores-in-Croatia.html Croatia's Davis Cup triumph has tennis rackets "flying" out of the sports storesLjubicic willing to captain Croatia's Davis Cup team Jan. 18, 2006CBS SportsLine.com wire reports MELBOURNE, Australia -- Croatia's Davis Cup triumph has tennis rackets "flying" out of the sports stores, and increased the focus on who should get the job of leading the country's title defense. Ivan Ljubicic, who has agreed to be player-captain for the Feb. 10-12 match in Graz, Austria, says that 2001 Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic will meet Saturday with the Croatian Tennis Federation about the issue. "We wait for Goran's decision, what he wants to do," Ljubicic said Wednesday after advancing to the third round of the Australian Open with a 7-5, 6-2, 6-1 win over Philipp Kohlschreiber of Germany. "So, we'll see what his ideas are about it. But, yeah, I am at the moment the playing captain." Radimir Cacic, the head of the federation, announced on Monday that Ljubicic, who helped Croatia win the Davis Cup for the first time last month, was stepping up after last year's leader Nikki Pilic and Ivanisevic refused the job. Ivanisevic said in December he would take over as captain, but when the Croatian federation asked Pilic to stay on as an adviser, Ivanisevic reportedly said he did not want to take over the team until Pilic was no longer part of it. "If Goran decided not to take the team over for the first round, I am ready to do it," Ljubicic said Wednesday, adding he had already taken some preparatory steps. "I called some people who I am interested in as being like assistants to me," he said. Mario Ancic, who teamed with Ljubicic to lead Croatia's victory over Slovakia in December's final, said he was unfazed by the issue. "I think the most important thing is to keep this team spirit - and I think we all have that - and a willingness to win," said Ancic, who also moved into the third round in Melbourne on Wednesday by beating Jan Hernych of the Czech Republic 6-1, 6-4, 6-4. Despite the uncertainty, both Ljubicic and Ancic are in no doubt about the effect the win has had in their homeland. "A lot of people are buying rackets and starting to play, like when Goran won Wimbledon and was top" said Ancic. Ljubicic agreed. "I have some friends who are owning shops and they say the rackets are flying (out), they are selling really good," said Ljubicic. "I hope it's going to have a good impact and I hope a lot of kids are going to start playing tennis." AP NEWShttp://www.sportsline.com/tennis/story/9172020 letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 23 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7756/1/E-Janica-Kostelic-of-Croatia-celebrates-another-victory-in-St-Moritz.html  Janica Kostelic of Croatia celebrates on the St Moritz's podium Janica Kostelic of Croatia celebrates on the podium following her victory in the women's Alpine Ski World Cup super-combined race that consists of one downhill and one slalom run in the Swiss resort of St Moritz January 22, 2006. REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay Janica Kostelic of Croatia throws flowers into the crowd following her victory in the women's Alpine Ski World Cup super-combined race that consists of one downhill and one slalom run in the Swiss resort of St Moritz January 22, 2006. REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay  Janica Kostelic of Croatia attaches her country's flag to the skis following her victory in the women's Alpine Ski World Cup super-combined race that consists of one downhill and one slalom run in the Swiss resort of St Moritz January 22, 2006. REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 22 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7750/1/H-HRVATSKI-BOB-OSIGURAO-NASTUP-U-TORINU.html  ZOI 2006.: HRVATSKI BOB OSIGURAO NASTUP U TORINU!   22.01.2006 Hrvatski bob četvorosjed u sastavu Ivan Å ola, Dejan Vojnović, Slaven Krajačić i Jurica GrabuÅ¡ić izborio je plasman na Zimske olimpijske igre u Torinu.Na poznatoj bob stazi u Koening Feu naÅ¡ je bob osvojio četvrto mjesto u konkurenciji deset posada i time iskoristio posljednju prigodu za plasman na XX. OI, koje će se od 10. do 26. veljače održati u Torinu.To će, nakon Salt Lake Cityja, biti naÅ¡ drugi nastup na olimpijskim igrama i to viÅ¡e nije slučajno posebno kada se zna da je smanjen broj posada za čak sedam pa će u Torinu nastupiti 26 četverosjeda, a mi smo trenutačno po rezultatima 24 među njima, rekao Å ola napominjući da je među naÅ¡im guračima u jednoj vožnji četvorosjeda bio i Slovenac Matej Juhart, jer je Jurica GrabuÅ¡ić s vozačem Nikijem Drpićem pokuÅ¡ao izboriti plasman u Torinu i u dvosjedu, ali u tome, unatoč najboljim vremenima na treningu, nisu uspjeli zbog pogreÅ¡ke na bobu.Plasman u Torino ostao je san i za naÅ¡u žensku posadu u bobu dvosjedu Martinu MakoÅ¡, Anabelu Stragu i Ivanu Lažetu. No, realne izglede da se nađu među putnicima imaju naÅ¡i predstavnici u skeletonu, a za to mjesto danas poslije podne borit će se Nikola Nimac i Ivan Pokos, ali će samo jedan od njih otputovati u Torino.Sada viÅ¡e veslač Igor Boraska nije jedini hrvatski sportaÅ¡ koji je nastupio na zimskim i ljetnim olimpijskim igrama. Naime, i atletičari Dejan Vojnović i Slaven Krajačić, koji su nastupili na OI-ju u Sydneyu 2000., te Jurica GrabuÅ¡ić u Ateni 2004., imaju priliku nastupiti i na ZOI-ju u Torinu.Hina/HRTweb sport (il)  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 22 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7759/1/E-Seventh-seed-Ljubicic-beats-Lopez-in-Melbourne.html  Seventh seed Ljubicic beats Lopez in Melbourne  Ljubicic has been well-supported by Melbourne's expatriate Croatian community.  Fri Jan 20, 2006 12:40 PM GMT MELBOURNE, Jan 20 (Reuters) - Seventh seed Ivan Ljubicic extended his good start to the new year with a 7-5 7-6 6-0 victory over Spain's Feliciano Lopez in the Australian Open third round on Friday.Ljubicic, who beat Carlos Moya in the Chennai Open final before arriving in Australia, is unbeaten in seven competitive matches in 2006 and this victory moved him into the fourth round at Melbourne Park for the first time in seven appearances. The 26-year-old, in Croatia's Davis Cup-winning team in December, dominated against the left-handed 31st seed despite the close score in the first two sets.The match would have been closer to a rout had Ljubicic converted more than just five of the 17 break points he accumulated. Three of his five breaks came in the final set. Ljubicic will now meet 2002 Australian Open champion Thomas Johansson in what should be a raucous occasion. Johannson has been cheered by a large group of Swedish fans wearing traditional blue and yellow t-shirts and Viking helmets while Ljubicic has been well-supported by Melbourne's expatriate Croatian community. http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=tennisNews&storyID=URI:urn:newsml:reuters.com:20060120:MTFH07165_2006-0 1-20_12-40-41_SP10094:1    letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 20 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7754/1/E-15-Croatian-tennis-player-on-Australian-Open-2006.html  Mario Ancic Men's Singles Luka Belic Jr. Boy's Singles Ivo Karlovic Men's Singles Men's Doubles Ivan Ljubicic Men's Singles Nikola Mektic Jr. Boy's Singles Antonio Sancic Jr. Boy's Singles Sasa Tuksar Men's Qual Singles Antonio Veic Jr. Boy's Singles Ivana Abramovic Women's Qual Singles Jelena Kostanic Women's Singles Women's Doubles Ivana Lisjak Women's Qual Singles Tereza Mrdeza Jr. Girl's Singles Nika Ozegovic Women's Qual Singles Karolina Sprem Women's Singles Women's Doubles Silvija Talaja Women's Doubles Women's Qual Singles   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 20 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7764/1/E-If-interested-in-becoming-a-Fan-Reporter-sign-up-here.html  We Want YouIf you are interested in becoming a Fan Reporter forwww.allsports.com , you can sign up here.http://www.allsports.com/cgi-bin/storydb.cgi?action=signup Paerson wins downhill, Kostelic retains overall lead in World CupJanuary 13, 2006BAD KLEINKIRCHHEIM, Austria (Ticker) - Anja Paerson of Sweden won the second World Cup downhill race of her career, edging out Austrian Michaela Dorfmeister on Friday. The 24-year-old Paerson, who trails Croatia's Janica Kostelic in the overall World Cup standings, won with a time of 1 minute, 37.70 seconds, just 0.04 seconds quicker than Dorfmeister. After being quickest on the top section, Switzerland's Fraenzi Aufdenblatten finished third at 1 minute, 37.78 seconds and Kostelic was .01 seconds behind her for fourth. It was the fourth victory of the season and first downhill triumph for the Swede. Paerson won slalom events in Aspen, Colorado on December 11 and Splindleruv Mlyn, Czech Republic 11 days later. She took home a giant slalom championship in Lienz, Austria on December 28. Kostelic, who has one win, four runner-ups and two third-place finishes, leads the overall standings with 782 points, 97 points ahead of Paerson, the reigning World Cup champion. Dorfmeister is in third place with 590 points. Marlies Schild of Austria, who won each of the last three events all slaloms - finished a disappointing 22nd and dropped to fourth in the overall standings with 519 points. Lindsey Kildow of the United States finished ninth at 1 hour, 38.59 seconds and moved into fifth overall with 507 points. Kildow excels in downhill, having won events in Lake Louise, Alberta and Val d'Isere, France in December. WHAT DO YOU THINK? Be the first to Post A Comment on this story.Recommend this story to a friendWe Want YouIf you are interested in becoming a Fan Reporter forwww.allsports.com , you can sign uphere.http://www.allsports.com/cgi-bin/storydb.cgi?action=signup http://www.allsports.com/cgi-bin/showstory.cgi?story_id=57453   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 15 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7763/1/E-Janica-Kostelic-of-Croatia-won-Downhill-race-in-Bad-Kleinkirchheim.html  Janica on the top again Janica Kostelic of Croatia celebrates after winning an Alpine Ski World Cup Women's Downhill, in Bad Kleinkirchheim, Austria, Saturday, Jan. 14, 2006.(AP Photo/Giovanni Auletta) Nike Bent of Sweden (L), Janica Kostelic of Croatia (C) and Michaela Dorfmeister of Austria celebrate on the podium after the women's Alpine Ski World Cup Downhill race in Bad Kleinkirchheim January 14, 2006. Kostelic won the race in a time of one minute 37.96 seconds ahead of Bent and Dorfmeister. REUTERS/Leonhard Foeger   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 15 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7762/1/E-Croatian-Al-Miller-on-Indy-500.html  Croatian Al Miller on Indy 500 This photograph taken on Indiannapolis Motor Speedway in 1967 will  probably make every Croat's heart skip a beat, until they realize it can't be *that*. Well, can't it? This is car is Gerhardt-Ford entered by Walter 'Willy' Weir for Indy 500 in '67, sponsored by Cleaver-Brooks. The car was never a contender but Weir nevertheless invited Italian Grand Prix driver Lorenzo Bandini to drive it for him (as he explained it his reason was "These foreigners know how to drive these rear engine cars."). Unfortunately Bandini lost his life in Monaco Grand Prix six days before he was to qualify for the Indy race and his place was taken by Al Miller. He qualified 31st and last- his effort deprived Jim Hurtubise a place on the grid (that would have been the last appearance of a roadster at Indy 500). Nevertheless, he was in the good company in the last row on the grid- Austrian Jochen Rindt (Grand Prix World Champion in 1970) and Graham Hill (two times World Champion, in 1962 and 1968, winner of Le Mans in 1972 and Indy 500 in 1966) were there, with Sir Jackie Stewart (triple World Champion, in 1969, 1971 and 1973) only a row in front of them. Miller retired the car on 73rd lap of the race with an oil leak.Al Miller was born on 23 Nov 1921 in Detroit, Michigan, and died on 28 Jul 1978 in Mount Clemens, Michigan. His real name was Albert Krulock, although the family's old name was Krulac, before it was Americanized. He was definitely of Croatian origin (from the Spanico area), and that might explain the checkers of historic Croatian coat of arms on his car.The 'author' wishes to thank experts and enthusiasts at The Nostalgia Forum @ AtlasF1 Bulletin Board for supplying most of the information herein (I merely enqured them about this photo and instantly recieved most helpful information I presented here).http://www.indy500.com/photo/large.php?photo_id=13582&series_id=Array&o=hKindest regards,Tomislav PetricevicOvo je fotografija automobila Al Millera (pravim imenom Albert Krulock, sto je amerikanizirano iz Krulac), naseg porijekla koji je 1967 nastupio na 500 milja Indiannapolisa. Inace je taj auto trebao voziti (pretpostavljam da onda ne bi bio tako lijepo obojan) poznati talijanski vozac Lorenzo Bandini, koji je nazalost tragicno poginuo na Velikoj Nagradi Monaca nekoliko tjedana prije kvalifikacija za Indy.Naljljepsi pozdravi,Tomislav Petricevic http://www.indy500.com/photo/large.php?photo_id=13582&series_id=Array&o=h   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 15 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7761/1/E-Janica-Kostelic-of-Croatia-celebrates-historic-moment.html  Janica winning Super G, makes history Croatia's Janica Kostelic claimed her first World Cup super-G victory on Sunday to become the first woman with wins in six different disciplines on the skiing circuit.   Janica Kostelic of Croatia celebrates in the finish area after winning an Alpine Ski World Cup Women's super-g race, in Bad Kleinkirchheim, Austria, Sunday, Jan. 15, 2006.(AP Photo/Giovanni Auletta)   Janica Kostelic of Croatia competes in the women's Alpine Ski World Cup super-G race in Bad Kleinkirchheim January 15, 2006. Kostelic won the race in a time of one minute 9.41 seconds, ahead of Austria's team mates Michaela Dorfmeister and Alexandra Meissnitzer. REUTERS/Calle Toernstroem   Winner Janica Kostelic from Croatia, center, is flanked on the podium by the two second placed Austrians Michaela Dorfmeister, left, and Alexandra Meissnitzer, right, after the women's super-G skiing World Cup race in Bad Kleinkirchheim, Austria, on Sunday, Jan 15, 2006. (AP Photo/Gert Eggenberger)  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 15 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7760/1/E-Croatias-Janica-Kostelic-makes-history-with-World-Cup-super-G-win.html  Janica Kostelic makes history with World Cup super-G win  Kostelic bests Bent in women's downhill. Croatia's Janica Kostelic claimed her first World Cup super-G victory on Sunday to become the first woman with wins in six different disciplines on the skiing circuit. Kostelic conquered the course in Bad Kleinkirchheim, Austria, in one minute 9.41 seconds. She finished .10 seconds ahead of Austrians Michaela Dorfmeister and Alexandra Meissnitzer, this season's top two super-G racers who tied for second place. Allison Forsyth of Nanaimo, B.C., tied for 17th in a time of 1:10.46. Emily Brydon of Fernie, B.C., was 25th. Kostelic' previous best result in the super-G was in 2002 when she won Olympic silver and was second in Aspen. "It's funny. I feel like laughing, like crying – it was my goal," said Kostelic, one of the favourites for the upcoming Torino Games. "It's the dream of all skiers to win every discipline." It's been an amazing three-week period for the 24-year-old, who won three gold medals at both the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics and last year's world championships. Kostelic won her first World Cup downhill race on Saturday and her first giant slalom on the tour three weeks ago. She now has 24 World Cup victories, including wins in all five main disciplines: the giant slalom, downhill, slalom, super-G and combined. Only two other have accomplished that feat: Sweden's Pernilla Wiberg and Austria's Petra Kronberger.Unlike Wiberg and Kronberger, however, Kostelic also has a victory in the new super-combi race. She won the first-ever race in the new discipline last February in San Sicario, Italy. With her victory on Sunday, Kostelic tops this season's overall standings with 982 points. Dorfmeister is in second with 730. Sweden's Anja Paerson is third at 685. Despite her brilliant form as of late, Kostelic isn't taking gold-medal success in Turin for granted. "It's hard to say. I'm in good form now, but I want to concentrate on the World Cup," Kostelic said. "We'll see at the Olympics." http://www.cbc.ca/olympics/sports/alpineskiing/stories/index.shtml?/story/olympics/national/2006/01/15/Sports/superg_kostelic.html   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 15 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7765/1/E-Croatia-eyes-another-rising-soccer-star.html  Croatia eyes another rising soccer star14:09 2006-01-11Croatia's soccer federation has its eye on another Australian-born player of Croatian descent. Croatian soccer chief Vlatko Markovic is interested in 17-year-old Mathew Spiranovic for the World Cup-bound Croatian national squad, according to the leading sports daily Sportske Novosti. Spiranovic, who was recently accepted into Australian Institute of Sport development program, is described as a robust striker with exceptional dexterity on and off the ball. The interest in Spiranovic is expected to rekindle tensions between Croatia and Australia, who have been drawn together in Group F of this year's World Cup in Germany. Also in the group are Japan and five-time champion Brazil. Croatia and Australia have already clashed over loyalties. The Croatian team presently has three players - Joey Didulica, Anthony Seric and Joe Simunic - who opted to represent the country of their origin rather than the country of their birth. On the other hand, Australia has eight players of Croatian heritage in its squad, including captain Mark Viduka and midfielder Josip Skoko, who have had spells with Croatia's leading clubs. Australia, a multicultural haven for millions of immigrants, made it to the World Cup after a 32-year hiatus and is eager to stem the flow of its homegrown talent offshore, the AP reports. V.Y. http://newsfromrussia.com/sport/2006/01/11/71004.html   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 11 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7768/1/EH-Janica-Kostelic-leads-the-World-Cup-2005-2006.html JANICA KOSTELIĆ DRUGA U MARIBORU JANICA KOSTELIĆ LEADING THE WORLD CUP Unplanned day off gives Kostelic recovery time SUNDAY, JANUARY 8, 2006 MARIBOR, Slovenia Janica Kostelic got an extra day to nurse her swollen right hand before she resumed her quest to beat Sweden's Anja Paerson for the overall World Cup title. A giant slalom race in Maribor, Slovenia, had been canceled on Saturday because warm weather created dangerously soft conditions, but organizers were able to fix the course in time for a Sunday slalom. Paerson, the defending overall World Cup champion and a seven-time winner at Maribor, skied out in her first run on Sunday. That mistake could allow Kostelic to extend her lead at the top of the overall standings. After the first run, the Austrian Kathrin Zettel was leading. Zettel posted a time of 51.89 seconds, with her compatriot Marlies Schild half a second behind and Annemarie Gerg of Germany in third place. Zettel has emerged this season with some strong performances, including a second place in the slalom in Zagreb, Croatia, on Thursday and three other podium finishes. Kostelic injured her hand in that slalom on Thursday. "It's O.K., I can ski with this hand," Kostelic said Saturday. "My hand is pretty good - better than yesterday. I can hold the pole now." Her hand is still being rubbed with salves to reduce swelling after the injury in Zagreb. There, Kostelic thrilled her home crowd of 25,000 by finishing third despite losing her pole and glove at the start of her second run. She could barely move her fingers after slapping the gates with her bare hand all the way down. Kostelic is already looking ahead to the Winter Olympics, starting Feb. 10 in Turin, but the Croat was not predicting a repeat of the 2002 Winter Games in Salt Lake City, where she claimed three golds. "My goal this time is one gold medal," Kostelic said. Kostelic has 652 points in the overall standings, compared with Paerson's 585. The Swede won the season honors last year, edging her rival by three points. In the giant slalom standings, Paerson has a 285 to 270 lead over Kostelic with three races left before the Olympics. Rain over the past few days, along with rising temperatures, led to the softening of the snow on Saturday. Many racers agreed the conditions were too risky. More than 2,000 fans had turned out at the Pohorje course, hoping to see the local favorite, Tina Maze, repeat her victory from last season in the giant slalom. But most skiers approved of the decision not to run the race. One of the skiers supporting that decision was Lindsey Kildow, the American who leads the downhill standings. She posted a career-best ninth in the giant slalom last year in Maribor. "I was really looking forward to the race, because I know I can do well on this hill," Kildow said. "But I really wouldn't want to compromise my health by racing in conditions like today." Organizers said the giant slalom may be rescheduled at another World Cup event. Among other methods, in order to harden the snow for the race on Sunday the organizers watered the slope so it would freeze. Kostelic, meanwhile, was upbeat about her injury. "I think nothing's broken," she told state-run Croatian Radio. "It'll be O.K., I think." "If I won't be able to hold the pole, they should tie it to my hand," she jokingly added. She said, however, that the injury was "so painful I thought I wouldn't be able to do it." "But I had to do it this year because of the crowd," she added. Kostelic did not finish her home event last year after missing a gate. http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/01/08/sports/women.php 08.01.2006           Janica Kostelić osvojila je drugo mjesto na petom slalomu sezone Svjetskog kupa u Mariboru, čime je sačuvala svoje vodstvo u ukupnom poretku Svjetskog kupa i u slalomu.   Nakon Sljemena, Austrijanka Marlies Schild je slavila i u Mariboru s vremenom 1:48,34 minute, a Janica je na drugom mjestu zaostala 57 stotinki. Kostelić je i u petoj slalomskoj utrci sezone zaredom doÅ¡la do pobjedničkog postolja, a na stazi na Pohorju, koju prema vlastitom priznanju ne voli, u posljednje je tri nastupa svaki puta bila druga.   U prvoj vožnji Janica je bila osma, ali je zato imala najbolje vrijeme druge vožnje, dijelom i zbog tehnički vrlo zahtjevne staze koju je postavio njezin otac Ante Kostelić.   Nakon pet slalomskih utrka vode Kostelić i Schild s po 360 bodova, a u ukupnom poretku hrvatska Snježna kraljica uvjerljivo vodi sa 732 boda, odnosno 147 viÅ¡e od drugoplasirane Å veđanke Anje Paersson, koja je odustala u prvoj vožnji.   Nika Fleiss je sa zaostatkom od 2,59 sekundi osvojila 11. mjesto, Å¡to joj je najbolji rezultat u Mariboru, a Ana JeluÅ¡ić je bila 19. s 5,50 sekundi sporijim vremenom od Schild.   Treće mjesto u Mariboru osvojila je Å veđanka Therese Borssen, a Matea Ferk je u prvoj vožnji bila 56.   Rezultati:   1. Marlies Schild (Aut) 52,19 / 56,15 / 1:48,34   2. Janica Kostelić (Hrv) 53,05 / 55,86 / 1:48,91   3. Therese Borssen (Å ve) 52,89 / 56,14 / 1:49,03   4. Kristina Koznick (SAD) 52,91 / 56,61 / 1:49,52   5. Nicole Hosp (Aut) 52,74 / 56,92 / 1:49,66   6. Martina Ertl-Renz (Njem) 53,53 / 56,56 / 1:50,09   7. Laure Pequegnot (Fra) 53,40 / 56,81 / 1:50,21   8. Maria Pietilae-Holmner (Å ve) 53,80 / 56,72 / 1:50,52   9. Lindsey Kildow (SAD) 53,84 / 56,92 / 1:50,76   10. Michaela Kirchgasser (Aut) 54,41 / 56,38 / 1:50,79   11. Nika Fleiss (Hrv) 53,76 / 57,17 / 1:50,93   19. Ana JeluÅ¡ić (Hrv) 54,90 / 58,94 / 1:53,84   Ukupni poredak Svjetskog kupa nakon 15 utrka:   1. Janica Kostelić (HRV) 732   2. Anja Pärson (Å VE) 585   3. Michaela Dorfmeister (AUT) 510   . Marlies Schild (AUT) 510   5. Lindsey C. Kildow (SAD) 478   6. Kathrin Zettel (AUT) 470   7. Alexandra Meissnitzer (AUT) 427   8. Nicole Hosp (AUT) 382   9. Andrea Fischbacher (AUT) 273   10. Julia Mancuso (SAD) 259   33. NIKA FLEISS (HRV) 114   48. ANA JELUÅ IĆ (HRV) 58   Poredak u slalomu nakon pet utrka:   1. Janica Kostelić (HRV) 360   Marlies Schild (AUT) 360   3. Nicole Hosp (AUT) 247   4. Anja Pärson (Å VE) 245   5. Kathrin Zettel (AUT) 230   6. Kristina Koznick (SAD) 180   7. Laure Pequegnot (FRA) 155   8. Tanja Poutiainen (FIN) 149   9. Therese Borssen (Å VE) 138   10. Annemarie Gerg (NJEM) 119   13. Nika Fleiss (HRV) 89   22. Ana JeluÅ¡ić (HRV) 58   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 08 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7766/1/EH-IVAN-LJUBICIC-WINS-IN-CHENNAI.html  LJUBICIC WINS IN CHENNAI  Ivan Ljubicic claimed victory in Sunday's final at the Chennai Open. Ljubicic, the top seed from Croatia, proved too strong for Carlos Moya, the former world number one from Spain.Ljubicic was made to work for the first set, edging the third seed 8-6 in a tie-break.However, the second set was somewhat easier with Ljubicic taking it 6-2 to wrap up victory.Ljubicic comes into 2006 off his best ever year when he helped Croatia win the Davis Cup.   TENIS: IVAN LJUBICIC POBJEDNIK ATP TURNIRA U CHENNAIJU! 08.01.2006             Najbolji hrvatski tenisač Ivan Ljubičić osvojio je svoj četvrti ATP turnir u profesionalnoj karijeri. Nakon Lyona 2001. godine te Metza i Beča proÅ¡le godine, Ivan Ljubičić slavio je i na otvaranju ATP sezone u indijskome Chennaiju, u kojem je bio postavljen za prvog nositelja.   Za svoj četvrti naslov u karijeri Ljubičić je morao danas odigrati dva vrlo teÅ¡ka meča. Najprije je zavrÅ¡io jučer prekinuti polufinalni dvoboj protiv Belgijanca Kristofa Vliegena, u kojemu je slavio sa 6:3, 3:6 i 7:6 (6), a zatim je za nekoliko sati slijedio i težak finale protiv iskusnog Å panjolca Carlosa Moye.     letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 08 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7769/1/E-Stipe-Drews-Light-Heavyweight-European-Champion.html  Stipe Drews, 32, of CroatiaLight Heavyweight European Champion Stipe Drews, 32, of Croatia poses after his victory against Antonio Brancalion of Italy during their Light Heavyweight European Championship fight in Munich January 7, 2006. Drews won the fight by points. REUTERS/Michaela Rehle   Light Heavyweight Stipe Drews, 32, of Croatia celebrates his victory against Antonio Brancalion of Italy during their Light Heavyweight European Championship fight in Munich January 7, 2006. Drews won. Light Heavyweight Stipe Drews (L) 32, of Croatia and his competitor Antonio Brancalion, 29, of Italy pose during the official weigh-in in a Munich hotel January 6, 2006. Drews and Brancalion will fight for a Light Heavyweight European Championship title on Saturday in Munich. REUTERS/Michaela Rehle Email Photo Print Photo. Stipe Drews (L), 32, of Croatia lands a punch against Antonio Brancalion, 29, of Italy during their Light Heavyweight European Championship fight in Munich January 7, 2006. Drews won the fight by points. REUTERS/Michaela Rehle Reuters - Jan 07 2006   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 07 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7771/1/E-Oregon-States-Sasa-Cuic-15-from-Croatia-dunk-against-California.html  Oregon State's Sasa Cuic (15) from Croatia  Oregon State's Sasa Cuic (15) from Croatia, and teammate Marcel Jones react after Cuic's dunk against California late in the second half of an NCAA basketball game, Saturday, Jan. 7, 2006 in Berkeley, Calif. Oregon State won 72-64. (AP Photo/Dino Vournas)   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 06 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7772/1/E-Kostelic-Captivates-Croatia-With-a-Slalom-Run-for-the-Ages.html  Kostelic Captivates Croatia With a Slalom Run for the Ages By NATHANIEL VINTONPublished: January 6, 2006ZAGREB, Croatia, Jan. 5 - Janica Kostelic lost a ski pole while pushing out of the starting gate but still managed to finish third in a World Cup slalom race in her homeland on Thursday. Kostelic was the main draw for the 25,000 fans who braved the cold at Sljeme, a small ski area just north of Zagreb, the capital. Thousands more watched on a wall of televisions in the city's main square."Janica Kostelic is very important to us here," said Milan Bandic, the mayor of Zagreb, a city of about 800,000. "We are a small people, but we have a winner's mentality."Marlies Schild of Austria won the two-run race in 1 minute 53.63 seconds, with her countrywoman Kathrin Zettel 0.44 seconds behind. Kostelic finished 1.45 seconds off the pace and clutched her hand in pain after losing her pole at the top of the second run. "I wanted to quit because it was hurting so much," said Kostelic, who dragged her bare right hand in the snow on half the turns, and knocked the gates out of the way with it on the others. "But at the end of the flat part I realized I only had 20 more gates, and I thought it would be best to finish for my fans."Ski poles are essential to skiers for balance, but racers often ski without them as a training drill.The race was held on Kostelic's 24th birthday, at the slope where she learned to ski. The second run was held at night, under floodlights, to maximize the ratings of the live television broadcast.Kostelic became a national hero by winning four medals at the 2002 Olympic Winter Games in Salt Lake City: gold in combined, downhill and slalom, and silver in super-G. Croatia has passionately embraced the sport of Alpine ski racing ever since. Growing up, Kostelic and her brother, Ivica, were the ultimate outsiders, sleeping in their car at races to save money and being coached by their father, Ante. In Croatia, which has a population of 4.5 million, the Kostelic family story is sometimes called the miracle. On Thursday, athletes, coaches, journalists and ski technicians were transported to the mountain in a lengthy police convoy, which left a downtown hotel at 12:15 p.m. and arrived at the top of the mountain 40 minutes later. The athletes found thousands of fans lining the length of the race hill, clutching road flares that they did not light until Kostelic came down. With a budget of $3.59 million and the biggest purse of the season, the Zagreb race may be the most enthusiastically organized event of the women's World Cup. Last year the same mountain was the site of Croatia's first World Cup race. Kostelic's fans were disappointed when she failed to finish that event, but they showed more patience than they had in 2003, when they threw snowballs at Anja Paerson of Sweden while she descended the course.On Thursday, Kostelic lost her right pole at the starting gate, and the pole's retention strap pulled her mitten off with it. Fans groaned, then went wild when Kostelic registered faster times at each of the timing splits. "She is No. 1 in our eyes because of her will," said Goran Kratofil, who for 20 years has been the proprietor of the Golden Bear restaurant at the top of the Sljeme slope. "When she gets hurt, she wants to recover so badly, and she always does."The top Americans in the race were Kristina Koznick in seventh place and Resi Stiegler in 10th. They have probably clinched positions in the slalom for the Olympics in February in Turin, Italy, although the United States team will not be named until Jan. 25.http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/06/sports/othersports/06ski.html  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 05 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7770/1/E-Sljeme-Croatia-2006-World-Cup-at-night.html  Sljeme 2006 World Cup at night, Croatia                photo Igor Kralj  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 05 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7775/1/E-Janica-Kostelic-regained-the-World-Cup-overall-lead.html  Schild Wins Slalom, Kostelic Regains Lead Thursday, December 29, 2005Marlies Schild led a 1-2 Austrian finish in a slalom race, and Janica Kostelic was third Thursday to regain the World Cup overall lead.Schild covered the Schlossberg marathon course in a two-run time of 1 minute, 57.92 seconds, a whopping 1.02 seconds ahead of teammate Nicole Hosp. Kostelic was timed in 1:59.65."I was really surprised to win with such a large margin," Schild said after posting the fastest times in both runs and getting her fifth career World Cup victory. "I didn't feel so good on the course and it was tough work."American Kristina Koznick finished fourth in 1:59.81. Lindsey Kildow led the rest of the Americans with a finish of eighth. Sarah Schleper tied for 13th, Julia Mancuso was 15th, Lauren Ross 23rd and Resi Stiegler 26th.Triple Olympic champion Kostelic of Croatia, who said she woke up feeling weak and ill, took both the overall and slalom points leads from Anja Paerson of Sweden.Paerson, who won Wednesday's giant slalom, slid out on the fall-away in the opening leg. It was the first time in almost a year that she has failed to qualify for the second run of a World Cup slalom.Paerson also broke one of her best skis, with which she won the season's first two slalom races, in Aspen, Colo., and Spindleruv Mlyn, Czech Republic.Kostelic leads the overall with 592 points. Paerson dropped to second with 540.Paerson, who defeated Kostelic for last season's overall title by three points, was not upset by her losses in the standings."My goal is the Olympics this year," she said. "I'm not chasing points for the World Cup title, so I am risking everything, trying to go for it all the time, to win races so I can do it in Turin."Kostelic also tops the slalom table with 220 points. Paerson is second with 200 and Schild third with 160.It was the first time Austrian women have taken the top two spots in a slalom on home snow and the team's third victory of the season."When you see the Austrians leading at home it kind of hurts," Paerson told The Associated Press. "I'm going to come back in Zagreb and push for it."The women next race Jan. 5 in Zagreb, Croatia.Austrian Kathrin Zettel was fifth.Defending slalom champion Tanja Poutiainen was sixth. The Finn, also the defending giant slalom champion, has struggled in both events this season, with no finishes better than sixth after she dominated the slalom and won the title last season by late January.Michaela Kirchgasser of Austria tore ligaments in her left ankle after crashing on the final pitch in the first run. The team said her ankle was already vulnerable after a training crash in New Zealand in August.http://www.baynews9.com/content/40/2005/12/29/136421.html   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 03 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7773/1/E-Prosinecki-aiming-to-save-Croatia-regional-Savski-Marof.html  Prosinecki: 'I have decided to try and help Savski Marof because it is a club that my late father loved'.  Croatia great returns - for loveFrom correspondents in Zagreb19dec05FORMER Croatia footballing great Robert Prosinecki has ended his two-year retirement to help save a team his late father loved from relegation. Prosinecki, 37 next month, is aiming to save Croatia regional side Savski Marof from relegation and does not want to be paid for it. 'I have decided to try and help Savski Marof because it is a club that my late father loved,' he said. 'It always gives me pleasure to play when my body allows me to,' added Prosinecki, who was a member of the Yugoslavia side that reached the second round of the 1990 World Cup finals and the Croatia team which finished third in 1998. Prosinecki retired in 2003 after a distinguished career which saw him number among his clubs Red Star Belgrade (with which he won the 1991 European Cup), Real Madrid and Barcelona. http://www.theadvertiser.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,17608940%255E23215,00.html   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 03 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7767/1/E-July-2006-in-Zadar-Croatian-World-Games.html  July 2006 in Zadar: Croatian World Games Are you a Croatian aficionado? Have you ever wanted to meet Croatians from all over the world at one place? Are you fond of sports enthusiasts?Spread the word - the first Croatian World Games are awaiting you from July 15 - July 22, 2006 in Zadar, Croatia!People from the U.S., Canada, Australia, Argentina, Germany, Sweden, Austria, Switzerland and other countries have started to apply and will be competing in 15 disciplines, such as Athletics, Swimming, Tennis, Basketball, Volleyball, Table Tennis, Soccer etc. Imagine the Olympics, but with only Croatians and people of Croatian descent competing...The goal of this event is to bring Croatians from Croatia and Croatians from the Diaspora closer to each other. Don't worry if you are not a pro in any of this disciplines - join the crowd and compete for your own fun and pleasure. If you feel you are a pro, go and prove it to the world - you might be discovered as a sports talent and accepted into one of the Croatian national teams!For only EUR 285.-- you get to lodge seven days with half-pension in a bungalow in the popular tourist district of Zaton, participate in the athletic part of the Games, enjoy free entrance at all Games sites and entertainment program, use the recreation facilities in the sports village, take advantage of the provided transportation within the sports village, as well as access the IT center unlimitedly.Visit www.zadar2006.com and find out more about this first global Croatian sports event.Sign up today and be part of this unique Croatian gathering. If you are tied up with other plans during Summer 2006, send this email to all your friends, relatives and acquaintances... give everybody you know a chance of participating in a truly energetic event!  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 03 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7774/1/H-Hrvatski-Sport-u-2005.html  SIJEČANJ Početak nove godine obilježio je Niko Kranjčar, koji je napustio Dinamo i na veliko razočaranje brojnih navijača Dinama, skrasio se u njegovu najvećem konkurentu - splitskom Hajduku. Ivan Ljubičić je najavio izvrsnu sezonu plasmanom u finale ATP turnira u Dohi, gdje ga je zaustavio Federer. Janica Kostelić je u borbi za Veliki kristalni globus osvojila druga mjesta na spustu u Cortini d'Ampezzo i slalomu u Mariboru, ali nije uspjela slaviti na prvome sljemenskom slalomu, gdje je najbolja bila Poutiainen. TENIS, ATP U DOHI:Roger Federer pobijedio Ivana Ljubičića u finaluOLIMPIJSKE IGRE GLUHIH:Zlato hrvatskih rukometaÅ¡a SKIJANJE, SVJETSKI KUP:Janica 2. u spustu u Cortini d'Ampezzo,Ivica 2. u slalomu u Wengenu;Janica i Ivica na postolju u istome danuAUTOMOBILIZAM, DAKARSKI RELI:Peterhansel obranio naslov, Martinčević i Frčko 72.SKIJANJE, SVJETSKI KUP:Poutiainen pobjednica prvoga sljemenskog slaloma; Fleiss 8., JeluÅ¡ić 9., Janica odustala u prvoj vožnjiNOGOMET:Niko Kranjčar potpisao za Hajduk!HOKEJ NA LEDU:MedveÅ¡čak zaustavljen u polufinalu InterligeSTOLNI TENIS, ITTF PRO TOUR:Samsonov pobjednik CROP-a, BoroÅ¡ ispala u polufinalupovratak na vrhVELJAČANakon vrlo dobrih nastupa u većem dijelu Svjetskoga prvenstva u Tunisu, hrvatski su rukometaÅ¡i doživjeli težak poraz u finalu od Å panjolske te tako nisu uspjeli obraniti naslov iz Portugala. Za veliko slavlje u Hrvatskoj pobrinula se Janica Kostelić, koja je osvojila tri zlata na Svjetskome prvenstvu u skijanju u Italiji, a vrlo dobrim nastupima u San Sicariju nastavila je i borbu za Veliki kristalni globus. Ivan Ljubičić nastavio je izvrsno igrati, ali je zaustavljen u finalima u Marseilleu, Rotterdamu i Dubaiju. RUKOMET, SVJETSKO PRVENSTVO: Težak poraz u finalu od Å panjolskeKARATE, JUNIORSKO EP:Zlato, dva srebra i bronca za hrvatske reprezentativceSKIJANJE, SVJETSKO PRVENSTVO: Tri zlata za Janicu KostelićTENIS, ATP:Ljubičić u finalu Marseillea,Rotterdama i Dubaija, a Ančić u finalu ScottsdaleaATLETIKA:Blanka VlaÅ¡ić operirala Å¡titnjačuKOÅ ARKA:Å ibenik Jolly JBS pobjednik Trocal lige, aZadar pobjednik Kupa KreÅ¡imira ĆosićaSKIJANJE, JUNIORSKO SP:Ana JeluÅ¡ić osvojila broncu u slalomuSKIJANJE, SVJETSKI KUP:Janica Kostelić osvojila kombinaciju te drugo mjesto u spustu u San SicarijuGIMNASTIKA, SVJETSKI KUP:Seligman 3. na konju s hvataljkama u New Yorkupovratak na vrhOŽUJAKNakon izvrsnih nastupa na ATP turnirima, hrvatski su tenisači priredili najveće iznenađenje u 1. kolu Svjetske skupine Davis Cupa. Nakrilima Ivana Ljubičića Hrvatska je s 3:2 slavila u gostima kod SAD-a. Nažalost, Janica Kostelić nije uspjela osvojiti Veliki kristalni globus, koji joj je izmaknuo za samo devet stotinki. Dinamo je priredio neugodno iznenađenje svojim navijačima ne plasiravÅ¡i se u Ligu za prvaka Prve HNL Ožujsko, ali zato hrvatska nogometna reprezentacija nije razočarala u kvalifikacijama za SP. TENIS, DAVIS CUP:Hrvatska slavila u SAD-uSKIJANJE, SVJETSKI KUP:Janica Kostelić druga u ukupnom poretku za Veliki kristalni globusSKIJANJE, OTVORENO PRVENSTVO HRVATSKE:Janica i Ivica Kostelić slavili u superveleslalomu islalomu, aJanica Kostelić i Natko Zrnčić Dim u veleslalomu NOGOMET, 1. HNL OŽUJSKO:Slaven Belupo izbacio Dinamo iz Lige za prvakaKOÅ ARKA:Gospić Industrogradnja osvojila Kup Ružice Meglaj RimacTAJLANDSKI BOKS, SVJETSKO PRVENSTVO:Muslić osvojio broncuNOGOMET, KVALIFIKACIJE ZA SVJETSKO PRVENSTVO:Hrvatska slavila protiv Islanda i MalteSTOLNI TENIS, EKIPNO EP: Hrvatska ženska reprezentacija obranila srebroKOÅ ARKA: Cibona zavrÅ¡ila natjecanje u Euroligi porazom u posljednjem kolupovratak na vrhTRAVANJU prvim zavrÅ¡nicama prvenstava i kupova uglavnom su potvrđene tradicionalne vrijednosti. Rukometni kup osvojio je Zagreb, Prvenstvo odbojkaÅ¡ice Mladosti, a rukometaÅ¡ice Lokomotive pobrinule su se za iznenađenje osvojivÅ¡i domaći kup. Stolnotenisačica Tamara BoroÅ¡ je u paru s Rumunjkom Steff osvojila europsko zlato, a tomu je dodala i broncu u pojedinačnoj konkurenciji. Europsku je broncu osvojio i Zoran Primorac. Pehistica je ponovno bila Janica Kostelić, kojoj je napuknuo miÅ¡ić. STOLNI TENIS, EUROPSKO PRVENSTVO: Zlato BoroÅ¡ i Steff u paru, bronce BoroÅ¡ i Primorca u singluKOÅ ARKA, FIBA KUP:Croatia četvrta na napuljskom Final FouruSKIJANJE:Janici Kostelić napuknuo miÅ¡ićODBOJKA:Andrej Urnaut izbornik hrvatske muÅ¡ke reprezentacijeTAEKWONDO, SVJETSKO PRVENSTVO:Sandra Å arić osvojila broncu HRVANJE, EUROPSKO PRVENSTVO:Neven Žugaj osvojio brončanu medalju RUKOMET, KUP HRVATSKE: Zagrebu 12. naslov u Kupu;Lokomotiva osvojila Kup nakon 12 godinaTENIS, FED CUP:Tajland - Hrvatska 2:3 ODBOJKA, PRVENSTVO HRVATSKE: Varaždincima drugi naslov zaredom;MladostaÅ¡ice i treći put u finalu bolje od Azenepovratak na vrhSVIBANJHajduk je u Splitu obranio naslov prvaka države, no u finalu Kupa uspjeÅ¡niji su bili Riječani, kojima je to bio prvi trofej nakon 26 godina. RukometaÅ¡i Zagreba rutinski su osvojili 14. naslov, a porazom u finalu zavrÅ¡ili su pustolovinu u europskom Kupu kupova. Na korak do najviÅ¡eg postolja u Kupu kupova zaustavljena je i Podravka. Vaterpolisti Juga također su ponovili proÅ¡logodiÅ¡nji uspjeh, obranivÅ¡i naslov prvaka države, a Miroslav Blažević napokon je ostvario san - postao je trener Hajduka.RUKOMET, KUP KUPOVA:Zagreb i Podravka zaustavljeni u finaluNOGOMET, EUROPSKO PRVENSTVO (U-17):Hrvatska četvrta u Europi, no bez SP-aKARATE, EUROPSKO PRVENSTVO:Tri medalje za Hrvatsku, Naranđa na najviÅ¡em postoljuVATERPOLO: Jug CO obranio naslov prvaka države iosvojio četvrto mjesto u EuroligiTENIS, ZAGREB OPEN:Ljubičić bez izgubljena seta do naslovaNOGOMET:Hajduk obranio naslov, a Rijeka slavila u kupu i osvojila trofej nakon 26 godinaRUKOMET, PRVENSTVO HRVATSKE:Zagreb i 14. put zaredom prvak državeKOÅ ARKA, PRVENSTVO HRVATSKE: Croatia prvak NOGOMET:Miroslav Blažević novi trener HajdukaKAJAK NA DIVLJIM VODAMA, SVJETSKI KUP:Hohnjecu ukupno srebro, Gojiću broncapovratak na vrhLIPANJSjajan mjesec tenisača - prva ATP titula u karijeri Marija Ančića u Hertogenboschu i juniorski naslov u Roland Garrosu za Marina Čilića. Možda i najbolja igra nogometaÅ¡a Zlatka Kranjčara u kvalifikacijskom ciklusu u Sofiji donijela je pobjedu od 1:3 protiv Bugarske, a u prvim danima lipnja Podravka je nastavila uspjeÅ¡an niz iz svibnja osvajanjem prvenstva. Najveći uspjeh u povijesti hrvatske gimnastike ostvario je Osječanin Robert Seligman. Bronca mu je u Debrecenu izmaknula za 0,63 boda.RUKOMET, PRVENSTVO HRVATSKE: Podravka  osvojila 12. naslov prvakinjaBOKS:Stjepan Božić postao svjetski prvak,Stipe DrviÅ¡ WBO interkontinentalni prvak, a Biliću svjetski juniorski naslovKUGLANJE, SVJETSKO PRVENSTVO:Zlato i tri bronce za Hrvatsku NOGOMET, KVALIFIKACIJE ZA SP: Sjajna igra i trijumf Hrvatske u SofijiGIMNASTIKA, EUROPSKO PRVENSTVO:Seligman četvrtim mjestom ostvario najveći uspjeh hrvatske gimnastikeTENIS:Marinu Čiliću juniorski Roland Garros,Mario Ančić osvojio prvi ATP naslov u karijeri, aIvo Karlović poražen u finalu Queen's ClubaSKIJANJE:Janici operirano desno koljenoODBOJKA:Rade Malević ponovno izbornikATLETIKA: Blanka odgodila povratak na skakaliÅ¡taKOÅ ARKA, PRVENSTVO HRVATSKE:Nakon Kupa, Zadrani osvojili i prvenstvopovratak na vrhSRPANJNa Svjetskome prvenstvu u vodenim sportovima u Montrealu, Hrvatska je prvi put imala predstavnike u svim sportovima: plivanju, vaterpolu, skokovima u vodu te sinkroniziranom i daljinskom plivanju. Do medalje je doÅ¡ao samo sprinter Duje Draganja, koji je osvojio srebro na 50 m slobodno. Na Mediteranskim igrama u Almeriji Hrvatski su sportaÅ¡i osvojili 26 odličja - pet zlatnih, deset srebrnih i jedanaest brončanih odličja, a naÅ¡ najuspjeÅ¡niji sportaÅ¡ bio je kajakaÅ¡ Stjepan Janić, koji je osvojio dva zlatna odličja.MEDITERANSKE IGRE:Hrvatski sportaÅ¡i osvojili 26 medaljaVESLANJE, SVJETSKI KUP:SiniÅ¡a i NikÅ¡a Skelin pobjednici Svjetskoga kupaTENIS, FED CUP:Njemačka preko Hrvatske doÅ¡la do skupine 1NOGOMET, SUPERKUP:Hajduk obranio naslovATLETIKA, JUNIORSKO SP I EP:Rekord i srebro za Danijelu Grgić;Grgić i Vincek europski prvaci na 400 m,Koturu zlato na 400 prepone, a SrÅ¡i srebro u kladivuTENIS, DAVIS CUP:Hrvati u četvrtfinalu bolji od RumunjaKAJAK/KANU, EUROPSKO PRVENSTVO:Stjepanu Janiću bronca na mirnim vodama;tri medalje za hrvatske divljevodaÅ¡e u spustuVODENI SPORTOVI, SVJETSKO PRVENSTVO:Duje Draganja srebrni na 50 m slobodno, vaterpolisti korak do medaljepovratak na vrhKOLOVOZU kolovozu su nas tradicionalno razveselili naÅ¡i mladi jedriličari, koji su u samo tjedan dana osvojili četiri europska zlata, dva srebra i jednu broncu. Usto, naslov svjetskih juniorskih prvaka osvojili su Å ime Fantela i Igor Marenić u olimpijskoj klasi 470. Iako je bila riječ o prijateljskoj utakmici, dolazak brazilske nogometne reprezentacije na Poljud privukao je 30.000 gledatelja. Izabranici Zlatka Kranjčara izvukli su remi protiv peterostrukih svjetskih prvaka. Strijelci u Splitu bili su Niko Kranjčar i Ricardinho.   JEDRENJE:Fantela i Marenić svjetski juniorski prvaci;četiri europska naslova za naÅ¡e mlade jedriličareNOGOMET, PRETKOLA LIGE PRVAKA I KUPA UEFA-e:Debrecen deklasirao Hajduk;ispali i Inter i Rijeka VESLANJE, JUNIORSKO SP:Srebro za Jurinu i Holija u dvojcu na parićeRUKOMET, MLAĐE JUNIORSKO SP:'Mali pakleni' osvojili brončanu medaljuSAMOSTREL, EUROPSKO PRVENSTVO (FIELD):Četiri zlata i bronca za hrvatsku reprezentacijuNOGOMET, PRIJATELJSKA UTAKMICA:Remi Hrvatske i Brazila na PoljuduSPORT INVALIDA:Četiri medalje za Iveković i Vuković na Europskom atletskom prvenstvu za osobe s invaliditetomVATERPOLO, JUNIORSKO EP:Hrvatska obranila europsko srebroPLIVANJE:RogoÅ¡ić uspjeÅ¡no otplivao maraton od Savudrije do Prevlakepovratak na vrhRUJANS mnogo nade očekivali smo Europsko koÅ¡arkaÅ¡ko prvenstvo u Srbiji i Crnoj Gori. Nažalost, Neven Spahija i naÅ¡i reprezentativci osvojili su tek sedmo mjesto i ostali bez plasmana na Svjetsko prvenstvo, Å¡to je uoči europske smotre izgledalo kao ostvariv cilj. Za bolje vijesti u hrvatskom sportu pobrinuli su se naÅ¡i teniski reprezentativci, koji su se pobjedom nad Rusijom plasirali u finale Davis Cupa. Nakon Europskog prvenstva u Zagrebu i PuliBarbara Ružić se oprostila od aktivnog bavljenja sportom.NOGOMET, KVALIFIKACIJE ZA SP:TeÅ¡ki kiks Hrvatske na MaltiBOĆANJE, JUNIORSKO SP: S pet medalja hrvatski boćari najuspjeÅ¡nijiJEDRENJE, JUNIORSKO SP U FINNU:Kljaković-GaÅ¡pić svjetski juniorski prvakSTRELIČARSTVO, EUROPSKO PRVENSTVO:Zorman druga u juniorskoj konkurencijiNOGOMET:Ćiro ponovno otiÅ¡ao iz hrvatskog nogometa; Gudelj novi trener HajdukaKOÅ ARKA, EUROPSKO PRVENSTVO:Hrvatska bez polufinala i Svjetskoga prvenstvaODBOJKA, EUROPSKO PRVENSTVO:Hrvatice osme, oproÅ¡taj Barbare Ružić od aktivnog igranjaRUKOMET, EP GLUHIH:Hrvatska europski prvakTENIS, WTA U CALCUTTI:Poraz Karoline Å prem u finaluTENIS, DAVIS CUP:Hrvatski tenisači preko Rusa do finalapovratak na vrhLISTOPADHrvatska nogometna reprezentacija u listopadu je potvrdila plasman na Svjetsko nogometno prvenstvo 2006. Ivan Ljubičić je ponovno bio uspjeÅ¡an te je osvojio ATP naslove u Metzu i u Beču, a na Mastersu u Madridu za dlaku je bolji bio Nadal. Alen GuÅ¡tin okitio se zlatom na SP-u u boćanju, juniorska vaterpolska reprezentacija osvojila je svjetsko srebro, a hrvatski taekwondoaÅ¡i osvojili su tri medalje na EP-u u Rigi. Janica Kostelić sezonu je otvorila drugim, a Nika Fleiss 15. mjestom u veleslalomu u Soeldenu.NOGOMET, KVALIFIKACIJE ZA SP:Hrvatska potvrdila plasman u Njemačku TENIS:Ivan Ljubičić osvojio ATP naslove u Metzu iu Beču,poražen u finalu Mastersa u Madridu TENIS, ATP U TOKIJU:Mario Ančić poražen u finalu BOĆANJE, SVJETSKO PRVENSTVO:Alen GuÅ¡tin opet svjetski prvak VATERPOLO, JUNIORSKO SP:Hrvatska viceprvak svijetaTAEKWONDO, EUROPSKO PRVENSTVO:Zlato i dvije bronce Hrvatskoj  STRELJAÅ TVO OSOBA S INVALIDITETOM, EUROPSKO PRVENSTVO:Hrvatskoj zlato i srebroSKIJANJE, SVJETSKI KUP:Janica Kostelić sezonu otvorila drugim, a Nika Fleiss 15. mjestom;Zagreb dobio organizaciju muÅ¡kog slaloma u veljači 2008.RIBOLOV, SVJETSKO PRVENSTVO:Hrvati svjetski prvaci u lovu na Å¡araneGIMNASTIKA, SVJETSKI KUP:Erceg druga u Mariborupovratak na vrhSTUDENIU studenom smo dobili svjetskog doprvaka u boksu - Marija Å ivoliju. Najbolji hrvatski sportaÅ¡ u ovoj godini, Ivan Ljubičić, nije uspio osvojiti prvi naslov na turniru iz Masters serije u Parizu, ali je izborio zavrÅ¡ni Masters Cup u Å angaju. Sjajnu sezonu Ljubo i Mario Ančić zavrÅ¡ili su na najboljim pozicijama u karijeri. Na dvoranskom EP-u u samostrelu field Hrvati su osvojile čak osam medalja. Od nogometnih vijesti izdvajamo prolaz u uži krug hrvatsko-mađarske kandidature za domaćina Europskoga prvenstva 2012. godine.BOKS, SVJETSKO PRVENSTVO:Mario Å ivolija svjetski doprvakTENIS:Ljubičić poražen na Mastersu u Parizu,bez polufinala na zavrÅ¡nom Masters Cupu u Å angajuTENIS, ATP LJESTVICE:Ljubičić i Ančić na najboljim pozicijama u karijeriSAMOSTREL, DVORANSKO EP (FIELD):Hrvatima osam medalja.NOGOMET:U-21 reprezentacija bez zavrÅ¡nice EP-a,Portugal u pripremnoj utakmici bolji od KockastihKARATE, EUROPSKO PRVENSTVO: Juniori i kadeti osvojilipojedinačne iekipne medaljePLIVANJE:Duje Draganja će plivati za KatarKOÅ ARKA:Hrvatska bez pozivnice za SP;teÅ¡ka ozljeda Mateja Mamića NOGOMET:Hrvatska i Mađarska kandidatura za EURO 2012. proÅ¡la u uži krug,Beckenbauer posjetio HrvatskuTENIS: Zagreb dobio dvoranski ATP turnirpovratak na vrhPROSINACKrunu na uspjeÅ¡nu sezonu hrvatski tenisači stavili su osvajanjem Davis Cupa u Bratislavi, nakon Å¡to su u finalu Mario Ančić i Ivan Ljubičić svladali Slovačku s 3:2, za jedan od najvećih uspjeha hrvatskog sporta u povijesti! Hrvatski su nogometaÅ¡i saznali prve suparnike na SP-u u Njemačkoj. Natjecanje će otvoriti dvobojem s Brazilcima 13. lipnja. Pet dana poslije odmjerit će snage s Japanom, a u posljednjoj utakmici skupine F 9. srpnja igraju s Australijom. Janica Kostelić i ove sezone nas oduÅ¡evljava, godinu je zavrÅ¡ila na prvome mjestu u ukupnom poretku Svjetskog kupa. TENIS, DAVIS CUP:Hrvatska osvojila naslov pobjednikaBOKS:Stjepan Božić obranio naslov svjetskog prvakaPLIVANJE, EUROPSKO PRVENSTVO (MALI BAZENI):Bronca Gordana Kožulja na 200 m leđnoRUKOMET, LIGA PRVAKA:Flensburg izbacio Zagreb u osmini finalaKOÅ ARKA:Izbornik Spahija potvrdio ostavkuNOGOMET, SVJETSKO PRVENSTVO:Hrvatska s Brazilom, Japanom i Australijom u skupini FSKIJANJE, SVJETSKI KUP: Janica prva i druga u ČeÅ¡koj; Janica druga, Ana 10. u slalomu u Aspenu; Janica peta u spustu; Janica preuzela vodstvo u Svjetskom kupu i slalomuNOGOMET, DVORANSKO PRVENSTVO HRVATSKE:Zagreb prvi dvoranski prvakODBOJKA, KUP HRVATSKE: Mladost i Rijeka KWSO osvajači KupaVATERPOLO, KUP HRVATSKE: Mladost u finalu bolja od JugaJanica Kostelić, Ivan Ljubičić, tenisači i stolnotenisačice sportaÅ¡i godine u izboru SN-aOlimpijsko zlato rukometaÅ¡a naj-događaj u samostalnoj Hrvatskoj povratak na vrh  http://sport.hrt.hr/htvsport/godisnja/2005/index.asp  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 01 Jan 2006 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7780/1/E-Andrew-Bogut--Toni-Kukoc-last-second-win.html  Two Croatians in ActionAndrew Bogut hitting a winning short shot with seven tenths of a second left in overtime ! Pass by Toni Kukoc !  Milwaukee Bucks center Andrew Bogut from Australia (R) is hugged by guard Mo Williams (L) after hitting a short shot with seven tenths of a second left in overtime to defeat the San Antonio Spurs at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, December 20, 2005. Toni Kukoc from Croatia threw an in bounds pass to Bogut for the winning basket in the 109-107 final. REUTERS/Allen Fredrickson   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 22 Dec 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7779/1/E-Kostelic-Wins-World-Cup-Giant-Slalom.html  Kostelic Wins World Cup Giant Slalom 12.21.2005, 10:44 AM Janica Kostelic of Croatia rallied on the second run Wednesday and got the first World Cup giant slalom victory of her career.  Kostelic, third after opening leg, covered the Cerna course in a combined time of 2 minutes, 21.30 seconds to win the first World Cup alpine race held in the Czech Republic. She performed a particularly skillful cartwheel in ski boots in the finish area after she saw the last skier come down, then clambered over the barrier to kiss her father and coach. "I guess this is proof I can win GS," Kostelic said. "It's a special feeling because when you wait for something so long it makes you so happy, but there is no time to celebrate because there's another race tomorrow." Kathrin Zettel of Austria was second in 2:21.38, followed by teammate Marlies Schild in 2:21.40. Kostelic leads the giant slalom standings with 230 points, 40 more than Zettel. Kostelic also is third in the overall standings. Michaela Dorfmeister of Austria leads with 502 points, 80 more than teammate Alexandra Meissnitzer. Kostelic is another 10 points back. Kostelic won three gold medals at the Salt Lake City Olympics and has two overall World Cup titles. She also took the world championship in the downhill, slalom and combined last winter in Bormio, Italy. It was the 22nd World Cup victory for Kostelic, a multi-medal favorite heading into the Turin Olympics. The top American was Julia Mancuso, who finished 14th, 1:19 off the pace. Mancuso, the world championship bronze medalist in the slalom last winter, crashed in the finish area after the first leg but was unhurt. Teammate Kristina Koznick, fourth following the opening leg, dropped to 16th after making a mistake on the second run. It was the first victory of the season for Kostelic, who had surgery on her right knee in June. It was the most recent operation in a career disrupted by injury and illness. Kostelic finished runner-up in the season-opening giant slalom in Soelden, Austria, and fourth in Aspen, Colo. She also was second in the slalom in Aspen.After undergoing three knee operations and having her thyroid removed, she missed the entire 2003-04 season only to come back last season and win three world titles. Nicole Hosp of Austria was the fastest in the first leg but slipped to fourth after the second run. http://www.forbes.com/home/feeds/ap/2005/12/21/ap2407509.html  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 22 Dec 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7776/1/E-Vote-for-Janica-Kostelic.html  Vote for Janica Kostelichttp://www.eurosport.com/ In the lower bottom right corner, find a voting square. Till January 1st 2006.JANICA KOSTELIC VODI U EUROSPORTOVOJ ANKETI ZA SPORTSKU OSOBU GODINE U izboru za sportasa godine na internetskim stanicama satelitske postaje Eurosporta uvjerljivo vodi Janica Kostelic sa cak 75 posto glasova, a do sada je stiglo vise od 25000 glasova. Koliko Janica znaci u svijetu sporta, govori i podatak da su iza nje po broju glasova najbolji nogometas danasnjice Ronaldinho, motociklist Valentino Rossi i tenisac Roger Federer. Zelite li i sami dati glas za Janicu, napravite to do 1. sijecnja, do kada traje glasovanje.  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 22 Dec 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7778/1/E-Mario-Preskar-Wins-by-a-TKO-in-Berlin.html  MARIO PRESKAR TKO WIN AGAIN  Moving up fast along Heavyweight Boxing ladder 21-year-old undefeated Croatian Heavyweight Mario Preskar won again Saturday, December 17 in Berlin's Max Schmeling Halle. Czech Ervin Slonka was the victim. Preskar who came in at 219 lbs overwhelmed his more experienced opponent (23 fights, Preskar's 10th fight) in barrage of assault that began in the first round. Throwing combinations from the start Preskar was looking for an opening. Slonka, who was afraid to exchange and therefore be exposed to an early knockout stayed in a locked stance throughout the match and absorbed tremendous punishment. 'At the start of the 6th round my trainer told me to go and finish him. Before that he was closed up. I felt super throughout the match. I was working fast and had excellent tempo. In the 6th round I came in with everything and he went down' The referee started counting. After another series of punches the second countdown did not go to ten as referee mercifully stopped the fight. TKO win Mario Preskar who improves his record to 9-0-1. The fight was televised by Croatian TV (HTV) and is a first in a series of fights that will feature Mario Preskar. Television deal signed by HTV and DKP (Don King Productions) is an indication that Preskar's career is about to take off. 'We are going to take of couple of weeks off said Preskar's manager/trainer Leonard Pijetraj. Mario has been training very hard the whole year. It was a good finish, 3 knockouts in the last 2 months.' Zeljko Preskar, Mario's father said friends and neighbors were calling all night and offering congratulations. In the feature fight undefeated Nicolay Valuev became the tallest and heaviest world champion in boxing history by winning the WBA heavyweight title over John Ruiz. The seven-foot tall, 324 lbs. Valuev (44-0, 31 KOs) who goes by the nickname 'Beast from the East' or simply 'Beast' was able to use his huge reach advantage to become the first Russian Heavyweight Champion.   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 18 Dec 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7777/1/E-The-Ultimate-Triumph-CROATIANS-WIN-DAVIS-CUP.html  The Ultimate TriumphBY JEFFREY LESSERCroatians and croatophiles alike, the time to celebrate is now. On December 4th, 2005 in Bratislava, Slovak Republic, the greatest team achievement in Croatian history took place. Under the leadership of Ivan Ljubicic and Mario Ancic, the Croatian men’s tennis team won what is by far the most important team event in all of tennis, the Davis Cup.The Croatians won the year-long four-round event after beginning their conquest in February, defeating the United States’ dream team that featured Andy Roddick, Andre Agassi, and the Bryan Brothers, who had never lost even a set in doubles in five previous Davis Cup appearances. Ancic and Ljubicic then took their two man wrecking crew back home to Croatia, where they faced Romania, defeating the overmatched Andrei Pavel and Victor Hanescu by a 4-1 margin. Then the Croatians, on the strength of Ivan Ljubicic’s five set win over Mikhail Youzhny on the first day and a Ljubicic-Ancic doubles victory on the second, defeated Russia in the semifinals. This set them up for their showdown against the Slovaks.The first Davis Cup final ever to feature two unseeded teams did not disappoint. In the first match, Ivan Ljubicic, who had been on fire in the latter half of the year, shooting up in the world rankings to an all-time high of number nine in the world, faced 308th-ranked Karol Kucera, who filled in for an ailing Karol Beck. The match was as lopsided as the rankings would suggest, as Ljubicic simply overpowered the hapless Slovak, 6-3 6-4 6-3. Although the Croatian section had much to cheer for in an otherwise-partisan arena, only one point was secured for the Croatians. Team victory required three points, not just one. What was perhaps most amazing about this victory was that it was Ivan Ljubicic’s tenth Davis Cup match win. After the match, he had a record of 7-0 in singles and 3-0 in doubles for the year in Davis Cup competition. Every one of his wins took place when the outcome of the tie was still undecided— before Croatia secured three match wins. Nobody in the history of the event has ever secured so meaningful many wins in one year. In the second match of the day, the solid Slovak number one, Dominik Hrbaty, defeated Mario Ancic in four long sets. After day one of the final, it was Croatia, 1; Slovak Republic, 1. Because the first day left the teams knotted up at one, the doubles became more important than ever. The winner would have to win only one of the two singles matches on Sunday to secure its respective nation’s first ever Davis Cup title. Ancic and Ljubicic, despite a shaky start, overcame their Slovak foes, Hrbaty and Michal Mertinak, in the first set in a tight tiebreak. The next set, and the match, fell to the Croatians, sending the fans and players into frenzy. After a 7-6(5) 6-3 7-6(5) victory, Croatia was up 2-1 in the finals. One more win would not only secure Ivan Ljubicic a perfect year in Davis Cup, but also possession of the Davis Cup.Croatian fans could sense victory as soon as it was announced that Ivan Ljubicic would be facing Dominik Hrbaty in the first match on Sunday. Ljubicic had a 5-0 career record against Hrbaty and, more importantly, an undefeated record in Davis Cup to date. After easily notching the first set, an ailing Ljubicic shockingly dropped the next two to the Slovak, who was clearly rising to the occasion, playing one of the best matches of his career. Still, Ljubicic, who had vomited in between sets and called the decision on whether or not he would play “one of the toughest decisions of my career,” found a way to win the fourth set. In a match of indescribable intensity and fan passion with so much at stake, Ljubicic finally folded to the home fans’ pressure in the tenth game of the fifth set, serving at 4-5. Hrbaty had won the match, 4-6 6-3 6-4 3-6 6-4, and not only prevented Croatian triumph but had stopped the previously unstoppable Ljubicic, handing Ljubicic his first Davis Cup defeat of the year.Hrbaty’s victory guaranteed that the winner of the fifth match would take home the Cup. The fate of the Davis Cup rested on the broad shoulders of 21-year-old Mario Ancic, who was to face Michal Mertinak, thrown into the singles equation in place of the ineffective Karol Kucera. Mertinak, more known for his doubles play than his singles and ranked only 162 in the world, started off well against the 22nd-ranked Ancic, forcing a tiebreak against the 6’5’’ Croat. Ancic, the heavy favorite in the match, easily won the tiebreak, giving Croatia a one set edge in the decisive battle. The second set was much easier for Mario, who brought Croatia painfully close to the coveted Cup. After an early break in the third set, Ancic lost his serve for the first time in the match to even up the third set, giving Slovak fans hope once again. However, Mertinak lost his serve at 4-4 in the third set, allowing Mario to serve for the match and the Davis Cup. Ancic came through. The Croatians had won the ultimate prize of team tennis, the Davis Cup! The celebration was only fitting. Ljubicic jumped into the arms of Ancic on the court, and both jumped up and down in each other’s arms. Watching the Tennis Channel, which provided live coverage of the events, and in the comforts of my own home, I followed suit. When I saw how happy Ljubicic was (he called himself “the happiest loser in the world”), I cried. Croatia won the Davis Cup!Partying will ensue all over Croatia. Tennis fans will not underestimate the prestige of the Davis Cup, and neither should you. Give Ancic and Ljubicic praise where it is due— which, right now, is everywhere.For at least 2005, Croatian tennis is the best in the world.***  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 06 Dec 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7782/1/E-Croatias-Davis-Cup-hero-Ljubicic-wins-first-match-Shanghai.html  Croatia's Davis Cup hero Ljubicic wins first match ShanghaiThe eight singles players pose for photos at the opening ceremony of the Shanghai Tennis Masters Cup held at the Qi Zhong stadium in Shanghai, China, Saturday, Nov. 12, 2005. The round robin competition featuring some of the world's top players with a prize money of US$4.45 million begins tomorrow. Players from right United State's Andre Agassi, Argentine's Guillermo Coria, Russia's Nikolay Davydenko, Switzerland's Roger Federer, Argentine's Gaston Gaudio, Croatia's Ivan Ljubicic, Spain's Rafael Nadal, Argentine's David Nalbandian. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan)  Op-edLet's learn from Chinese, how image and branding of the country and its CULTURE is important. This photo says it all.NB Croatia's Davis Cup hero Ljubicic saw his fine run of form continue as he beat Coria.The 1.93-meter Ljubicic, who was one of the last to qualify for the tournament, used his height advantage to punch his way to an emphatic victory. He recorded six aces to the Argentine's one and frequently left his opponent standing as he executed lightning-quick volleys and smashes.'My game had to be really physical in the sense of hitting hard. He (Coria) is fast, but he is not faster than the ball,' said Ljubicic. 'I think I played a great match...everything went my way, especially in the first set.' In a late-season run of form, the Croatian number one reached the finals in four of his last five tournaments, taking victory in Metz and Vienna and ensuring his qualification for Shanghai. Next up for him, however, is the daunting prospect of Federer. 'I don't think it's going to be the key match of the group, so I can relax,' the Croatian said. Ljubicic has met and lost to Federer in three 2005 finals, each time on a hard surface. 'I don't think it's an advantage for me that I've played so many matches against him because he's going to be really careful how he faces this match. He knows that I can give him some trouble,' he said. SHANGHAI (Reuters) - Roger Federer made hard work of the start of his Masters Cup defense on Sunday before recovering to squeeze past Argentine David Nalbandian 6-3, 2-6, 6-4. The runaway world number one is chasing a third consecutive finale title -- a feat last achieved by Ivan Lendl in 1985-87. In Sunday's second Red Group match, Croatia's Ivan Ljubicic beat another Argentine, Guillermo Coria, 6-2, 6-3. Monday's Gold Group matches will pit Andre Agassi against Nikolay Davydenko and Rafael Nadal against Gaston Gaudio. Federer was playing his first match since being sidelined by an ankle injury after winning his 11th title of the season on  October 2 and appeared rusty at stages. He made an unusually high number of unforced errors against last-minute qualifier Nalbandian and found himself 3-1down in the final set after a break of serve. However a crunch backhand volley gave the Swiss a chance to claw his way back in the fifth game of the set at the state-of-the-art Qizhong Stadium and he never looked back.'Thank God I got out of that one,' the Wimbledon and U.S. Open champion said. 'I was mentally ready for a two-sets defeat...(but) I took the opportunity he gave me and I'm very happy right now.' Nalbandian -- who now leads Federer 5-4 in matches played having won the pair's first five meetings -- was less thrilledwith his performance. 'I feel I didn't prepare a hundred percent for this Masters. I was already on holiday when I received a last-minute call to come here,' he said. 'GREAT PLAYER''He (Federer) is a great, great player with a lot of confidence. When I took the break (in the third set) I knew it was a very important game and I tried to stay focused but it wasn't enough.'http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20051113/sp_nm/atp_masters_dc_2   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 13 Nov 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7781/1/E-Makybe-Diva-Historic-hat-trick-the-stuff-of-legends.html  Historic hat-trick the stuff of legendsHands up if you backed the winner: jockey Glenn Boss salutes the jubilant crowd as Makybe Diva returns to the Melbourne Cup winners' enclosure for the third straight year. Picture: Paul Trezise Ron Reed02nov05DIVA fever started early at Flemington yesterday – and will be a long time finishing.Melbourne Cup Picture Galleries: Trainer Lee Freedman summed it up perfectly as he emerged from the bar in which he had watched his amazing mare Makybe Diva win her third Melbourne Cup, a feat never achieved in the 144 years that Australia's most famous race has been generating folklore and legends. "Go and find the smallest child on this course and you'll have the only person who'll live long enough to see this again," he said, fighting to control his emotions.A few days earlier, he had expressed the same sentiment slightly differently: "If the fairytale comes true and she runs and wins, we'll never see the like again." Well, it did come true – and he's right. We won't.We certainly won't see Makybe Diva again, with Freedman and owner Tony Santic deciding before the trophy presentation that the horse had done more than enough and would not be asked to race again.The day will never be forgotten by the 106,479 who packed the nation's premier racecourse to witness an animal achieving the sort of immortality few humans manage.For them and for the millions more who were transfixed by TV sets, it was as if they had been transported by time machine back to 1930 when the incomparable Phar Lap won the Cup on the way to dominating the Spring Racing Carnival like no other horse has done, including mighty Makybe.Since the Diva won last month's Cox Plate, the race the purists rank above the Cup as a true test of a racehorse's greatness, arguments have raged non-stop about whether she is entitled to stand alongside Big Red as the best we've seen.Freedman has been among those who regard such a debate as essentially futile because so much has changed, but even he said yesterday: "I don't want to put down Phar Lap, but I haven't seen him win three Melbourne Cups." Indeed, Phar Lap won only one – and only four others managed two.That daunting spot of history combined with various other reasons to convince many that the task would be beyond Makybe Diva, although the skeptics were like everyone else – they dearly wanted to see her win, and were willing her to do so.That's why she was always the hot favourite, even when Freedman and Santic were threatening not to run her if they felt the task and the track would be too hard.Even long before the race she was the centre of amazing scenes – at first, without even being there.More than three hours before the race, a Freedman stable strapper led a horse into the holding stall No 75, with her name over the door. Instantly, almost 200 people materialised and, standing eight deep, began snapping away with cameras and mobile phones.The startled strapper suddenly realised what was happening and told them they had the wrong horse and Makybe hadn't arrived yet. It made little difference. They kept taking photographs of each other standing in front of the empty box.And when the Diva did turn up, accompanied by three security guards, it was elbow room only in the sweaty heat for well over two hours until Freedman arrived to dress her for her big date.The race itself was almost an anti-climax in the competitive sense, so early did jockey Glen Boss have the horse in a perfect position and so authoritatively did she complete the job.It was the easiest of her three wins and the fast-talking Sydney hoop, who has partnered her in them all, said: "I have never enjoyed a race so much."That probably applied to the entire awestruck crowd, who stood to salute as the Diva passed the post and stayed on their feet until the ceremonial aftermath was complete.If there has been a more uplifting "great moment in sport" in recent Australian memory, then it can only have been at precisely the same place and time three years ago when Damien Oliver won on Media Puzzle, saluting his dead brother as he did so.Freedman mused that perhaps the monumental Olympic performances of swimmer Kieren Perkins and runner Cathy Freeman might be up there, and suggested his own sporting hero, boxer Muhammad Ali, could enter into such a debate."But they weren't asked to carry 58kg of dead weight," he noted dryly.Of one thing, though, he was certain – after the Cox Plate, Makybe Diva was the best horse he'd trained and now she was the best he'd seen.If there was a soul on the racecourse prepared to disagree with that, he or she went unheard above the applause for a horse who will be talked about reverently for another 75 years – at least. http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,17109703%5E2862,00.html  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 11 Nov 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7783/1/E-Mario-Preskar-Wins-by-a-TKO.html  DON KING: 'MARIO PRESKAR IS A WHITE MIKE TYSON !'  After almost 1 year, (50 weeks to be exact) 21 year-old Croatian heavyweight boxer undefeated Mario Preskar 7-0-1 (218 lbs.) won in Dusseldorf, Germany on Saturday, October 15, 2005. Working very fast, Preskar exposed much heavier opponent Vlado Szabo (242 lbs) in 2 quick rounds scoring a TKO win. Szabo could not answer the bell at the start of third round after being knocked down by a vicious uppercut at the end of the round two. 'I started working my jab, and was breaking down his guard. Then I went head, body, head and I was really opening him up. It was just a matter of time,' said jubilant Preskar. 'I waited a really long time for this match, but after a tremendous training camp I’m much stronger, as fast and more explosive. I want to fight anybody that my manager schedules.' Leonard Pijetraj who is a former world-class competitor and Preskar’s manager/trainer urged Preskar’s promoter Don King to visit Croatia at the invitation of President Stjepan Mesic and Zagreb Mayor Milan Bandic. King promoted over 500 world championship fights so far. Nearly 100 boxers have earned $1 million or more in Don King Productions promoted fights so far.'Croatians are beautiful people, who have alone won their independence," said King. American promoter is convinced that Mario Preskar has tremendous potential and that one day he will be a World Heavyweight Champion. The real reason for King’s visit to Croatia is to promote Preskar’s matches and to negotiate a TV contract. Don King set all kinds of viewing records with TV, pay-per-view TV and close circuit TV. Public wants raw puncher, aggressive fighting style and that is just what Preskar has. During his 15 months over 2 years in the United States Preskar sparred with some of the biggest names in Heavyweight division and according to his trainer Pijetraj won over 90% of rounds. Don King people closely watched many of those sparring sessions. They know what they have in Preskar. With the right TV contract that is already agreed to in principle we are going to see a lot more of Mario Preskar. His next fight is scheduled for November 26, 2005 in Leverkusen, Germany.  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 28 Oct 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7790/1/E-Ivan-Ljubicic-did-it-again.html  Ivan Ljubicic did it again! REPEATING THE FEATBy Jeff Lesser Ivan Ljubicic did it again! For the second week in a row, Croat Ivan Ljubicic won a high-level ATP tournament. After not having won a tournament in four years, Ivan has put together an amazing streak, winning 13 straight matches (As of the time I write this article, he has just won the first round of the Madrid Tennis Masters). Prior to these two weeks of fabulous play, Ivan has appeared in four finals this year, only to lose in each and every one. This includes three losses to dominant world #1 Roger Federer and one to hard-hitting Swede Joachim Johansson. Now, however, Ljubicic has reversed the curse. He is in the midst what is by far his best season ever. Despite still not having reached the fourth round of a Grand Slam, the Bosnian born 26-year-old has reached the finals of six tournaments, winning two of them. Going into the Tennis Masters Madrid, he is clearly the hottest player. It would not be a surprise for him to do extremely well, with a relatively easy draw and without Roger Federer in the tournament.Ljubicic has had more success than just making it to the finals of six events, which would surely qualify a tremedous season for almost every tour player. Besides for this, he has almost single-handedly vaulted Croatia into the Davis Cup finals, to be held December 2-4. He was responsible for all three victories [two singles, one doubles victory (with partner Mario Ancic)] in Croatia's first round shocking upset over the United States, who had assembled what was potentially the best Davis Cup team to ever play. This feat, alone, was unheard of, as the United States media made a tremendous deal of one man single-handedly defeating ANY team, let alone the United States. In the next two rounds, Croatia played Romania and Russia. Against both, Ljubicic repeated the amazing feat he first unleashed on the United States, winning all three matches. This has truly been a great year.Ivan Ljubicic has also reached a career-high ranking of #12, matching what he obtained in the beginning of the season with another hot streak of tennis. It has now become clear that Ivan Ljubicic has the talent and the opportunity to crack the top ten. Add to all this his six finals appearances, two straight tournament victories, 13 straight match wins, and his instrumental role in putting Croatia in the Davis Cup final for the first time in the nation's young history, and Ivan Ljubicic is quickly rising as one of the best players on the men's tennis tour.  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 19 Oct 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7789/1/E-Ivanisevic-the-joker-still-has-some-aces-left.html  Ivanisevic the joker still has some aces left By Mark Hodgkinson (Filed: 20/10/2005)There were several occasions during our conversation when it sounded as though Goran Ivanisevic had just been watching old tapes of Teletubbies, the children's television programme with all the gibberish and silliness that provided him with inspiration during the 2001 Wimbledon fortnight. Here was Ivanisevic in cheerful, surreal, and ever so slightly demented mood.And which Goran was this talking anyway? How were the Split personalities in that eccentric head of his, Good Goran, Bad Goran and Emergency Goran? "The three Gorans still exist, for sure they still exist," he said. "They are best friends and they are worst enemies. It depends on the day. They are not like before - it is slightly more relaxed. They have all achieved what they wanted to achieve. But they still have their misunderstandings, and they have to negotiate which way it will be like in my head that day. They still have their fights."Ivanisevic was as sharp, wickedly funny, self-deprecating, and honest as you would have expected, but it was just that he was a little more outlandish and enthusiastic than normal. It could well have been Teletubbies-driven, but perhaps not. Retirement has certainly not blunted and dulled the Croatian. In fact, it has almost certainly had quite the opposite effect, with Ivanisevic explaining how he is planning to come out of retirement as a fully-fit and well-primed fourth member of his country's Davis Cup team for the final in December.It all sounds rather improbable, this notion that Ivanisevic may play an active role in the final against Slovakia in Bratislava. The 34-year-old said that he could feature in the doubles rubber and, if the tie is already decided, in one of the dead singles rubbers. "If you had put some money at the start of the season on Croatia and Slovakia being in the Davis Cup final, and also that I would be in the team for the final, I think that you would be a very rich man, that you would have made millions. The odds were huge," said Ivanisevic, who returned to proper training a fortnight ago.But then again, Ivanisevic has always had a great talent for achieving the silly and improbable. When he won Wimbledon in 2001 he did so as a wild card with a dodgy shoulder, a triple-figure ranking and the knowledge that most observers had predicted at the start of the tournament that he would do well to even reach the second week of the grasscourt grand slam.Ivanisevic thought that he had ended his career at the highest level when he was defeated in the third round of last year's Wimbledon and then cavorted around the lawns in his red-and-white checked Croatian football shirt. It was the "crazy exit" he had promised.And even before that goodbye in south-west London, he had been struggling around the world with a series of ailments, not least the recurring shoulder injury that had hampered his ability to hit that gargantuan left-handed service action of his. The last time he played at anything near full capacity was probably Wimbledon four years ago. And even then he had that damned shoulder to deal with.And yet Ivanisevic still believes that he could be a force in a Croatian team including Ivan Ljubicic, Mario Ancic (otherwise known as "Baby Goran") and Ivo Karlovic. Ivanisevic feels he deserves a chance to play with the younger men."The Davis Cup final is the only thing that could have brought me out of retirement. I have always had a dream that I would be in the Davis Cup final and help win it for Croatia. That would be a big, big thing for me, a real dream for me. I know that I am still good enough to play doubles in a Davis Cup final," he said."I helped in the semi-final against Russia. To be honest, I can't say what exactly my role was. I had a lot of roles. I was the assistant coach, the ball boy, the sparring partner, the guy for the atmosphere, the cheerleader. I don't know, there were too many roles for me, and hopefully in the final I will have another role as the fourth guy in the team. I am good for the team. It can get a bit serious without me, and I help to keep it fun. But it makes me really nervous now just thinking about getting the chance to play in a Davis Cup final."Ivanisevic is not exactly in the best shape of his life. He confessed that he spent much of the summer lounging and luxuriating on his boat, and may well have been on his way to developing a half-decent beer belly. "Yes, I was drinking beer on the boat, eating lots, and doing a bit of fishing and taking a little swim every now and then. I wasn't doing anything. So I think I started to get a bit fat. I put my body into a bad shape. I was on my boat for two months and I didn't even touch my racquet, I didn't even make two steps," he said."I want to be fit and ready to play, and then who knows. I don't want to go there just to sit there and be the fourth guy with a stomach. I need to know in my mind that I'm there if they need me," said Ivanisevic. He has kept his racquet skills ticking over by playing on the Champions (seniors) tour against John McEnroe and the other old swingers.It was a shock to his boat-softened body when he started out on the physical regime that will hopefully have him slimmed and ready for Bratislava. "The first time I went running and went to the gym, I couldn't get off the bed again for about three days. Oh my God, I was so sore and all the muscles in my body were aching. I'm still pretty slow and the body is a little stiff and it is still the same old story with my shoulder," Ivanisevic said.Ivanisevic provided some exceptional plot-lines on the way to his Wimbledon triumph. As well as the reliance on Teletubbies, he ate the same meal at the same table of the same restaurant for a fortnight. It was remarkable that not just his suspect shoulder, but also his digestive system, held up for the tournament, culminating in that glorious third Monday when he defeated Australian Pat Rafter. On his return to his home town of Split, Ivanisevic did a striptease in front of his delirious public."Whatever happens in the Davis Cup final, Wimbledon will still be the most beautiful moment in my career. By far," he said. "Every time I think about Wimbledon I think about the way I won, how I won, why I won, and I still don't know how or why, but who cares? I won." If Ivanisevic had lost that Wimbledon final, he said that his life would be very different now. He would not be comfortable with his career or whether he had made the most of his talents. "I think if I had lost that match, my fourth final, I would have had to move to the North Pole, or maybe I would have killed myself by hanging myself off some bridge. So I don't like to think about it too much and what would have happened if I had lost. Sometimes I start to think about it and then almost straight away I have to stop," he said.There have been dark whispers and rumours circulating in Croatia since the summer that Ivanisevic was on the verge of bankruptcy, that he had lost most of his money on bad investments in the construction industry. Not so, said Ivanisevic, who strongly denied that he has been forced to play on the seniors tour to avoid destitution. He did admit, however, that he lost a substantial amount of money on some of his investments.Away from tennis, there is plenty in Ivanisevic's life. He has been appointed the vice-president of Croatia's Olympic association, wants to know more about business, and has a two-year-old daughter, Amber-Maria, who he calls his "little vampire" on account of the fact that she often wakes him up five to six times a night. "I have to be a good father to my daughter. That takes a lot of time and energy. She needs a lot of attention," Ivanisevic said.Ivanisevic appreciates his life membership of the All England Club, a purple-and-green tie that allows him to return there and "drink tea" whenever he pleases. "It is really nice that the people in England still remember what I did at Wimbledon. I think I had a special relationship with English crowds even before I won. And England enjoyed the way I won Wimbledon, that I showed that I was a bit temperamental. I think that English people liked that because people in England are temperamental too," he said.And just to seal his Anglophile tendencies, Ivanisevic revealed that he now supports an English football team, West Bromwich Albion. He was introduced to Albion by an English PR on the seniors tour, and now even has a replica shirt with his name on the back."They are not doing that well, but that is okay. You have to support a team when they don't do well. It's easy to support Chelsea, with a guy who puts in a lot of money and if he sees a player he wants to buy, he buys, even if he doesn't need him. It doesn't matter to me if they are in the Premiership or not. I am the same for life, I don't change my team," said Ivanisevic.Ivanisevic recalled last year's struggle against relegation with affection. "Last year was very dramatic," he said. "My life is very dramatic so I must support a dramatic football team as well. I can't be normal, nothing is normal with me. But it's good that way. Not being normal means that you have so much more fun in life."www.telegraph.co.uk/hodgkinsonhttp://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/main.jhtml?xml=/sport/2005/10/20/sthodg20.xml&sSheet=/sport/2005/10/20/ixtenn.html   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 19 Oct 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7788/1/E-Ivo-Karlovic-from-Croatia-beats-Andy-Roddick-from-USA.html  Ivo Karlovic from Croatia beats Andy Roddick from USAAssociated PressOct. 19 MADRID, Spain â€" Andy Roddick blew a match point and lost 3-6, 7-6 (7), 7-6 (3) to Ivo Karlovic on Wednesday in the second round of the Madrid Masters in a contest between big servers. Roddick, seeded second, was playing his first match since losing in the first round of the U.S. Open. 'For two sets, I don't think I could have played better,' Roddick said. 'It was the highest quality match we've played.' He had an easy first set and held match point at 6-5 in the second-set tiebreaker against the 6-foot-10 Croat, the ATP Tour's tallest player. Karlovic won the tiebreak 9-7 on his second set point when Roddick's return went wide. Both players had chances to break in the deciding set, but they served to another tiebreaker before Karlovic took a 3-1 lead. 'You're going to have two or three points per tiebreaker that's either going to go your way or it's not,' Roddick said. 'It didn't go my way tonight. In the second tiebreaker, I don't think I played a bad point.' Earlier, Rafael Nadal beat Victor Hanescu of Romania 7-6 (5), 6-3 in the second round, the top-seeded Spaniard's first match before a home crowd since his French Open victory. Nadal has not trained for three weeks because of knee tendinitis. He received a first-round bye along with the 15 other seeded players in the ATP Masters Series event. 'The match was not easy,' he said. 'I was a bit nervous, a bit slow.' Nadal trailed 3-1 in the first set and 3-0 in the tiebreaker before rallying. In the second set, Nadal broke to lead 4-3 and broke again to win. Other winners were third-seeded Nikolay Davydenko of Russia, fourth-seeded Guillermo Coria of Argentina, sixth-seeded Mariano Puerta of Argentina and eighth-seeded Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia. Seventh-seeded Gaston Gaudio lost to Jose Acasuso 7-6 (4), 6-2 in the second round in an all-Argentine match. Gaudio dropped his fifth straight match, hurting his chances of qualifying for the Tennis Masters Cup next month in Shanghai, China. Four already have secured berths: Nadal, Roddick, Roger Federer and Marat Safin. Davydenko beat Slovakia's Karol Beck 6-4, 6-1, and Coria defeated Belgian qualifier Christophe Rochus 6-3, 6-4 to improve his chances of making the season finale. 'It was an ugly match, boring for spectators,' Coria said. 'But the important thing was to win.' Rochus' younger brother, Olivier, knocked out 12th-seeded Mario Ancic of Croatia 1-6, 6-4, 7-6 (5); Puerta edged Max Mirnyi of Belarus 7-6 (5), 7-6 (5); and Ljubicic defeated Alberto Martin of Spain 6-3, 7-6 (7). Also, ninth-seeded Thomas Johansson of Sweden beat Argentina's Juan Ignacio Chela 7-6 (2), 6-3; 10th-seeded Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic rallied past Britain's Tim Henman 6-4, 1-6, 6-3; and 14th-seeded Dominik Hrbaty of Slovakia eliminated Germany's Tommy Haas 6-4, 6-2. http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/ESPNSports/story?id=1231085  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 19 Oct 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7787/1/E-Ivo-Karlovic-from-Croatia-beats-Greg-Rusedski-from-Britain.html  Ivo Karlovic from Croatia beats Greg Rusedski from BritainRusedski crashes out of Madrid Masters 18 Oct 2005 Greg Rusedski has crashed out of the Madrid Masters at the first-round stage at the hands of 6ft 10in Croatian Ivo Karlovic. The British number two made the best possible start against Karlovic, taking the first set 7-5 on a tie-break. But the tallest man on the ATP Tour fought back to claim a 6-7 7-6 7-6 victory and book his place in the second round. http://www.channel4.com/news/content/news-storypage.jsp?id=870141  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 18 Oct 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7786/1/E-Oba-su-pala-Ivan-Ljubicic-osvaja-dva-ATP-turnira-za-redom.html  TENIS: LJUBICIC OSVOJIO ATP TURNIR U BECU 16.10.2005 Najbolji hrvatski tenisac Ivan Ljubicic nastavlja pobjednicki niz. Nakon sto je prosloga tjedna osvojio ATP turnir u francuskome Metzu, Ljubicic je pokorio i vrlo jaki turnir u Becu. U finalu 565.000 eura vrijednoga turnira u glavnome gradu Austrije Ljubicic je sa 6:2 , 6:4 i 7:6 (5) slavio protiv bivsega najboljeg svjetskog tenisaca, spanjolca Juana Carlosa Ferrera.Ljubicic je do treceg turnira u karijeri, te drugog ove sezone u sest finala, dosao nakon dva sata i 30 minuta igre. Bila je to ujedno i 12. pobjeda Ljubicica u nizu, koji je posljednji put izgubio u trecem kolu Grand Slam turnira US Opena od Francuza Richarda Gasqueta, nakon cega su uslijedile dvije pobjede u polufinalu Davis Cupa protiv Rusije, pet pobjeda u Metzu prosloga tjedna, te pet pobjeda u Becu.Dobar pocetak LjubicicaLjubicic je izvrsno otvorio dvoboj s Ferrerom te je vec u cetvrtom gemu uspio iskoristiti drugu break-loptu za vodstvo od 3:1. Vec u sljedecem gemu Ferrero je imao priliku uzvratiti Ljubicicu, ali se hrvatski tenisac uspio spasiti. Pri rezultatu 5:2 Ljubicic je jos jedanput osvojio spanjolcev servis te dobio prvi set sa 6:2.Vec u prvome gemu drugoga seta Ferrero je imao priliku oduzeti Ljubicicev servis, ali se hrvatski tenisac jos jedanput izvukao. U nastavku drugoga seta oba su tenisaca cvrsto drzala svoje servise sve do rezultata 5:4 za Ljubicica, kada je Ljubo jos jedanput oduzeo servis Ferreru i poveo s 2:0 u setovima.Treci set odlucen u tie-breakuU trecem setu Ljubicic je bio opasniji, iako se cinilo da sve teze prati naporni finalni dvoboj. Kod rezultata 4:4 Ferrero je imao break-loptu, ali je Ljubicic osvojio vrlo tezak poen od cak 36 izmjena udaraca. U sljedecem gemu Ljubicic je imao mec loptu, ali ju nije uspio iskoristiti te se morao igrati tie-break.Odlucujuci gem spanjolac je otvorio dvostrukom servis pogreskom te je tu prednost Ljubicic uspjesno zadrzao do kraja za konacnih 6:2, 6:4 i 7:6 (5).Druga pobjeda u sest finalaU prijasnjih pet finala ove sezone samo je jedanput pobijedio (Metz), dok je u preostala cetiri zavrsna nastupa (Rotterdam, Doha, Dubai, Marseille) izgubio, no na tri od ta cetiri turnira protivnik mu je bio najbolji svjetski tenisac svijeta, svicarac Roger Federer.Bio je ovo cetvrti susret Ljubicica i Ferrera i omjer je 3:1 u korist nasega igraca. Jedini poraz protiv spanjolskoga tenisaca dozivio je prije dvije godine u polufinalu turnira u tajlandskom Bangkoku.Svi finali Ivana Ljubicica:ATP LYON (2001.) - El Aynaoui - 6:3, 6:2ATP Doha (2004.) - Escude - 3:6, 6:7 (4)ATP Doha (2005.) - Federer - 3:6, 1:6ATP Marseille (2005.) - J.Johansson - 5:7, 4:6ATP Rotterdam (2005.) - Federer - 7:5, 5:7, 6:7 (5)ATP Dubai (2005.) - Federer - 1:6, 7:6 (6), 3:6ATP METZ (2005.) - Monfils - 7:6, 6:0ATP BEc (2005.) - Ferrero - 6:2, 6:4, 7:6 (5)Hina/HRTweb sport (vh)  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 16 Oct 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7784/1/E-Zadar-2006-Invitation-to-all-Croatian-athletes-around-the-world.html  Vamos svi together nach Zadar! Invitation to all Croatian athletes around the world!Applications for the Croatian World Games in Zadar 2006 under way. Visit our website for further info and on-line applications:www.zadar2006.comJoin this unique sports and entertainment event and meet Croatians from more than 20 countries.Disciplines at the Games:athletics / badminton / boccia / judo / karate / basketball / basketball hoops / soccer / futsal (indoor soccer) / beach soccer / soccer - seniors / volleyball / beach volleyball / swimming / handball / table tennis / taekwondo / tennis So far we have received applications from following countries:Argentina / Australia / Austria / Belgium / Chile / Demnark / England / France / Italy / Canada / Macedonia / Norway / Germany / Peru / USA / Slovenia / Sweden / Switzerland / Uruguay / VenezuelaHrvatske svjetske igre (Croatian World Games)Put Bokanjca 18, 23000 Zadar, CroatiaOffice hours: mon - fri 9.00 a.m. - 4.00 p.m. (CET) sat 10.00 a.m. - 1.00 p.m.Tel: 00385 23 220 649Fax: 00385 23 220 691Email: info@zadar2006.com   Vamos svi together nach Zadar!  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 15 Oct 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7785/1/H-Gustin-svjetski-prvak-bronca-za-Papka-i-Gulju-u-Bocanju.html  Gustin svjetski prvak, bronca za Papka i Gulju Bocanje, Svjetsko prvenstvoTorino (26. rujna - 1. listopada 2005.) 1. listopada 2005. - Hrvatska bocarska reprezentacija osvojila je tri medalje na Svjetskome prvenstvu u talijanskome Torinu. Zlatnu medalju osvojio je Alen Gustin u blizanju i izbijanju u krug, a broncom su se okitili Ante Papak u brzinskom izbijanju te Sandro Gulja u preciznom izbijanju.Gustin je do svjetskog naslova dosao nakon sto je u finalu pobijedio predstavnika Srbije i Crne Gore Đurovica s 26:21.Finalni je dvoboj u pocetku bio dosta izjednacen, no pred kraj je do izrazaja doslo iskustvo nasega Gustina gdje se vidjelo da je izvrsno pripremljen za ovu svjetsku smotru. Uostalom, zasluzio je to jer je bio uvjerljivo najbolji cijelo natjecanje, rekao je trener Slaven Parlov.Gustin je u istoj disciplini prije dvije godine na proslom Svjetskom prvenstvu odrzanom u Nici osvojio broncanu medalju. Papak je u dvoboju za trece mjesto u brzinskom izbijanju s 37:32 svladao Tunizanina Klaija, a Gulja je u finalu preciznog izbijanja osvojio 20 bodova, jedan manje od Slovenca Sofronievskog i Dodiga iz Bosne i Hercegovine.Nazalost, bez medalje su ostali Papak i Josko Mardesic, koji su u stafeti izgubili u borbi za broncu. U dvoboju za trece mjesto izgubili su od Slovenaca causevica i Novaka s 43:49.http://sport.hrt.hr/htvsport/izdvojeno/05/bocanje.html   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 14 Oct 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7792/1/E-Croatians-donate-blood-to-see-key-soccer-game.html  Croatians donate blood to see key soccer game Monday, October 10, 2005 Croatian soccer fans rushed to donate blood this week in exchange for tickets for the national team’s decisive World Cup qualifying game against Sweden, the Vecernji List daily reported Friday. The game’s organizers set aside 300 tickets for the occasion but the number of volunteer blood donors in Zagreb was several times higher. Students cut classes and employees used their lunch breaks to queue in the hospital, the daily said. “I have always been afraid of syringes, but for Croatia I found the courage,” student Ivica Brnadic told the daily. reutershttp://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_10-10-2005_pg9_13   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 10 Oct 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7791/1/E-ISU-junior-Grand-Prix-figure-skating-competition-in-Zagreb.html  Mikhailova and Sergeev win ice dancing title in junior Grand PrixSunday, October 09, 2005ZAGREB, Croatia (CP) - Russians Natalia Mikhailova and Arkadi Sergeev won the ice dancing title at the ISU junior Grand Prix figure skating competition Sunday and the Canadian team of Sabryna Rettino and Michael Whitehead finished eighth.Mikhailova and Sergeev posted a winning score of 160.33. Americans Trina Pratt and Todd Giles were second with 155.64 and Russians Kristina Gorshkova and Vitali Butikov with 146.58. Rettino of St-Basile-le-Grand, Que., and Whitehead, from Holland Landing, Ont., compiled a score of 118.41. Bridget Namiotka and John Coughlin of the U.S. took the pairs title and teammates Julia Vlassov and Drew Meekins were third. The Russian pair of Ksenia Krasilnokova and Konstantin Bezmaternikh was second. There was no Canadian team entered in pairs. © The Canadian Press 2005http://www.canada.com/sports/skating/story.html?id=25e3b7ba-c5ea-41d2-8e8a-8609a65c5212  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 10 Oct 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7794/1/E-Ancic-almost-there-to-win-Japan-Open-title.html  Moodie upsets Ancic to win Japan Open titleSunday, 09 October , 2005, 14:50 Tokyo: Underdog Wesley Moodie stormed back from the brink of defeat to beat Mario Ancic of Croatia for his first career title at the Japan Open tennis tournament on Sunday. The unseeded South African, who saved four match points to win the semifinals on Saturday, staved off another two in the second-set tie-breaker before scoring a stunning 1-6, 7-6 (9/7), 6-4 victory. "It feels great to win my first title, especially being match points down in the semis and the finals. I was fortunate to come back and playing well. It's an amazing feeling," said Moodie. The women's singles final was won by Nicole Vaidisova of the Czech Republic after Tatiana Golovin of France abandoned it due to a left foot injury at 7-6 (7/4), 3-2 and 30-15. http://sify.com/sports/tennis/fullstory.php?id=13959762  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 09 Oct 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7793/1/E-Croatia-beats-Sweden-to-secure-a-berth-in-2006-FIFA-World-Cup.html  Croatia beats Sweden to secure a berth in 2006 FIFA World Cup Croatia beat Sweden 1-0 on Saturday evening with the help of a penalty, to secure a berth in the 2006 FIFA World Cup finals, said reports from the Croatian capital of Zagreb. The decisive moments for Croatia came in the 56th minute when Sweden captain Olof Mellberg handled in the area and Darijo Srna of Croatia kept his cool from the spot to decide a tightly contested match. Croatia moved above Sweden atop Group 8 with 23 points and are sure to either top the group or finish as one of Europe's two best-placed runners-up. Eight group winners advance to the World Cup finals as well as the two best runners-up. The other runners-up playoff for another three places. The win on Saturday evening sees Croatia continue their record of qualifying for all three World Cups they have entered since its independence in 1991. Sweden, who were without Juventus star Zlatan Ibrahimovic because of a knee injury, can still secure a place in the World Cup finals with a home victory over Iceland in the final qualifying match on Wednesday, when Croatia face Hungary in Budapest. Source: Xinhua http://english.people.com.cn/200510/09/eng20051009_213438.html  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 09 Oct 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7796/1/H-Veljko-Rogosic-Croatian-symbol-of-endurance-made-history.html   www.veljkorogosic.org Veljko Rogosic was named International Long Distance Swimming Federation World Champion four times between 1971 and 1974. In 1992 this outstanding sportsman entered the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame, Florida, USA. He was participant of the Homeland War during Greater-Serbian aggression on Croatia. Recipient of the Medal of Homeland War from president Franjo Tudjman. His motto and message to young people is WITH SPORT AGAINST DRUGS Rogosic swam La Manche (45 km) in 2004 at the age of 63! For this he needed 11 hours and 27 minutes. His name was written in the 'Gold book of La Manche' as the first Croatian and the oldest man to do so. In the summer 2005 he swam almost 1,000 km along Croatian coast (from Savudrija to Rt Ostro in Konavle) in less than two months, at the age of 64! Also, this is the ultra-marathon swimming world record (880 km in 222 hours, in 57 etapes in less than 58 days). CROATIAOverview of History, Culture, and Sciencemain menu letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 01 Oct 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7795/1/E-LJUBO-THE-SAINT.html  LJUBO THE SAINT CROATIA IN DAVIS CUP FINAL - an inspiration to CROATIAN JUNIORS  By Katarina TepeshNew York, September 26, 2005 – Ivan Ljubicic, ranked 15 best tennis player in the world, has taken Croatia to the Davis Cup final almost single-handedly. “I do realize that winning nine points out of nine is fantastic. I just want to bring Davis Cup to Croatia. We’ve got one more match to go against Slovakia in December and I hope we won’t stop here because the road has been very long and very rough,” said Ljubicic.His five-set victory over Andy Roddick in California during March gave Croatia a 3-1 lead in that tie, while against Romania he came to the rescue by beating Victor Hanescu after Ancic had been beaten in five-sets by Andrei Pavel. This weekend, Ljubicic beat powerful Russian team of Mikhail Youzhny to level the tie at 1-1 on Friday after Davydenko had earlier beaten Ancic, then teamed up with Ancic on Saturday to beat Dmitry Tursunov and Igor Andreev. Ljubicic is the biggest news in Croatia right now. He knocked off from front pages Prime Minister Ivo Sanader, President of Croatia Mesic and Croatian Foreign Affairs and European Integration Minister Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic, who is visiting Washington. Croatians have been celebrating since Sunday. As soon as Ljubicic won, the 5,000 people in the sports hall in Split, burst out screaming, “Ljubo, Ljubo.” and singing “Veceras je Nasa Festa” and “Necemo Doma do Zore.” Speakers blasted, “We are the Champions.” Imagine what an inspiration reaching the first Davis Cup Final will be for the Croatian Juniors recently playing at the US Open 2005. One of the boys below will one day took over to carry on historic event. Which one will it be?The high hopes are on MARIN CILIC, who was born on 9/28/1988 in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Ranked No. 2 among Juniors, Cilic at age 16, provides high quality tennis, already attracting hundreds of spectators. In Boys’ Singles Cilic convincingly defeated McClune in First Round with easy 6-2, 6-2; Spencer in Second Round with 7-6, 6-4 and Kirillov 7-6, 6-4 in Third Round; Cilic lost in Quarterfinals to No. 7 Chardy, in two out of three sets 4-6, 6-4, 6-2. Cilic did less well in Boy’s Doubles partnering with Tristan Farron. They lost in the Second Round, with Cilic having great difficulty keeping the focus on doubles play. He behaved as if he was forced to play doubles. Day before, in preparation for the US Open 2005, Cilic was seen practicing with his mentor and idol, Ivan Ljubicic. ANTONIO VEIC was born 2/18/1988. He reached Second Round in Singles and First Round in Doubles. Feisty Veic competes with his heart and soul. Since playing last year at the US Open Juniors, 17-year-old Veic suffered an accident during a soccer game. He broke his left leg in two places. LUKA BELIC was born 10/14/1988. A latecomer to US Open 2005, who at age 16 did not submit any personal info or a photo, Luka is coached by former tennis player and FED CUP Croatian coach Goran Prpic. In Boys’ Singles, Luka managed to reach the Second Round, while in Boys’ Doubles Luka partnered with Antonio Veic and lost in First Round. NIKOLA MEKTIC lost in the First Round in Boys’ Singles, but played exceptionally well in Boys’ Doubles with his partner, 17-year-old Ivan Sergeyev from Ukraine. The two managed to reach the Quarterfinals. PETAR JELENIC, was born 6/13/1987 and is ranked No. 11 among Juniors. He lost in the First Round in Boys’ Singles to Vitulli 6-4, 1-6, 6-1, due to anger and bad temper. Grabbing his private parts and shouting obscenities is not the way to play gentlemen’s tennis. 18-year-old Jelenic displayed total disrespect towards tennis officials as well as making hateful remarks towards his white opponent from Kenya, who had an enthusiastic support from a large group of mostly black boys and girls. The status in Croatia for Junior Girls’ tennis players is pretty good. But that is on paper only! In reality, the training and financial support is at its worst for girls. No Croatian Junior girls participated at the US Open 2005. Favoritism, politics and who is your daddy still plays a large part in Croatian tennis. For example, Ivan Ljubicic and Marin Cilic, both born in Bosnia & Herzegovina requested and received tremendous financial support as well as training. Even Mario Ancic, whose father owns a chain of supermarkets, received all out support. Whereas, Zagreb born Ivo Karlovic, Karolina Sprem from Varazdin and Ivana Lisjak from Cakovec, have not received any financial support from the Croatian tennis association or Croatian government. Their tennis career is financed privately, mostly from their families. Case in point is MARINA ERAKOVIC who was born on 3/6/1988 in Split, Croatia. When Marina was four years old, her family, father Mladen and mother Ljiljana, moved to New Zealand. Marina, now 17 years old, lives in Auckland and represents New Zealand. She has one sister Djurdjica Julia. Marina plays right-handed with double handed backhand. She began playing tennis at age 6 and is coached by Chris Lewis. Marina’s ambition in tennis is to be No. 1. She adores tennis player Monica Seles and her hobbies include reading and soccer. At the US Open 2005, Marina was ranked No. 6 in Girls’ Singles. She successfully competed and won in Quarterfinals. During Semifinals against Victoria Azarenka ranked No.1, Marina was forced to retire due to an injury. She also played Girls’ Doubles with Victoria. They won until Semifinals, when medical assistance was called and the game stopped.  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 01 Oct 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7798/1/E-Brazil-draw-with-Croatia-in-Split-Croatia-2005.html  Brazil draw with Croatia in friendlySPLIT, Croatia, Aug 17 (Reuters) - Croatia held Brazil to a 1-1 draw on Wednesday in a friendly dominated by the world champions. The home side's early hard work paid off in the 32nd minute when CSKA Moscow forward Ivica Olic hit the post and Niko Kranjcar slotted in the rebound. Brazil hit back 10 minutes later when Ricardinho sent an 18-metre free kick into the top right-hand corner of the net. The South Americans went close to taking the lead in the 69th minute when Adriano struck the post. Adriano also went wide with a header, as did Ronaldo with a shot from the edge of the box. Both countries fielded their strongest possible teams as they warmed up for World Cup qualifiers in September. Brazil were only without Ronaldinho and Roque Junior, who are suspended for the tie with Chile on September 4. "It was evident that my players are not yet in their best condition. They are still lacking regular competitive rhythm. Taking all that into consideration, I think that a draw was a fair outcome," Brazil coach Carlos Alberto Parreira told reporters. Croatia, who missed injured Rangers striker Dado Prso, top European Zone Group Eight with 16 points. They are one point ahead of Sweden and six ahead of Hungary. Croatia go to Iceland for their next qualifier on September 3 before meeting Malta four days later. Croatia coach Zlatko Kranjcar said: "We showed that we can compete with the best players in the world. "My team fulfilled the tasks I gave them and I'm convinced we can look forward to our coming World Cup qualifiers with optimism."  Brazil have not lost to a European team since they were beaten 2-1 by Portugal in March 2003. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-08/18/content_470163.htm   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 20 Aug 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7799/1/E-Branco-Panic-playing-for-Sabah-Malaysia.html  Branco Panic of Croatia playing for Sabah Tough time ahead: Jose 14 August, 2005 Kota Kinabalu: Sabah are expecting a tough match with Selangor PKNS team at the Stadium Larkin, Johor, despite the latter occupying the last spot in Malaysia Cup Group A table. Coach Jose Garrido said midfielder Rosdin Wasli is still injured while defender Ronny Harun is in Kuala Lumpur training with the national Under-23 football team. The latest records showed that the Rhinos are third in the table while Terengganu, on top with three points and Perlis, second, also with three points. "It'll be a tough match considering we've never met PKNS previously," he said on Saturday. Although the Portuguese coach did not elaborate, his words clearly reflected the situation Sabah are facing. Beaten by Perlis 1-2 earlier this month, the Rhinos has been struggling to make good its pledge to win at least one trophy this season. It lost its chances in the FA Cup and was demoted from the Super League to the Premier League. Nevertheless, Sabah FA (Safa) President, Datuk Anifah Aman, believes that his players hold the key to the match outcome. "I was informed by the coach (Garrido) that the players did really well during training. "Hence, they should apply the form they displayed during training throughout the 90 minutes game on Sunday because at the end of the day, it is the players who decided the outcome of the match," he said. He said playing an away or home match does not make any difference because the Rhinos had proven they are not invincible even when playing on home ground. "What's more important is that the players produce their best while they are in the field," he stressed. Meanwhile, Anifah expressed hope that the import players adapt to the environment in Sabah fast so that they could help the Rhinos do well in the tournament. The import players are Brazilians Julio Cesar Rodrigues and Ivan Martin, Nigerian Udensi Christopher Ikechukwu and Branco Panic of Croatia. Garrido said apart from Rosdin and Ronny, the rest of the players could be fielded in the Sabah-Selangor PKNS match. Probable line-up:Shamsul Sabtu, Md Reithudin Embran, Madzalan Emoi, Branco Panic, Mafry Ballang, Mohd Arsyah Mohd Ayob, Henry Soimpon, Joey Ryan Gundok, Zainizam Marjan, Julio Cesar Rodrigues and Udensi Christopher Ikechukwu DAILY EXPRESS NEWS http://www.dailyexpress.com.my/news.cfm?NewsID=36439  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 15 Aug 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7797/1/E-Ivo-Karlovic---the-Croatian-Giant.html  Ivo Karlovic - the Croatian Giant  Trying to Catch a Breakby Jeffrey LesserNEW YORKSix-foot-ten Ivo Karlovic is the tallest man ever to be ranked among the top hundred tennis professionals. Equipped with a serve Andy Roddick calls “the biggest weapon in tennis,” Ivo should without a doubt have a big leg up on the rest of the men’s field. However, the Croat giant has reached a career-high ranking of only 51 and has since nestled into a ranking of around 80 (82 as of August 8, 2005). While his Croatian compatriots, Ivan Ljubicic and Mario Ancic, have flourished and come into their own as tennis players, 26-year-old Karlovic has failed to do so. As the 2005 hard court season progresses, Ivo will have to reverse his mindset and habits in order to turn around his game, and consequently, his ranking.While playing at the Legg Mason Classic in Washington, D.C. last week, Ivo was very impressive in defeating hard-servers Kenneth Carlsen, Max Mirnyi, and Greg Rusedski (both Mirnyi and Rusedski were seeded in the tournament). Reaching the quarterfinals of a non-grass court event for the first time in his life was an enormous achievement for Karlovic, who was playing extremely well and was considered a legitimate threat to defeat top seeded Andy Roddick. The first set of the match went wonderfully for Ivo, who beat the American in a thrilling tiebreak that ended 9-7 in favor of the man from Zagreb. In the second set the two stayed on serve until 5-5, when Roddick broke Karlovic and served out the set successfully. The third and decisive set was 4-4 and at 15-15 on Ivo’s serve. Ivo responded to the pressure-filled situation with two double faults and lost the game, allowing Roddick to serve out the set and the match. Just like that, Ivo Karlovic blew his chance to not only reach the semifinals of the Legg Mason Classic, but also to defeat a top ten player not named Lleyton Hewitt for the first time in his life.“With (Ivo’s) serve, I am surprised he doesn’t win more,” remarked Cliff Drysdale, who along with Roddick’s former coach Brad Gilbert, commentated the Karlovic-Roddick showdown. Drysdale, unfortunately, has no reason to be surprised. The reason Ivo does not win more often is because of his dreadful return game. As Gilbert noted, Ivo has the worst break percentage of any player in the ATP top 100. That is, he breaks his opponents’ serve at the worst frequency out of any of the top hundred professionals (just six percent of the time, to be exact). In order to win a set, Ivo probably has to force a tiebreak. To do that, with his six percent break rate, he has to hold his own serve every time. That transforms his serve, “the biggest weapon in tennis,” into a shot that only keeps him in the match. When he enters tiebreaks, Karlovic, despite owning a better serve than his opponent, wins only fifty percent of the time. This can be attributed to his penchant for committing costly errors. Karlovic is not an extremely steady player, and if his opponent can return his serve back to the other side of the court, there is a decent probability that Ivo will miss the put-away or lose the point one way or the other. Considering Ivo has great difficulty winning a point on his opponent’s serve, one Karlovic mistake can give his opponent the set in tiebreak.The only things that stand between Ivo Karlovic and tremendous success is his erraticism and his return game. His inclination to make an error can be easily diminished and made insignificant by his tremendous serve. Simply raising the rate at which he earns a break of serve from six to twelve will increase the number of matches he wins by a remarkable amount. If he can continue holding serve the way he has in the past, and his return game slightly improves, Karlovic will become not only a dangerous player, but perhaps a truly great one.“He needs to improve his return game just a little, and then he can be a top 25 player,” stated Gilbert during Ivo’s duel with Roddick. To go from 82nd in the world to 25th, all Ivo needs to do is learn to return serve. It sounds easy enough, but only time will tell. Stay tuned for the rest of the summer to the Ivo Show, which culminates at the 2005 US Open. In Flushing Meadows, he will certainly be a threat to win a round or two, but if he can break serve there, who knows? Maybe six-foot-ten Ivo Karlovic can be the tallest man to win the US Open.JEFFREY LESSER lives in West Orange, New Jersey, where he is a 16-year-old high school senior. A "straight A" student, Jeffrey is the editorials editor of his school newspaper, the Pioneer, and frequently contributes editorials, mainly about politics. Jeff is the captain of the boys' tennis team at West Orange High School. He hopes to attend Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, where he wants to major in sports medicine and become a licensed physician. His mother said that Jeff is such a big fan of Croatian tennis, he might as well just move to Croatia altogether.  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 15 Aug 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7802/1/E-Bucks-sign-Kukoc-to-1-year-deal.html  Bucks sign Kukoc to 1-year dealBY CHARLES F. GARDNERPosted on Fri, Aug. 05, 2005 Milwaukee Journal SentinelMILWAUKEE - (KRT) - Toni Kukoc will indeed be back with the Milwaukee Bucks next season.The 6-foot-11 forward will begin his fourth season with the Bucks next fall, after being signed to a one-year deal on Friday. The 36-year-old free agent had attracted interest from other National Basketball Association teams, including the Chicago Bulls and league champion San Antonio Spurs."I think it's great for our team moving into next season," Bucks general manager Larry Harris said. "He has tremendous basketball knowledge. "He likes Milwaukee and he likes the fans. This is really where he wants to be."The signing of Kukoc to a contract worth nearly $2 million makes it highly unlikely that the Bucks will match the Atlanta Hawks' four-year, $16 million offer sheet to restricted free agent Zaza Pachulia.The Hawks signed the 6-11 Pachulia on Wednesday. The Bucks have seven days to match the offer or lose the 21-year-old to Atlanta. It is expected that the Bucks will sign free-agent forward Bobby Simmons on Monday and guard Michael Redd and center Dan Gadzuric later in the week. Simmons, named the NBA's most improved player last season with the Los Angeles Clippers, has agreed to a five-year, $47 million deal. Redd has agreed to a six-year contract worth more than $90 million and Gadzuric has agreed to a six-year, $36 million deal.Since joining the Bucks for the 2002-03 season, Kukoc has averaged 8.7 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 189 regular-season games. n"He's thrilled," said Kukoc's Chicago-based agent, Herb Rudoy. "He had the opportunity to go to five or six teams. From the beginning, he told me to get it done with Milwaukee."Earlier this summer, Rudoy expressed doubts that Kukoc would be able to return to the Bucks because of their off-season spending on other free agents. But Rudoy continued to have a dialogue with Harris, and it eventually led Kukoc back to Milwaukee. "I think he loves the reception he gets from the fans," Rudoy said. "That was a big part of his decision to stay there. And he feels he could be a great mentor to some of their young kids."Toni is a basketball genius; he really understands the game." Kukoc, who lives with his family in Highland Park, Ill., has worked closely with the other Bucks big men, including Gadzuric and Pachulia. Now he will have an opportunity to work with the top pick in the June NBA draft, 7-1 Andrew Bogut.Kukoc is a native of Split, Croatia, and the 20-year-old Bogut is a native of Australia and of Croatian descent."Andrew has a high respect for him," Harris said. "Certainly Toni will be a great learning tool and a great person he can lean on. I know Andrew will be a sponge, and Toni has always been great with our big guys."His wealth of knowledge about basketball is important for the young team we have."Kukoc was limited to 53 games last season by a hip injury, and he averaged a career-low 5.6 points in 20.7 minutes per game. But when he was healthy, the Bucks' bench was more productive and the team was more successful.It is expected that Kukoc will play at both forward spots. He will be used with Joe Smith and Simmons at the power forward spot, and will mix in with Simmons and Desmond Mason at small forward."He'll be a forward," Harris said. "It's all about matchups, and he will do whatever it takes to get himself on the floor. He just wants to win." Rudoy said Kukoc was excited about the Bucks' off-season moves, adding Simmons, retaining Gadzuric and Redd and drafting Bogut. "He likes playing with Redd," Rudoy said. "He thinks Redd is terrific."Kukoc was a second-round draft choice of the Bulls in 1990 and played on three NBA championship teams in Chicago (in 1996, '97 and '98). Before coming to the NBA, Kukoc played in the former Yugoslavia and Italy, winning three European championships and three European player-of-the-year awards.Rudoy declined to speculate on whether the upcoming season, Kukoc's 13th in the NBA, would be his last."He's going to take it one year at a time," Rudoy said. "He decided he just wants to see how the year goes. He didn't want anybody to be tied into that (a longer contract)."© 2005, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.Visit JSOnline, the Journal Sentinel's World Wide Web site, at http://www.jsonline.comDistributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Information Services.http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/12316309.htm  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 07 Aug 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7800/1/E-Andrew-Bogut-Two-Radio-Interviews-on-WISN.html  Andrew BogutCroatian Pride Click here for Andrew Bogot Interview 6/08/05 -NBA Draft Pick Andrew BogutClick here for Andrew Bogot Interview 2  6/30/05 - #1 NBA Draft Pick Andrew BogutOp-edWe are grateful to Steve “The Homer” True , WISN, Tomislav Kuzmanovic (who brought this to you) and Andrew Bogut, our Croatian pride. Email Homer at thehomer@inet-pc.com  and shower him with good wishes and thank him personaly for the radio interviews. He is becoming an honorary Croatian.Nenad BachSteve “The Homer” True Steve “The Homer” True is the host of “The World’s Greatest Sports Talk Show”, heard from 6pm-8:00pm weeknights on News/Talk 1130 WISN. He is called “The Homer” because he roots for the home team. However, just because he roots for the home team does not mean that he supports all decisions made by local teams. Thus, the First Rule of Homerism is- “I am a Homer, but I am not an idiot”.Homer is a legend in his own mind, having made radio stops in Alliance, Nebraska; Appleton, Wisconsin; and Madison, Wisconsin; before arriving at News/Talk 1130 WISN in November of 1989.The Homer played tennis at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. By his own admission, he is the worst athlete to ever be a Badger letter winner. Source: http://www.newstalk1130.com/homer_bio.html   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 07 Aug 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7801/1/E-Rusedski-falls-to-Karlovic.html  Rusedski falls to KarlovicFrom correspondents in Washington05aug05BRITAIN'S Greg Rusedski was eliminated from the ATP Washington Classic today, falling to Croatia's Ivo Karlovic 7-6 6-2 in a third-round match at the US Open tune-up. Karlovic fired 14 aces, twice as many as Rusedski, and advanced to a quarter-final tomorrow against the winner of a later match between American top seed Andy Roddick and Argentina's Juan Ignacio Chela. Rusedski, 31, won last month at Newport and reached the Indianapolis semi-finals but the 37th-ranked Briton suffered his first career loss in three meetings with 75th-rated Karlovic in falling to 20-14 on the season. Karlovic saved two break points in the first and third games of the match and battled Rusedski into a tiebreaker with neither losing serve. Rusedski sent a forehand long and netted a forehand to drop the tiebreaker, then surrendered a break to open the second set. Karlovic saved a break point with a service winner in the sixth game and Rusedski double faulted away another break. Karlovic held at love and ended it with an ace after 77 minutes. http://www.thecouriermail.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,16159282%255E23216,00.html  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 05 Aug 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7803/1/E-Croatias-Duje-Draganja-2nd-fastest-in-the-world.html  Croatia's Duje Draganja took the silverat world swimming championshipPosted on Sun, Jul. 31, 2005 Crocker beats Phelps at world swimming championshipsAmerican breaks own world recordBy PAUL NEWBERRYTHE ASSOCIATED PRESSMONTREAL - Ian Crocker put the Athens Olympics behind him - and Michael Phelps, too.Crocker broke his own world record in the 100-meter butterfly Saturday and turned a much-anticipated rematch with Phelps into a rout.The two Americans were virtually even off the blocks, but Crocker already had a sizable lead when their heads emerged from the water. He was about a half-body length ahead at the turn, and didn't have to worry about Phelps making one his patented charges in the final 50 meters.With arms pumping furiously, Crocker stretched out his advantage all the way to the wall. He touched in 50.40 seconds - easily eclipsing the mark of 50.76 that he set in beating Phelps at last year's U.S. Olympic trials.But Phelps won the race that really mattered, overtaking Crocker at the Athens Olympics.That didn't sit well with Crocker, who was determined to regain the upper hand in his trademark event, even though it meant beating the world's best swimmer."It was definitely my goal to break the record," he said. "I didn't know it would be by that much. When you're racing against Phelps, you always have to assume it's going to take a world record to win. My time definitely surprised me."Crocker didn't have to worry about Phelps, who took the silver but wasn't even close to the winner at 51.65. Ukraine's Andriy Serdinov claimed the bronze."I haven't trained much fly this year," Phelps said. "But I don't want to use that as an excuse. That was a horrible swim for me."While Phelps has won four golds medals and, now, a silver at the world championships, he's not happy with his performance. He failed to qualify for the final of the 400 freestyle and was a disappointing seventh in the 100 free.Two of his four golds have come on relay teams, and Grant Hackett is likely to win the most individual medals on the men's side. The Australian star already has two golds and a silver, and he's an overwhelming favorite in today's 1,500 free."Every thing that has happened this week is a wake-up call," Phelps said. "It's all going to be used for motivation. I don't want to be in a position where I'm disappointed and upset with a race. I want to be happy with the way I'm swimming. This year, hopefully, there will be big improvements."Crocker wants to become the first swimmer to break the 50-second barrier in the 100 fly. He is only looking forward - not back to Athens."The Olympics didn't end quite the way I wanted them to," Crocker said. "I didn't happen to be the best on that day."It was another big night for the Africans, an emerging force at these championships.South Africa's Roland Schoeman captured his second gold by winning the 50 free in 21.69. That was just five-hundredths of a second off Alexander Popov's world record, but did beat Popov's meet record from 2003.Croatia's Duje Draganja took the silver and Poland's Bartosz Kizierowski the bronze.Zimbabwe's Kirsty Coventry completed a sweep of the 100-200 backstroke, winning the longer event in 2:08.52. She also has a silver from the 200 individual medley, making her one of the biggest female stars of the meet.Margaret Hoelzer of the United States claimed silver, Japan's Reiko Nakamura the bronze.Australia's Danni Miatke won the 50 butterfly, a non-Olympic event. The silver and bronze went to a pair of Swedish swimmers, Anna-Karin Kammerling and Therese Alshammar.http://www.sunherald.com/mld/sunherald/sports/12267260.htm  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 03 Aug 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7808/1/E-A-new-Croatian-soccer-team-CSC-Oakville-Hrvat.html  A new Croatian soccer team, C.S.C. Oakville Hrvat is online atwww.oakvillehrvat.com CroNetwork: The Croatian-American Organization for Young Professionals.  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 21 Jul 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7807/1/E-Second-annual-Velika-Gospa-golf-outing-in-Chicago.html  Second annual Velika Gospa golf outing in ChicagoOn Saturday, August 13th around noon, St. Jerome is holding its second annual Velika Gospa golf outing. This year it will be held at Highland Woods Golf Course in Hoffman Estates. 100% of the proceeds benefits children's orphanages in Croatia. We are asking for donations or your participation in 18 holes of golf. Cost for 18 holes of golf: $125.00Includes: Golf shirt, sleeve of golf balls, club rag, and huge pig and lamb roast after the event. If you have a business that you would like to promote, we are offering sponsor banners for $150.00. They will be placed on one of the 18 holes with your company logo etc. Currently we have over 50 golfers and 30 company or personal sponsors. It is for a great cause and we are asking for everyone's help. If you are interested or have any questions, please contact Marko Karacic at 773-716-7400. Or mail your check made payable to "St. Jerome Church" and send it to: Marko Karacic6186 N. KeatingChicago, IL. 60646RE: St. Jerome Golf OutingThank you once again and I hope we can raise enough money to make all the children smile for at least one day knowing that someone was thinking of them.Marko KaracicCroNetwork: The Croatian-American Organization for Young Professionals.  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 21 Jul 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7806/1/E-Davis-Cup-Semis--Russia-vs-Croatia.html  Davis Cup Semis- Russia vs Croatiaby: Filip MalaricIn the first round of this year’s Davis Cup, Ljubicic and Ancic overcame a strong U.S. team in the U.S., including Agassi, Roddick, and the Bryan brothers, three matches to two. Again in the quarterfinals in Split, Ljubicic and Ancic led their Croatian Davis Cup team to victory against Romania. They will now meet Russia in semis who defeated France in their quarterfinal round. The same stadium in Split will be used for the semis.Our team will be the same with Ljubicic, Ancic, Karlovic, and Tuksar. Ljubicic and Ancic will most likely play doubles. They are a great team and they communicate and work together well. They will probably be playing singles as well and their huge serves will get another boost on the fast surface. Karlovic and Tuksar are kept as reserves if one of the main players are unable to play. Surprisingly, Nikola Pilic, our Davis Cup coach, has never beaten Russia while coaching.The Russians have an extremely strong team in Safin, Davydenko, Andreev, and Youzhny. Marat Safin who is currently no. 5 in the world has still not confirmed if he will play. No. 7 in the world, Nikolay Davydenko, has been having the best year of his career. He doesn’t have a huge weapon but is a very consistent all-around player who can cause us trouble. Mikhail Youzhny and Igor Andreev will most likely play doubles but, against France, they seemed rusty and did not communicate well.The semis against Russia will definitely be challenging. If our doubles team can secure their win, we will have a great advantage. This is the first time Croatia has advanced to the semis.  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 21 Jul 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7805/1/E-Phoenix-1st-Annual-Croatian-Small-Goals-Tournament.html  Phoenix 1st Annual Croatian 'Small Goals Tournament' October 22nd, 2005Hosted by Mladi Hrvati Phoenix & NK Croatia Arizona6 vs 6$1000 Cash Prizefor winning team-12 player maximum per team-$500 entry fee per team (includes admission to banquet that night for eachplayer)Games will run all day Saturday October 22nd w/ banquet that night(All teams must submit a registration form with payment no later than Sept1st. 2005)For more info/ registration forms contact:Pepo Alaupovic CroatiaArizona@Hotmail.com Katarina Zovko Katarina022@aol.com Teams from AZ, Chicago, San Pedro, Los Angeles, Nor Cal & other parts of theUS are expected !!CroNetwork: The Croatian-American Organization for Young Professionals.  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 21 Jul 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7804/1/H-Veljko-Rogosic-u-Novalji.html  Veljko Rogosic u Novalji   www.veljkorogosic.org    Veljko u Novalji ! - [Dudići (O. Pag) - Novalja (O. Pag)] Uz glasni i srdačni doček, Novalja je dočekala legendu plivanja. Iako po jugu i relativno valovitom moru, Veljko je od Dudića do Novalje doplivao u 14:15 (tocno u minutu prema izracunima pilota Fedje), Å¡to znači da je plivao preko 6 sati. Udaljenost: cca 15,5 km. Na obali mnoÅ¡tvo ljudi, predstavnici Novalje i Turističke zajednice Novalja, posjetitelji i mjeÅ¡tani.Dozet se opasno priprema za finale, pa tako je i danas pratio Veljka zadnjih 600 tinjak metara :)Sutra je na redu relativno kratka dionica od Novalje do Å imuna, ali prema prognozama po dosta loÅ¡em vremenu. Tip of the day: Veljko u pol puta stane i kaže pilotu: "Već su me dva pilota napustila, a ti imaÅ¡ žuti karton" i ode dalje :) No comment.7/18/2005Rano jutros Veljko krenuo iz Dudića prema Novalji - [Dudići (O. Pag) - Novalja (O. Pag)] Po relativno loÅ¡em vremenu za plivanje, a to znači jugozapadni vjetar sa morem 2 do 3, Veljko je u 8 i 15 započeo etapu do Novalje. Očekuje se da će po ovakvim vremenskim uvjetima Veljko plivati do Novalje viÅ¡e od 5 sati, pa bi u cilju trebao biti između 13 i 14 sati. Duljina ove dionice prema proračunima iznosi 19.200 m.7/18/2005  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 21 Jul 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7811/1/H-HRVATSKE-SVJETSKE-IGRE---ZADAR-2006.html  HRVATSKE SVJETSKE IGRE - ZADAR 2006KONFERENCIJA ZA TISAKTURISTIČKO NASELJE ZATON - 13.07.20051. Hrvatske svjetske igre projekt su Hrvatskog svjetskog kongresa (HSK), krovne iseljeničke udruge sa sjediÅ¡tem u Å vicarskoj i 30 predstavniÅ¡tva diljem svijeta. Hrvatski svjetski kongres osnovan je 1993 godine i uživa članstvo nevladine udruge pri UN-u sa konzultativnim statusom u ECOSOC-u.2. U jesen 2002. godine rođena je ideja o održavanju Hrvatskih svjetskih igara pod radnim nazivom "Crolimpijada". Projekt prvi put predstavljen IzvrÅ¡nom odboru HSK-a na sastanku u Zagrebu u ožujku 2003 godine i proslijeđen na detaljnu izradu. Sljedeće godine u srpnju na sastanku Glavnog odbora HSK-a u Sarajevu donesena je konačna odluka o održavanju Hrvatskih svjetskih igara u Zadru 2006..3. Prethodno konačnoj odluci članovi IzvrÅ¡nog odbora HSK-a posjetili su razne institucije u RH - Vladu RH, Grad Zadar, Županiju zadarsku, Hrvatsku maticu iseljenika, Nadbiskupiju zadarsku i Hrvatski olimpijski odbor - i dobili pozitivne signale u smislu potpore i pokroviteljstva. 4. Hrvatske svjetske igre prvo su globalno sportsko natjecanje u Hrvata. Domaća selekcija sportaÅ¡a natjecati će se protiv selekcija država hrvatske dijaspore i selekcije Hrvata iz Bosne i Hercegovine. Svi sudionici Igara moraju biti hrvatskih korijena i mogu jedino nastupiti za delegaciju zemlje u kojoj borave barem zadnje tri godine.5. Ciljevi HSI-a: Približavanje domovinske i iseljene Hrvatske, promocija grada i županije domaćina, promocija hrvatskog turizma, približavanje hrvatskih sportskih talenata domovini.6. Hrvatske svjetske igre biti će održane u Gradu Zadru i na području Zadarske županije. Igre će trajati od 15.07.2006 do 21.07.2006 i biti će svečano otvorene mimohodom delegacija u centru Zadra. Svi sudionici Igara biti će smjeÅ¡tenu u TN Zaton koje će biti sportsko selo za vrijeme Igara.7. Discipline na Igrama: Atletika, badminton, boćanje, judo, karate, koÅ¡arka, koÅ¡arka-hakl, nogomet, nogomet na pijesku, mali nogomet, nogomet veterana, odbojka, odbojka na pijesku, plivanje, rukomet, stolni tenis, taekwondo, tenis8. Dob sudionika: od 16 do 40 godina, za boćanje i maraton (atletika) nema starosnog ograničenja. Veteranski nogomet od 36 godina bez gornjeg ograničenja.9. Pored sportaÅ¡a mogu se prijaviti i treneri, suci, predstavnici i volonteri za aktivne uloge na Igrama. Å esta kategorija je pasivna, ali možda za neke najatraktivnija - "prijatelji Igara". Predviđeno za osobe koji za vrijeme Igara žele biti sa ostalim u sportskom selu ali bez obaveza prema programu. 10. DosadaÅ¡nji tijek prijava: do danaÅ¡njeg dana stigle su oko 430 prijava iz 21zemlje. Prijave uglavnom iz manje organiziranih sredina i dobrim dijelom u pojedinačnim disciplinama. Očekivanja su bila takva da će ekipni sportovi iz organiziranih hrvatskih zajednica prednjačiti. Iako iznenađujuća - vrlo pozitivna situacija!11. Novosti za drugi prijavni rok - pored Interneta prijave moguće također putem telefona ili faksa. Ured HSI-a u Zadru otvara 15.8.2005. Promjena nekih ograničenja u svezi starosne dob sudionika, ali najveća novost je kategorija "prijatelji Igara" koja omogućuje baÅ¡ svakome da bude sudionik Igara (sudjeluju u mimohodu). Nogomet veterana uvrÅ¡ten u službeni dio programa (od 36 godina).12. Delegacije Hrvatske i BIH - Detaljne informacije u rujnu / listopadu 2005. Razmatramo mogućnost održavanja kvalifikacijskih turnira u suradnji sa sportskim savezima. 13. Cijena sudjelovanja - 285 EUR za sve aktivne kategorije / 450 EUR za prijatelje Igara, volonteri ako su smjeÅ¡teni u naselju također 285 EUR, ako u samostalnom aranžmanu besplatno. U cijeni uključeno je sudjelovanje na sportskom dijelu Igara, na otvaranju i zatvaranju Igara, smjeÅ¡taj u TN Zaton polu-pansion u bungalowu, jedan obrok na sportskim terenima, ulaz na sva natjecanja, ulaz na kompletni zabavni program, oprema prema potrebi (osim tenisica i oprema za borilačke sportove), transport unutar prijevoznog sistema Igara, koriÅ¡tenje IT centra i doživotno članstvo HSI-a. Jure Strikawww.zadar2006.com Kontakt Tel: 091 / 768 3316  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 18 Jul 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7810/1/E-Ivan-Ljubicic-celebrates-victory---Croatia-into-semifinals.html  Ivan Ljubicic celebrates victory - Croatia into semifinals Croatia's Ivan Ljubicic celebrates victory in the doubles with Mario Ancic during a Davis Cup world group quarter-final tennis match against Romania's Andrei Pavel and Gabriel Trifu at Split, Croatia, July 16, 2005. Ljubicic and Ancic defeated Pavel and Trifu 5-7 6-4 6-7 6-4 6 6-4. REUTERS/Matko Biljak Ivan i MarioCroatia's Ivan Ljubicic (R) and his partner Mario Ancic react during their Davis Cup world group quarterfinal doubles against Romania's Ander Pavel and Gabriel Trifu at Split, Croatia July 16, 2005. REUTERS/Matko Biljak   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 18 Jul 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7809/1/E-Ljubicic-steers-Croatia-into-Davis-Cup-semis.html  Ljubicic steers Croatia into Davis Cup semisCroatia:Romania 4-1Sun Jul 17, 2005 7:05 PM BSTPrinter Friendly | Email Article | RSS LONDON, July 17 (Reuters) - Croatia reached the Davis Cup semi-finals for the first time on Sunday after Ivan Ljubicic beat Romania's Andrei Pavel in the first reverse singles in Split.Ljubicic, who fired down 21 aces, brushed aside Pavel 6-3 6-4 6-3 to hand Croatia an unassailable 3-1 lead.Croatia, who defeated the United States in the opening round, now take on 2002 champions Russia in September."This was one of my best feelings on a tennis court," said Ljubicic. "The spectators were great, I had goose bumps for the whole of the third set."A break in the sixth game was enough for Ljubicic to secure the opening set. Pavel broke early in the second but the Croat reeled off five consecutive games to take command of the match."I was mad at myself losing the serve in the second set," said Ljubicic. "It was all me, and my mistakes, but once I got back on track I knew I had to win this match in three sets."Mario Ancic completed a 4-1 victory with a 7-6 7-6 win over Victor Hanescu in the dead rubber. http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=tennisNews&storyID=URI:urn:newsml:reuters.com:20050717:MTFH50492_2005-07-17_18-05-17_L17701772:1   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 18 Jul 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7814/1/E-Croatias-Ukic-to-join-Raptors-on-October-1st.html  Croatia's Ukic to join Raptors   Sports Friday, July 15, 2005 Time is GMT + 8 hoursPosted: 15-Jul-2005 20:51 hrs Croatia's international point guard Roko Leni Ukic is to join the National Basketball Assocation's Toronto Raptors for the next three seasons. Croatia's international point guard Roko Leni Ukic is to join the National Basketball Assocation's Toronto Raptors for the next three seasons, head of his Split CO club told AFP. ."I am not familiar with the details of his contract, but I know that everything has been arranged. It is certain," Dino Radja said Friday..The amount of the transfer is three million dollars, according to the local Sportske Novosti daily. ."Toronto was always my wish," the 21-year-old Ukic told the daily.."I will appear in Toronto on October 1," Ukic said adding that he would first play for Croatia at the European basketball championship in September in Serbia. â€" AFP http://www.todayonline.com/articles/61674.asp  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 15 Jul 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7813/1/E-Free-Admission-to-Tennis.html  Free Admission to TennisBy Katarina TepeshFree admission to US Open Qualifying Tournament starting Tuesday, August 23 â€" Friday, August 26, 2005. Gates open at 10:00 am at the USTA National Tennis Center. Come see tomorrow’s Croatian tennis stars today at one of the largest tennis tournaments in the United States. Admission to all US Open qualifying matches is FREE! Also Free admission Open Practice Day on Sunday, August 28, 2005; Gates open at 11:00 am. Come see your favorite Croatian tennis star up close and personal as they practice for the 2005 US OPEN CHAMPIONSHIPS.Support Croatian tennis stars IVAN LJUBICIC, MARIO ANCIC, IVO KARLOVIC, KAROLINA SPREM, JELENA KOSTANIC, SANDRA MAMIC, SILVIJA TALAJA, ROKO KARANUSIC, SASA TUKSAR, ZELJKO KRAJAN, MAJA PALAVERSIC COOPERSMITH, LOVRO ZOVKO and others. Competing among Juniors will be MARIN CILIC, SANJA ANCIC, PETAR JELINIC, IVANA ABRAMOVIC, JOSKO TOPIC, NIKA OZEGOVIC and others. Playing at US OPEN, Flushing Meadows, Queens, New York from August 29 â€" September 12, 2005. Prize money is rising from last year and the Men’s and Women’s singles champions will each get a record $1.1 million.To purchase tickets for 2005 US OPEN, go to TicketMaster.com or call TicketMaster at 1-866-OPEN-TIX Tickets are available for groups of 25 or more. One Free Ticket for every 25 tickets purchased per session. Call 718-760-6200 menu option #1. The US Open is the highest annually attended sporting event in the world with more than 625,000 fans. More than 86 million viewers watched the US Open on CBS and USA Network, and international broadcasts reached 199 countries. For more info see www.usopen.org  Transportation: Subway at Grand Central Station/Times Square take Flushing bound IRT number 7 train to Willets Point-Shea Stadium stop. ***  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 14 Jul 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7815/1/E-Veljko-Rogosic---Amazing-Test-of-Human-Endurance.html  Veljko Rogosic - Amazing Test of Human Endurance Veljko Rogosic (64), four time International Long Distance Swimming Federation World Champion, is on his way to win another world’s best. This outstanding sportsman entered the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame in 1998. Rogosic swam La Manche (38 km) in 2004 at the age of 63, to be the oldest ever and the only Croatian to do so!Rogosic is taking on another professional and personal challenge this summer. A young 64-year-old Croatian legend is swimming a marathon down the entire Adriatic coast, from Savudria in North to Prevlaka in the South - 1,000 km (622 miles) - in less than 60 days!For more information, map and a daily journal of his amazing adventure, as well as a large photo gallery, please visit: www.veljkorogosic.org .Please do contact me for any further information, pictures, clips or anything else you may need.Warm regards from sunny and hot Croatia!Marina StanojevicPress/ MarketingTeam Veljko Rogosicpress@veljkorogosic.org +385 91 552 4022  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 12 Jul 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7812/1/E-Mario-Carevic-training-with-VFB-Stuttgart.html  Mario Carevic training with VFB StuttgartFormer Hajduk Split midfielder Mario Carevic (Mario Carević) who spent the last season playing in Saudi Arabia could continue his career in Germany if he fulfills the expectation of VFB Stuttgart coach Giovanni Trapattoni. The 23 year old has left Croatia and Hajduk last summer after playing 102 league game in First Division plus scoring 7 goals, and from then on we lost his trace in Saudi Arabia and Al-Ittihad, a club that just bought Jared Borgetti the best player of Mexico at Confederations Cup in Germany.Now Carevic appears to be back from Middle East and is accordingly to German media reported to be seen at the training session with VFB Stuttgart. Will he stay or not will probably depend of the Giovanni Trapattoni impressions of the Croat.  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 12 Jul 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7819/1/E-Croatia-defeating-Russia-12-7-in-New-York.html  In the group B semifinal today in New York:Croatia defeating Russia 12-7Canadian Water PoloCanada loses 14-8 to Spain in World League men’s water polo semifinal tournamentJuly 6, 2005TORONTO.- A rebuilding Canadian men’s team got caught in an scoring festival with Spain on Wednesday and lost 14-8 in the opening game of the A group World League men’s water polo semifinal tournament being held this week at the University of Toronto.The Canadians who were 0-6 in the round robin portion of the tournament which took place last month in Europe were led by Kevin Mitchell of Vancouver with three goals, Thomas Marks of Vancouver with two while Kevin Graham of Regina, Noah Miller of Regina and Jean Sayegh of Montreal notched one apiece. The score was 9-4 Spain at the half. “This was by far our worst game we’ve played so far in the World League,â€? said Canada’s head coach Dragan Jovanovich of Calgary. “The mistakes we made tonight were incredible. This was the first time we were playing at home and we looked paralysed out there. The only positive is we only lost by six goals. We hadn’t played in 10 days and I think we lost our rhythm. We need to get back to our defensive ethic and ball control.â€?Guillermo Molina led Spain with four goals while Felipe Perrone, Kiko Perrone, Jose Rodriguez and Xavi Valles added two each with singles to R. Diaz and Ivan Perez.In Wednesday’s other game here Greece defeated Serbia and Montenegro, the Olympic silver medallists 8-7. Greece led 5-4 at the half. It was Serbia and Montenegro’s first lost of the tournament. Scoring for Greece were Antonis Vlontakis, Stefanos Santa and G Nioskas with two goals each and Argyrios Theodoropoulos and Theodoros Chatzitheodorou with one each. Aleksandar Sapic, the league’s top scorer, scored four times for Serbia Montenegro with singles to Danilo Ikodinovic, Vladimir Vujasinovic and B. Zlokovic.On Thursday, Canada has the bye with Serbia Montenegro facing Germany at 7 p.m. and Spain vs Greece at 8:30 p.m. Canada’s next game is Friday against Serbia Montenegro, the Olympic silver medallists in Athens.The group B semifinal also started today in New York with Croatia defeating Russia 12-7 and Italy edging the U.S., 6-4. The top-three teams from the two groups advance to the World League final next month in Belgrade. More than $430,000 (U.S.) is up for cash prizes in the tournament.More information at: www.waterpolo.ca and www.fina.org Source: http://www.sportsfeatures.com  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 10 Jul 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7817/1/E-Croatia-sniper-Marasovic-overpowers-City-in-13-minutes.html  Marasovic, Croatia sniper, overpowers CityMarasovic scored all three Toronto Croatia goals Croatia 3, City 1 By KATHY RUMLESKI -- London Free PressIn the battle between the top two teams in the Canadian Professional Soccer League, Toronto Croatia emphatically made its case that it is now supreme. Croatia scored three goals in 13 minutes, all by Leo Marasovic, to defeat London City 3-1 last night at Cove Road field. Marasovic, with his speed and height, was able to cruise through City's defence and shoot bullets at goalkeeper Ibrahim Hadzic. Croatia, last year's league champions, improved to 4-1-1 atop the Eastern Conference while City fell to 5-3 but still remains tops in the West. City manager Harry Gauss was frustrated that his team didn't stick to basic plays. "We're meat and potatoes -- we're not filet mignon." London got on the board first in the 27th minute on a goal by Jeff Johnson, playing in his first game for City this year. He last played for City two years ago. Croatia tied the game just over a minute into the second half. Marasovic dribbled past two defenders and sent the ball over the head of Hadzic.Marasovic then popped in two more goals in the 56th and 60th minutes. Two minutes later and Hadzic had to knock out two more shots. "(Hadzic) still did a good job," said Gauss. One of Hadzic's best saves came in the 12th minute when he came out of the net to steal the ball from Croatia's Leo Laurito. Hadzic had to guard the net after starting goalie Haidar Al-Shaibani learned this week he'll be out for six weeks. Al-Shaibani suffered a torn hamstring while playing as a full- back in last Friday's game. Another London player was injured last night. City defender Shawn Ord was knocked to the ground late in the game when Croatia's Tom Granic hit Ord in the face with his shoulder. Ord had to be helped off the field. City's Erik Elmauer received a red card at the end of the game when he booted the ball at referee Justin Tasev, a former Western player. Elmauer and Tasev later shook hands. London was playing without two starting midfielders, Dennis Peeters and Eris Tafaj, the team's leading scorer. Peeters and Tafaj were selected to play for the CPSL all-stars in a game today against Glasgow Rangers. That game is at the University of Toronto at 6 p.m. GAME GLANCE Croatia 3, City 1 Toronto goals: Leo Marasovic (3) London goal: Jeff Johnson Next: The North York Astros come to Cove Road field Friday for an 8:38 p.m. game. http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Soccer/Canada/2005/07/09/1124329-sun.html   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 10 Jul 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7816/1/E-MARIN-CILIC-JUNIOR-CHAMPION.html  MARIN CILIC, JUNIOR WINNER AT ROLAND GARROSNew Croatian Tennis StarBy Katarina Tepesh & Jeffrey LesserIn an amazing turn of events, 16-year-old Croat Marin Cilic won the boys’ junior championship at Roland Garros to become the first Croatian champion of the event in French Open history.In his title run, the unseeded Cilic won six matches in a row, including a third-round dismantling of the #3 seed, Son-Yong Kim, Jr. of Korea, a straight set victory over 5th seeded Sergei Bubka of the Ukraine, and a semifinal shocker over #1 seed Andrew Murray of Britain. After defeating three seeded players in a row, Cilic faced Antal Van Der Duim of the Netherlands in the final, and won the title convincingly, 6-3 6-1. Marin Cilic, an unseeded player not expected to do much damage on clay at the French Open, had won the title in superlative fashion.Cilic, who now officially represents Croatia, moved to Zagreb in 2002 from his home in Medjugorje, Bosnia & Herzegovina, the same village where in 1981 youngsters affirmed that they had seen the Virgin Mary “Queen of Peace.â€? Said Cilic of how he became involved in tennis, “One of my relatives was playing tennis. So I started to play initially just to get involved with sports. I learned pretty fast and I started to think that perhaps I have a future in tennis.â€? He realized this potential was genuine in 2004. “I was thrilled when as a 14-year-old, my idol Goran Ivanisevic invited me to train with him and asked me to play doubles with him at the Zagreb Open,â€? Cilic remembered. It was truly unexpected that Cilic, an unseeded underdog in almost all of his matches at Roland Garros, won the clay-court tournament, because he greatly favors playing on hard courts and grass. This should say something for his ability to win the US Open and the upcoming Wimbledon junior championships.Cilic is sure to no longer have financial troubles, which plagued him greatly in the past. A delighted Cilic noted, “The Croatian tennis association is paying for my apartment in Zagreb and I also receive 2000 kunas pay. Now that I won at Roland Garros, I will receive additional money from Zagreb municipality.â€? On his imminent sponsorship opportunities, Cilic remarked, “I also received several offers from well known sponsors. Now I’m in the process to seriously consider them. Of course, my main sponsor Fila will definitely increase my pay.â€?Training in Zagreb with coach Andrej Tonejc, to whom Cilic greatly attributes his success, Cilic hopes to do more than just win the boys’ junior championship at Roland Garros. “My goal is to one day reach top 50,â€? said the 16-year-old tennis phenom.While playing in Croatia has helped his tennis game, it has not come without its drawbacks. “I miss my family who are still living in Medjugorje. I hope we will be together soon,â€? said Cilic. For all wishing to get a chance to see Cilic play live, he competed among Juniors at US Open 2004 and therefore is sure to play at the US Open 2005. With his great preference for hard courts, perhaps Cilic is better suited to winning this tournament than even Roland Garros.****  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 10 Jul 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7818/1/E-Croatia-parliament-approves-Euro-2012-joint-bid.html  Croatia parliament approves Euro 2012 joint bid Thu Jul 7, 2005 4:11 PM BSTPrinter Friendly | Email Article | RSS ZAGREB, July 7 (Reuters) - Croatia's parliament gave its support on Thursday to a joint bid with Hungary to stage the 2012 European soccer championships finals. Hungary's parliament approved the bid earlier this week.It is Croatia's second attempt to host the tournament after a joint bid with Bosnia for the 2008 finals failed.The other bidders for 2012 are Greece, Italy, Russia, Turkey and Poland and Ukraine jointly. The decision will be made in December 2006.Austria and Switzerland are joint hosts of Euro 2008. http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldFootballNews&storyID=URI:urn:newsml:reuters.com:20050707:MTFH54978_2005-  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 08 Jul 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7823/1/E-I-love-the-water-To-wake-up-every-day-it-would-be-good-to-see-that.html  I love the water. To wake up every day it would be good to see that Bogut Ready to Begin Work With Bucks  By JAMES A. CARLSONAssociated Press WriterJune 30, 2005, 7:47 AM EDTST. FRANCIS, Wis. -- Now that the NBA draft is over, Andrew Bogut is ready to show the Milwaukee Bucks just what they got with the No. 1 pick. Bogut was introduced by the Bucks on Wednesday, one day after the former Utah star was chosen with the first selection in the NBA draft. The 7-foot center is looking to get some rest, learn about his new teammates and concentrate on basketball -- a game he started playing at 11 in Australia. "I think this is the best part. Things quiet down, and now I'll just let my game do the talking," he said. Bogut said he's a good fit for Milwaukee, which he called a blue-collar place that fits his background in Australia. It was there that he worked his way through the youth program to the national team and became a starter for the 2004 Australian Olympic squad. Bogut, 20, who earned college player of the year honors last season, said he's eager to get to work. He seemed to welcome the heavy expectations placed on his shoulders by the Bucks -- a team coming off its worst record (30-52) in nearly a decade. "I really believe within the next five years you're going to look at the best center in the Eastern Conference," general manager Larry Harris said. Harris' focus will now turn to re-signing top scorer Michael Redd and other free agents, and hiring a replacement for Terry Porter, the second-year coach who was fired last week. When the Bucks selected Bogut on Tuesday night, the news quickly spread down to Australia. "I heard that they stopped every television program and put on a news break about the draft, which is very special," he said. "You know, basketball is not the biggest sport in Australia so it's very special to me to have something like that. ... The country actually stopped for five minutes and they had that break. The people down there are very proud of me." Bogut was impressed that fans in Milwaukee's Bradley Center on draft night displayed flags of Australia and of Croatia, honoring his ethnic heritage. "You don't get that in many NBA arenas," he said. "I think the people here are very proud to have me and I'm very proud to have them." Bogut is among the young Bucks players expected to get a taste of NBA competition during summer league play. He said one of his priorities will be finding a home in Milwaukee with a view of Lake Michigan instead of the Southern Pacific Ocean shores of his hometown. "I'm going to get an apartment somewhere looking at the water," he said. "I love the water. To wake up every day it would be good to see that." http://www.newsday.com/sports/basketball/sns-ap-bkn-draft-bogut,0,3326684.story?coll=ny-basketball-headlines  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 05 Jul 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7821/1/E-Major-interest-for-Croatian-World-Games.html  Major interest for Croatian World Games Media news conference July 13th, 2005 / Zaton Holiday VillageAs our first application deadline has expired, one thing has become evident - the Croatian World Games have drawn enormous interest and attention in Croatian communities worldwide. A couple hundred applications from over twenty countries are an excellent introduction to what has to become the first "Croatian Olympics" in history. But this is only the beginning of the story! The real promotion has to start yet. We believe there are many individuals around that have heard about the Games but didn't quite understand that they're invited themselves. In addition, there are many of those that already have the wish to participate but don't know how to enroll.Because of these and other reasons, the organizing committee has set July 13th, 2005 as the date for the the first media conference which will take place at the Zaton Holiday Village, the same place which will act as "Olympic village" during the Games. The conference will cover the first application period and its results, the new application deadline, application possibilities apart from the internet and other issues of importance connected with the Games. At the same time the news conference will serve as project presentation for the domestic public.Apart from our hosts, invitations for the news conference have gone out to all Games patrons and co-patrons (Government of Rep. Croatia, City of Zadar, Zadar County, the Archbishopric of Zadar, the Croatian Heritage Foundation, Croatian Olympic Committee). A number of sport celebrities are also expected to make a presence at the conference.Detailed information about the news conference you will find soon on our official website www.zadar2006.com .Organizing committee  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 05 Jul 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7820/1/E-Tosic-Roko-won-silver-at-the-XV-Mediterranean-Games.html  Roko Tosic   Croatia's Tosic Roko prepares to serve against Italy's Min Yang during the men's singles table tennis final match at the Mediterranean Games in Almeria, southern Spain, July 3, 2005. Yang won the gold medal, Roko took the silver. REUTERS/Rafael Marchante   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 05 Jul 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7822/1/E-Im-the-proudest-grandmother-in-the-world-today.html  Helen Jurisic: "I'm the proudest grandmother in the world today." Bogut's in the big Bucks as No.1 pickBy Martin BlakeJune 30, 2005Cap that … Bogut after he was drafted as No.1Photo: ReutersHe was always going to the NBA. It was just a matter of a number for Andrew Bogut, Australian basketball's latest and most famous export.NBA commissioner David Stern stood before a lectern at Madison Square Garden in New York and read from a card: "With their first pick, the Milwaukee Bucks select Andrew Bogut."With a hug for his father Michael and mother Ann, Bogut stepped into the sporting stratosphere. In the land of opportunity, someone jammed a Bucks cap on his head just before he shook hands with Stern, towering over the man who has presided over the game for some years. Welcome to the Big Time.At the Lexus Centre in Melbourne, Collingwood's home territory, a crowd had gathered at the NBA's behest for breakfast and to watch the draft telecast on ESPN and see if the speculation about Bogut's being the No.1 selection would be correct. When it turned out to be so, his grandmother Helen Jurisic, who emigrated to Melbourne from Zagreb in Croatia 30 years ago, was handed the microphone."I think you deserve it," she told the 20-year-old, who was listening on a satellite hook-up from New York. "I'm the proudest grandmother in the world today."AdvertisementBogut, 213 centimetres, is not the first Australian to reach the NBA. The likes of Andrew Gaze, Shane Heal, Chris Anstey and Luc Longley have done it before him, the latter winning three championships with the Chicago Bulls in the 1990s.But Bogut is the first Australian to be the No.1 draft pick and as such becomes the hottest property in US basketball.The sport in this country quickly claimed this as its little piece of history.He will earn $US14.2 million ($19m) in his first three years with the Bucks, who missed the NBA play-offs this year. A new endorsement deal with Nike is likely to earn him another $US5m over five years, and his new agent said this week that Bogut would probably earn $US100m during his career.Bogut intends buying "a house and a car" with his new-found wealth, and will fulfil another dream when he buys a Monaro back at home. He could afford something better, an interviewer suggested. "That's just for Australia," Bogut retorted.His start has not been without a hitch or two. Earlier this week, finding himself the centre of pre- draft attention in New York, Bogut said he did not want to be compared with the likes of Longley, Gaze, Anstey or Heal, implying that he was better.Yesterday Longley said he would advise Bogut to "pull his head in and get on with the job for a while before he starts mouthing off"."My advice to Andrew Bogut would probably be that there's a good time for blowing your own horn, and that's when you've got the runs on the board, and that being drafted doesn't prove anything," Longley said."Now's when he proves himself. I'm sure he will."Bogut yesterday backed down from his earlier comments: "I'm very disappointed in the way things were written," he said. "I definitely would not be up here without him [Andrew Gaze], Shane Heal, Luc Longley. It was certainly taken out of context and I want to apologise … it was not what I meant."Two of his junior coaches at Dandenong, Daniel and Joe Ramanauskas, came along with a photo of one of his Rangers teams, Bogut in the middle wearing the No.10 on his jersey. Bogut has said that his omission from an under-16s team drove him to his success, a fact that the Ramanauskases (the brother and father of Essendon footballer Adam) wanted to clarify."I don't think he was ever cut," Daniel Ramanauskas said. "There was an abundance of tall kids and he got put into the second side. It was more for him to develop and play more minutes. At the time he might have thought it a kick in the guts, but look at him today. We're just so proud of the kid and to say we've had some minute part of the kid getting there, it's incredible."http://www.smh.com.au/news/basketball/boguts-in-the-big-bucks-as-no1-pick/2005/06/29/1119724697051.html?oneclick=true  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 03 Jul 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7824/1/E-Edis-Elkasevic-won-the-gold-at-the-XV-Mediterranean-Games.html  Edis Elkasevic  won the gold Croatia's Edis Elkasevic competes in the men's shot put final at the XV Mediterranean Games in Almeria, southern Spain, July 2, 2005. Elkasevic won the gold medal with Spain's Manuel Martinez taking the silver and Bosnia Herzegovina's Hamza Alic bronze. REUTERS/Victor Fraile Reuters - Jul 02 1:28 PM  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 02 Jul 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7826/1/E-Cro-Cop-Mirko-Filipovic-KOs-Magomedov-in-1st-round.html  Cro Cop Mirko KOs Magomedov!Mirko ended his 20th MMA bout in a brilliant way, by a 1st round KO win over Ibragim Magomedov. From the start of the fight Mirko was the one in control and it was obvious that the fight won't be too long. Mirko was superior in stand-up as expected, he landed some solid left straight punches, but the fight was decided by Mirko's middle-kicks. Two of them landed very hard and after the 2nd one Ibragim was unable to continue the fight.A very impressive win for Mirko and now we can definitely say: "Fedor, you're next!"http://www.mirko-crocop.com/ From Dream Stage EntertainmentJune 9, 2005TOKYO, Japan â€" Two more non-tournament bouts have been announced for PRIDE FIGHTING’S next event, CRITICAL COUNTDOWN 2005. In the first bout, Mirko “Cro Copâ€? Filipovic will take on Russia’s Ibragim Magomedov and in the second Judo Olympic gold-medallist Makoto Takimoto will take on Japanese star Kiyoshi Tamura. Previously announced non-tournament bouts include Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira of the Brazilian Top Team versus Poland’s 1996 Judo Olympic gold-medallist, Pawel Nastula and Russia’s Sergei Kharitonov versus veteran heavyweight, Pedro “The Rockâ€? Rizzo of Brazil.http://www.cagewarriors.com/page.asp?ID=1056ULTIMATE FIGHT: MIRKO FILIPOVIĆ SREDIO I MAGOMEDOVA, POTVRĐENA BORBA ZA NASLOV S FEDOROM U KOLOVOZU 26.06.2005 Hrvatski majstor borilačkih vjeÅ¡tina Mirko Filipović danas je u tokijskoj Saitama Areni u dvoboju ultimate fighta pobijedio Rusa Ibragima Magomedova.Meč je odlučen u prvoj rundi, nakon Å¡to je Filipović lijevom nogom pogodio Magomedova u rebra. Magomedov je posrnuo na tlo i meč je prekinut.Filipoviću je to 16. pobjeda u karijeri u ultimate figthu.Magomedov je u dosadaÅ¡njoj karijeri ostvario 12 pobjeda i dva poraza, a dolazi iz momčadi svjetskoga prvaka u teÅ¡koj kategoriji po Pride verziji, Fedora Emelianenka. Upravo bi Emelianenko trebao biti sljedeći Filipovićev protivnik. Meč za naslov svjetskoga prvaka trebao bi se održati 28. kolovoza ove godine.Odmah nakon meča Filipović je u ring pozvao Emelianenka, koji je obećao da će se suprostaviti hrvatskom borcu 28. kolovoza u borbi za naslov svjetskog prvaka.Hina/HRTweb sport (kd)Source: http://sport.hrt.hr/htvsport/default.aspContact:SLAVEN VUJIC, CroCop's PRslaven@mirko-crocop.com   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 25 Jun 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7825/1/E-Soccer-win-for-Croatia.html Soccer win for Croatia  June 26, 2005THE MISSISSAUGA NEWSAMIT GOSSAI Jun 24, 2005 The defending Canadian Professional Soccer League (CPSL) champions, Toronto Croatia, earned their first victory of the season last Saturday in Laval, Quebec. The Mississauga-based team had lost and tied earlier contests, before edging the Dynamite, 2-1. "We're not in shape as yet," said team manager Theo Krajacic. "We're going to take a while getting into the season." Newly-acquired strikers Miles O'Conner and Haydan Fitzwilliams scored goals at the 43rd and 85th minute marks respectively, leading Toronto to victory. The win improved Croatia's record to 1-1-1. Their four points are good enough for third place in the Eastern Conference standings. Croatia are back home at Memorial Park in Streetsville tonight to face the Durham Storm. "Conditioning is the biggest thing," said Krajacic. "We haven't had time to condition ourselves and that explains why we haven't gotten off the ground fast enough." During the off-season, Fitzwilliams and Caswain Mason were added to the Croatia roster in an exchange for cash from the Metro Lions, while O'Conner was acquired from the Hamilton Thunder for midfielder Marko Bedenikovic. Defenders Robert Fran and Domagoj Sain return to Croatia's roster after a year on loan players to the Toronto Supra. THE MISSISSAUGA NEWShttp://www.mississauga.com/mi/sports/story/2875509p-3330572c.html   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 25 Jun 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7827/1/E-Edis-Elkasevic-won-the-NCAA-title-and-a-national-record.html  SEC Honors Auburn NCAA Champion  Edis Elkasevic By Staff Reports Inside the Auburn TigersDate: Jun 20, 2005Auburn, Ala.--NCAA shot put champion Edis Elkasevic has been named SEC Outdoor Field Athlete on Monday. The Auburn University sophomore was selected for the honor by a vote of the league's 12 track and field head coaches. He won the NCAA title with an Auburn record toss of 68 feet, 6 inches, which is also a national record for an athlete from Croatia. He also won the SEC indoor and outdoor shot put titles and the SEC discus competition. “He had quite an outdoor season,â€? says Auburn assistant coach Jerry Clayton, who coaches the throwers. “He was undefeated by collegiate throwers except for once during the outdoor season as one person threw ahead of him at Georgia Tech. He had an outstanding year and this quite an honor for him.â€? The sophomore also won the NCAA Mideast Regional shot put title and was named the Mideast Regional Male Athlete of the Year. Auburn head coach Ralph Spry says, "Edis contributed a lot to the team at the conference, regional and national meets. He started the year off with a terrific indoor season and was able to continue that and excel even more as the outdoor season progressed. We look forward to having him for two more years and it will be exciting to see what he has in store in that time.â€? Elkasevic will compete in the Croatian national championships and the World Championships in Helsinki, Finland this summer.http://auburn.scout.com/2/389155.html letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 20 Jun 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7828/1/E-Croatias-Ancic-wins-first-ATP-title.html  Croatia's Ancic wins first ATP titleCroatia's Mario Ancic holds his first ATP trophy Croatia's Mario Ancic holds his trophy after his victory over France's Michael Llodra at the Ordina Open tennis tournament in the Dutch town of Rosmalen June 19, 2005. Ancic underlined his grasscourt credentials on Sunday, beating defending champion Llodra 7-5 6-4 to win the Ordina Open. REUTERS/Toussaint Kluiters  Croatia's Ancic wins first ATP title21-year-old beats Llorda in Ordina Open finalThe Associated PressUpdated: 11:18 a.m. ET June 19, 2005DEN BOSCH, Netherlands - Mario Ancic of Croatia won his first ATP title at the Ordina Open on Sunday, beating defending champion Michael Llodra 7-5, 6-4.It was the first victory in three finals for the 21-year-old Ancic, whose powerful serve befuddled his opponent. “I played some good points when I needed them,â€? Ancic said.Ancic reached the semifinals of Wimbledon last year after also making the semifinals at Den Bosch. He said he hoped to “continue the traditionâ€? in his opening match this year at Wimbledon, which starts Monday. Ancic, seeded 10th, will meet German qualifier Tobias Summerer in his first match.Ancic was the last man to beat No. 1 Roger Federer at Wimbledon, knocking him out in the first round three years ago. Asked whether Federer can be beaten this year, Ancic said, “You have to play unbelievable, and he has to be not 100 percent on top of his game.â€?Llodra said he also felt more confident for Wimbledon, despite the loss. He plays ninth-seed Sebastien Grosjean, also from France, in the first round.Against Llodra, Ancic had eight aces and dropped only three points on his serve in the first set.But Llodra played faultless serve-and-volley, losing only one of his service points until the 11th game. Ancic passed the Frenchman at the net, hit a service return winner down the line and a winner at the net. Rattled, Llodra double faulted at game point, and Ancic comfortably served out the set.Ancic won the fifth game of the second set with a cross-court pass to go up a break. Llodra saved two match points to hold in the next game, but Ancic moved up to the net for the winning points to close out the match.“I have been serving very good all week. For sure it is my biggest weapon,â€? Ancic said. “I didn’t give him too many chances to return.â€?http://msnbc.msn.com/id/8277824/http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=tennisNews&storyID=URI:urn:newsml:reuters.com:20050619:MTFH37985_2005-06-19_12-30-07_L19183036:1http://inhome.rediff.com/sports/2005/jun/19ancic.htm Ancic secures Ordina Open title Latest results Croatia's Mario Ancic confirmed he will be a threat at Wimbledon by winning the Ordina Open on grass on Sunday. The third seed, who will be seeded 10th at Wimbledon after reaching the last four last year, beat defending champion Michael Llodra 7-5 6-4. Ancic dropped just three points on serve in the opening set and broke his French opponent in the 11th game. Llodra saved two break points in the fifth game of the second set before Ancic finally broke to set up victory. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/4108740.stm   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 16 Jun 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7829/1/E-Croatias-Marin-Cilic-wins-the-French-Open.html  Croatia's Marin Cilic wins the French Open Croatia's Marin Cilic shows his trophy after winning the Boys' final match of the French Open tennis tournament against Netherlands' Antal van der Duim, at the Roland Garros stadium, Sunday June 5, 2005 in Paris. ( AP Photo/Francois Mori)  AP - Jun 05 5:56 AM Fifty random musings from Roland GarrosPosted: Sunday June 5, 2005 11:12PM; Updated: Monday June 6, 2005 9:53AMRafael Nadal's 24-match win streak is the longest by a male teenager in the Open era.Bob Martin/SI Buy French Open TicketsGotickets.com provides tickets for all sessions of the French Open at Roland Garros... www.gotickets.comBuy 2005 Official French Open TicketsFrench Open specialists. Championship Tennis Tours, since 1987, offers guaranteed great... www.tennistours.comBuy Tickets to the French OpenTennisTickets.com sells tickets to all French Open matches. Check our site for prices,... www.tennistickets.comFrench Open Tickets at TicketCity.comTicketCity.com sells tickets to the French Open at Roland Garros in Paris, France. View... www.ticketcity.com Cleaning out the notebook from Roland Garros. Herewith, 50 scattered thoughts ...1. Rafael Nadal showed as much mettle beating Mariano Puerta in the (surprisingly entertaining) French Open final as he did beating Roger Federer a round earlier. There's an inevitable letdown after beating the world's No.1; your nerves surface, you're off your game, the other guy is swinging away with reckless abandon, the crowd wants the underdog to win, the conditions are less than ideal. When you still find a way to grind out the win, it says a lot.2. Justine (Allez cat) Henin-Hardenne, the women's champion, has now won four of the last seven majors she's entered. She staves off match points against poor Svetlana Kuznetsova in round four and then doesn't drop a set. In fact, her destruction of Mary Pierce in the final was her toughest match of the tournament.3. Did we read right, Nadal is entered in the singles AND DOUBLES in Halle this week? Nadal on grass is an intriguing prospect, but boy has he played a lot of tennis heading into the tournament.4. What's this we hear that Larry Brown has been furtively interviewing for Tony Roche's job?5.The most feared weapon in women's tennis is Henin-Hardenne's guts. It is she -- and not Serena Williams or Maria Sharapova -- who now has the regal aura and intimidation factor good for a few games a set.6. Answer: Igor Andreev. Question: Who was the last player to have beaten Nadal?7. On his 25th birthday Marat Safin beat Federer in the Australian Open semifinals. On his 19th birthday, Nadal beat Federer in the French Open semifinals. Coincidence? Hildegard Vandromme of Brussels notes that Joachim Johansson has a birthday on July 1. Hmmm.8. Federer has lost three matches all year and hasn't reached a Grand Slam final. Think he might fear Nadal a little? He is 1-2 against him with the one win coming on hard courts when he was two points from defeat.9. Who says Americans can't play on clay? The Bryan Brothers reached the French Open final before wilting in the third set against Max Mirnyi and Jonas Bjorkman. The Bryans are a terrific team and a lot of fun to watch; but their record in finals is troubling at best.10. Unseeded Marin Cilic of Croatia beat Antal Van de Duim to win the boys title. Agnes Szavay beat Raluca Olaru of Romania to win the girls championship.11. Is there a more underrated tennis story than the success of Virginia Ruano Pascual and Paola Suarez? After beating Cara Black and Liezel Huber in the final, they won their eighth Grand Slam title.12. The incongruous team of Fabrice "The Magician" Santoro and Daniela Hantuchova won the mixed doubles, beating the ageless Martina Navratilova and Leander Paes in the finals.http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2005/writers/jon_wertheim/06/05/frenchopen.50.thoughts/?cnn=yes   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 07 Jun 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7831/1/E-Preview-fastest-European-girls-in-Rijeka-Croatia.html  Preview fastest European girls in Rijeka, CroatiaEU Women's Cup: Rijeka previewRacing series BIKE Date 2005-06-06 The exciting challenge among the fastest European girls is back again! The second round of the European Women's Cup will take place in the Rijeka-Grobnik circuit in Croatia next Sunday, June 12th, together with the European Championship (125 cc, 250 cc, Supersport, Superstock 600, Women's Cup). Among the favourites, of course, the Italian riders who won the Vallelunga race, Alessia Polita (in the 600 cc class) and Samuela De Nardi (in the 1000 cc class), but also the French Fabienne Migout, who has proved fast even in a circuit she didn't know before, and the Hungarian Petra Sovegjarto, who's familiar with the Rijeka circuit, having raced this track in the Alpe Adria cup. Great expectations for Ela Seestaller, the German rider who, having missed the Vallelunga race, will measure herself against the other European racers for the first time. Next Sunday race results will be decisive for the championship standings, looking forward to the third and last round in Schleiz (Germany) that will crown the two European champions (600 cc and 1000 cc) of the first all-female European Road Racing Championship in the history of motorcycling. Timetable: Sunday June, 12th Warm up: 9.40 a.m. Race: 11.15 a.m. http://www.motorsport.com/news/article.asp?ID=187550&FS= letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 06 Jun 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7830/1/E-Bulgaria-1-Croatia-3.html  Bulgaria 1 Croatia3Bulgaria are all but out of contention for the World Cup 2006 finals after a home defeat to unbeaten Group Eight leaders Croatia.Coming into the game on the back of two disappointing results in the March round of qualification matches, Bulgaria's coach Hristo Stoichkov needed a win to keep his side's hopes for Germany 2006 alive, while the visitors could have afforded a draw at the hostile Vasil Levski stadium. Starting the game with three up front, Bulgaria soon found themselves overwhelmed in midfield, and it came as no surprise when Marko Babic scored for the visitors in the 18th minute. Niko Kovac created space down the left before passing to Niko Kranjcar who in turn set up Babic to strike a fine shot into the back of the net.The best chance Bulgaria had for an equaliser came in the 31st minute, but Dimitar Berbatov headed over from seven metres. The second-half started off with the visitors looking confident and comfortable, soaking up pressure and then hitting Bulgaria on the counter attack.One such counter attack resulted in the second goal in the 58th minute when Igor Tudor scored a splendid solo effort from just inside the area.The Bulgarians attacked until the end, but had to rely on set pieces to threaten Croatia's goal. Bulgaria got themselves back into the game in the 73rd minute through a well-struck free-kick by Martin Petrov which deceived Tomislav Butina in the Croatia goal.Though the goal injected some spirit into the Bulgarian squad, their hopes for getting something out of the game were soon ended by the visitors. In the 80th minute a bad pass in his own area by substitute Zdravko Lazarov gifted the ball to the visitors.Niko Kranjcar picked the ball up and went past Iliyan Stoyanov before going one-on-one with Ivankov in the penalty area and beating him easily with a well placed shot.An additional blow to Stoichkov's squad was a needless yellow card late on by Berbatov - earned for kicking a ball after the whistle was blown and meaning he will miss the next game against Sweden.Teams: Bulgaria Ivankov, Kirilov, Iliev, Stoyanov, Kishishev (Lazarov 55), Stilian Petrov, Georgiev, Yankov, Martin Petrov, Ivanov (Bojinov 46), Berbatov. Subs Not Used: Kolev, Topuzakov, Aleksandrov, Yanev, Kamburov. Booked: Stoyanov, Berbatov. Goals: Martin Petrov 72. Croatia Butina, Robert Kovac, Tomas, Simunic, Tudor, Srna, Babic, Nico Kovac, Kranjcar (Jerko Leko 82), Prso, Olic (Balaban 90). Subs Not Used: Pletikosa, Simic, Tokic, Klasnic, Ivan Leko. Booked: Olic, Tudor, Robert Kovac. Goals: Babic 18, Tudor 58, Kranjcar 80. Att: 30,738 Ref: Kim Milton Nielsen (Denmark).http://www.sportinglife.com/football/worldcup2006/reports/story_get.dor?STORY_NAME=soccer/05/06/04/SOCCER_Bul-Bulgaria_Nightlead.html&TEAMHD=soccer  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 05 Jun 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7833/1/E-Peasants-Olympic-Games-in-Radosic-near-Split-Croatia.html   Peasants' Olympic Games in Radosic near Split, Croatia  Bulls fight during the Peasants' Olympic Games in Radosic near Split, Croatia May 28, 2005. During the year villagers train their bulls weighting from 800 to 1,200 kilograms (1764 to 2646 pounds) to participate on this event hoping to get the prestigious first prize. REUTERS/Matko Biljak   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 28 May 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7832/1/E-Robert-Kovac-and-Mladen-Krstajic-playing-on-German-soccer-cup-final.html   Robert Kovac and Mladen Krstajic playing on German soccer cup final   Bayern Munich's players present the Cup to the fans after the German soccer cup final between Bayern Munich against Schalke 04 in Berlin Olympic stadium Saturday, May 28, 2005. Munich won with 2-1. From left to right: Lucio from Brazil, unidentified, Michael Ballack, Oliver Kahn, Claudio Pizzaro from Peru, Ze Roberto from Brazil, Robert Kovac from Croatia. (AP Photo/Roberto Pfeil) AP - May 28 6:21 PM   Munich's Dutch soccer player Roy Makaay, left, and Schalkes soccer player Mladen Krstajic from Croatia, right, challenge for the ball during the German soccer cup final match between FC Bayern Munich and Schalke 04 in Berlin's Olympia stadium on Saturday, May 28, 2005. Munich won the match 2-1. (AP Photo/Christof Stache) AP - May 28 6:31 PM  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 28 May 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7834/1/E-Croatian-Tennis-Tournament-in-New-York-May-21-2005.html Croatian Tennis Tournament May 21, 2005 Tournament starting at 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. Buffet dinner starts at 7 p.m. at Istria Sports Club, 28-09 Astoria Boulevard, Astoria, NY. RSVP by May 14, 2005: Call Croatian American Chamber of Commerce at (718) 937-4040 - Monday to Friday 10 AM to 1 PM or (646) 244-1594 Web site: CroAmChamber.org E-mail: mcroner@nyc.rr.com  At famous Flushing Meadows Tennis Courts Flushing, New YorkMay 21, 2005 www.croamchamber.org   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 14 May 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7836/1/E-Croatia-is-now-undefeated---Croatia-wins-thriller.html  Croatia wins thriller Croatia is now undefeated from three games so farFriday, 8 April 2005Croatia scored a thrilling a four-three victory over a gallant Westlands United at Croatia park on Sunday that moves them closer to a league cup final berth.Croatia were first to score after 10 minutes when John Morris was pulled down in the box and Robert Rendulic converted the spot kick for a one nil lead.Croatia made it two nil five minutes later as Morris slotted in one of his own and Croatia looked to be coasting. Westlands though are showing good signs already this year and they pulled a goal back through the nippy Peter Rincon and just before half-time a header from Tallen Kilpatrick made it two-two. Westlands then got off to a perfect start in the second half as Matt Ellis latched onto a square ball to give his club a three-two lead. With 20 minutes to go Rendulic got his second as he rounded the keeper to make it three-three. With the game up for grabs, veteran Theo Stamoulis won the match with five minutes to go as his header found the net from a Nicolas Todd cross. Croatia is now undefeated from three games so far, while Westlands are showing they'll also be hard to beat this season.http://whyalla.yourguide.com.au/detail.asp?class=sport&subclass=local&category=general%20sport&story_id=384521&y=2005&m=4  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 09 May 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7835/1/E-Soccer-World-Cup-tickets-sold-out-for-Croatia.html  Soccer World Cup tickets sold out for CroatiaLONDON, May 8 (IranMania) - There are no longer World Cup tickets available for some 24 countries, among them Iran, Brazil, Germany, Argentina, Italy, France, Netherlands and England, the vice-president of the 2006 World Cup Organizing Committee, Wolfgang Niersbach, announced in Frankfurt on Saturday. "Tickets for 13 countries were sold out at the end of the first phase. As of midday Tuesday, tickets are no longer available for 11 more nations," Niersbach said. At the current time, the following 24 team series are sold out: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Croatia, Czech Republic, Ecuador, England, Spain, France, Germany, Greece, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Paraguay, Poland, Portugal, USA, Switzerland, Sweden and Ukraine. However tickets are still available for some 81 other nations, according to Niersbach. http://www.iranmania.com/News/ArticleView/Default.asp?NewsCode=31646&NewsKind=Sport  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 08 May 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7838/1/H-Sport-okuplja-Hrvate-sa-svih-kontinenata.html  Sport okuplja Hrvate sa svih kontinenata  www.zadar2006.com Grad Zadar bit ce od 15. do 21. srpnja 2006. godine domacin prvih Hrvatskih svjetskih igara. Ideja se rodila 2002. godine, a cilj joj je kroz sportske igre okupiti Hrvate sa svih kontinenata i ojacati njihove veze s domovinom. "Nasa je zelja da okupimo preko tisucu sportasa iz inozemstva i Hrvatske. Za ocekivati je da ce biti prijava iz oko dvadesetak zemalja, sa svih kontinenata", izjavio nam je Jure Strika, ravnatelj Igara. "U ovom trenutku vec imamo prijave sa cetiri razlicita kontinenta. Jako nas vesele prijave iz Venezuele i Perua i daju nam potvrdu da ovaj projekt jednostavno mora uspjeti. Sigurno je da ce SAD, Kanada, Australija i Njemacka biti najmnogobrojnije delegacije." Organizator igara, Hrvatski svjetski kongres vec je najavio mocna pokroviteljstva Vlade Republike Hrvatske, Grada Zadra, Zupanije zadarske, Nadbiskupije zadarske, Hrvatske matice iseljenika i supokroviteljstva Hrvatskoga olimpijskog odbora. Zelja organizatora je da se kroz Igre promoviraju bogatstvo hrvatskoga nacionalnog bica, grad i zupanija domacina, hrvatski turizam, ali i sport kao oblik zdravog zivota. "Logicno bi bilo da se Igre odrze svake tri do cetiri godine. Upravo zbog Svjetskog prvenstva u nogometu sljedece godine odlucili smo se da termin prvig Igara bude od 15. do 21. srpnja 2006. To je tocno tjedan dana nakon zavrsetka SP. Vjerujemo da ce mnogo sudionika upravo spojiti ove dvije stvari, jer se ne dolazi bas svake godine u Hrvatsku iz udaljenih zemalja." Natjecanja su predviðena u 17 ljetnih disciplina (atletika, badminton, bocanje, judo, karate, kosarka, kosarka-hakl, nogomet, nogomet na pijesku, mali nogomet, odbojka, odbojka na pijesku, plivanje, rukomet, stolni tenis, taekwondo i tenis) u razdoblju od tjedan dana nakon svecanog otvorenja u samom sredistu Zadra. Sama pomisao o vise od tisucu sportasa pod razlicitim zastavama u centru povijesnoga grada Zadra, djeluje spektakularno. "U Zadru je pet osoba koji se brinu za realizaciju projekta. U pojedinim drzavama imamo osobe koje se brinu za promidzbu kao i medijske pokrovitelje, no isto tako drzimo da svaki pojedinac moze biti najbolji veleposlanik Igara u svom okruzenju i upoznati svoje prijatelje s Igrama. Vazno je naglasiti da se sve prijave vrse pojedinacno, neovisno o sportskim klubovima i kulturnim udrugama po svijetu. Dakle, sudjelovati moze svatko, pod uvjetom da ima hrvatske korjene i da je stariji od 16 godina", napominje gospodin Strika. Natjecanja ce teci na nacin da ce se jedna domaca hrvatska selekcija sportasa natjecati protiv selekcija drzava iz kojih dolaze hrvatski sportasi (Argentina, Njemacka, ©vedska, Australija, Kanada, SAD...) i nacionalne selekcije Hrvata iz Bosne i Hercegovine. Zanimljivo je da ce se smjestaj za sportase organizirati u Sportskom selu, koje ce po uzoru na Olimpijsko selo tijekom Olimpijskih igara, predstavljati mjesto gdje ce se sportasi upoznavati, druziti i spremati za natjecanja. "Prijava se iskljucivo moze izvrsiti putem interneta na nasim sluzbenim stranicama www.zadar2006.com. Postoje cetiri razlicite kategorije za sudjelovanje: sportasi, suci, predstavnici i volonteri. Bitno je procitati pravila sudjelovanja prije same prijave. Sve prijave se rade pojedinacno, bez obzira na ekipne sportove. Upravo zato apeliramo na predstavnike klubova da motiviraju svoje clanove na sudjelovanje i da predstave drzavu u kojoj zive. Ovim putem posebno zelimo pozvati sportase na sveucilistima da se takoðer prikljuce." Mnogim Hrvatima sa svih kontinenata ovo bi mogla biti idealna prilika da provedu vrijeme u domovini, povecaju broj poznanstava, informacija, povezu se s ljudima unutar i izvan Hrvatske i usput sudjeluju u zanimljivoj sportskoj i turistickoj manifestaciji.www.zadar2006.com Izvor: sportnet.hr.Croatian World Games - Zadar 2006North American promo tourFind our information booth in following cities:Pittsburgh PA / April 23rd 2005New York NY / April 24th 2005London ON / April 29th 2005Ottawa ON / April 30th 2005 Toronto & Mississauga ON / May 1st 2005Vancouver BC / May 4th 2005San Jose CA / May 6th 2005 Los Angeles CA / May 7th 2005 For details visit the official Games website:www.zadar2006.com   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 23 Apr 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7837/1/E-North-American-promo-tour-for-Zadar-2006-CWG.html  Croatian World Games - Zadar 2006 North American promo tourFind our information booth in following cities:www.zadar2006.com Pittsburgh PA / April 23rd 2005New York NY / April 24th 2005London ON / April 29th 2005Ottawa ON / April 30th 2005 Toronto & Mississauga ON / May 1st 2005Vancouver BC / May 4th 2005San Jose CA / May 6th 2005 Los Angeles CA / May 7th 2005 For details visit the official Games website:www.zadar2006.com   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 23 Apr 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7840/1/E-Loncarevic-has-returned-to-Libya-as-a-head-coach.html  Loncarevic returns to Libya By Amr Shaheen BBC Sport, North Africa Loncarevic has returned to Libya nine months after being sacked Croatia's Ilija Loncarevic has signed a one-year contract to take charge of Libya just nine months after being sacked from the post. The 60-year-old was surprisingly dismissed last July, shortly after guiding the Libyans to a 1-0 victory in Sudan in a Group Three 2006 World Cup and Cup of Nations qualifier. Yet following a meeting in Tripoli with Mohamed Gaddafi, head of the interim committee that is currently managing the affairs of the Libyan Football Federation (LFF), Loncarevic has returned to the vacant post. Libya coach resigns The former coach of Croatia champions Dinamo Zagreb succeeds Mohamed El Khemisy, who resigned after a 4-1 defeat to North African rivals Egypt last month in a World Cup qualifier. During his first term in charge, the Croatian coach was credited for his role in bringing young talents such as Walid Osman, Younes El-Shebani and Nader Tarhouni into the national squad. Loncarevic's biggest success in management came when he won the Croatian championship with Dinamo Zagreb in 1999 and he also led Inker Zapresic to the Croatian Cup in 1992. Libya currently lie fourth in Group Three, behind table-toppers Ivory Coast, Cameroon and Egypt but ahead of Benin and Sudan. Locarevic's first task will be to lead the side in their next encounter against the Ivorians on 3 June in Tripoli. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/africa/4454123.stm   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 17 Apr 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7839/1/E-Croatia-natives-Pair-Of-International-Stars-For-2005-Season.html  Croatia natives Sara Radosevic and Luna Rebrovic ink NLIs with the Green Wave in late signing period Volleyball Signs Pair Of International Stars For 2005 Season April 16, 2005NEW ORLEANS, La. - The Tulane University volleyball program added a pair of international stars as outside hitter Sara Radosevic and setter Luna Rebrovic signed National Letters of Intent with the Green Wave, first-year head coach Liz Kritza announced Saturday. Radosevic and Rebrovic both hail from Zagreb, Croatia, and will be eligible to play for the Green Wave as freshmen in 2005. The international duo will join a solid corps of returning players that finished 17-12 last season. "Sara and Luna have achieved great success as members of one of the most successful generations in Croatian volleyball history," Kritza said. "Their years of international playing experience and continual, year-round training will add to a bright future for Tulane volleyball. "They carry themselves well both on and of the volleyball court. We welcome both of these talented young women into the Green Wave family with great enthusiasm."Rebrovic was a member of Volleyball Club "Zagreb" that finished second in the Croatian Junior National Championships, and is regarded as one of the top junior setters in the country. She also played with Volleyball Club "Mladost," which won the Croatian Junior Championship. "Luna is a hard-working, energetic setter who brings with her a great deal of international playing experience," Kritza said. She is an excellent student and a fierce competitor which will ensure her continued success as part of Tulane's volleyball program." Radosevic, meanwhile, was a teammate of Rebrovic on both Volleyball Club "Zagreb" and Volleyball Club "Mladost." In addition, Radosevic has been a member of both Croatian National Teams at the Youth and Junior levels since 2001. She helped lead the Junior National Team to a fourth-place finish at the European Junior Championships in 2004 and qualify for the World Junior Championships in 2005. Radosevic also trained with the Youth National Team that won the 2003 European Youth Championship. "Sara brings Tulane a new dimension with international playing experience against some of the world's best young players," Kritza said. "Beyond her volleyball accolades, Sara is an accomplished student and a highly motivated young woman." http://tulanegreenwave.collegesports.com/sports/w-volley/spec-rel/041605aaa.html   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 17 Apr 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7841/1/E-Andrews-identity-is-with-Australia-and-Croatia.html  Andrew's identity is with Australia andCroatia Bogut the Air apparentBy David SygallApril 3, 2005The Sun-Herald"He's also set up a foundation to help underprivileged kids in Australia, Croatia and the NBA city he will play for. He doesn't want to be one of these NBA guys who only cares about jewellery and cars."Page ToolsEmail to a friend Printer format Rising star ... Andrew Bogut's abilities and appeal are tipped to put him into the marketing stratospherePhoto: APBasketballer Andrew Bogut's marketing power will be the equal of Michael "His Airness" Jordan's and has the potential to influence the Australian economy, his manager David Bauman claims.Bauman said Bogut's ties to Australia, North America and Europe - coupled with his extraordinary basketball skills - made him unique in the NBA, challenged only by 229 centimetre Houston Rockets player Yao Ming, who is a superstar in his native China.Bogut is expected to be the No.1 choice at the NBA draft in New York on June 28 after becoming a household name in the US during a remarkable college season for Utah.He was named the Associated Press US college basketball player of the year on Friday and is favourite for the Naismith Award, to be announced today, and next week the Wooden Award, whose winners include NBA legends Jordan, Tim Duncan and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.Bauman said he and the 20-year-old would be meeting major sports shoe manufacturers this weekend to assess their offers."It looks as if Andrew's going to get a very lucrative multi-year contract with one of them," Bauman said.AdvertisementAdvertisement"Andrew has become known across the United States in the past six weeks - his name is across headlines in every newspaper in the country. That's why the shoe companies are lining up with their chequebooks open."He's so marketable also because we have the Australian market, the North American market and, because of his Croatian roots and his success [at the junior world championship and Olympic Games] in Greece, he's a known entity in Europe."Andrew has told me his identityis with Australia and Croatia. He has said to me numerous times he wants to utilise his profile in Australia and form associations with some big companies there and raise their profile in the States."It's not out of the question that Bogut has the potential to have an impact on the Australian economy."Michael Jordan has a separate brand within Nike. That brand is the third or fourth largest shoe company in the world."There's no reason Andrew can't be a very successful multinational corporation himself, with substantial financial ties to Australia."Bogut's former Australian Boomers teammate and roommate Shane Heal, who played with NBA side the Minnesota Timberwolves, said he hoped Bogut was dealing with the right people, as interest in him would be enormous."He would have had every top agent in the world swarming over him for the past two years," Heal said. "His decisions now will be the most important ones of his career. It'll be interesting to see what unfolds over the next month."Bogut has selected Bauman, a Washington DC-based lawyer whose company SFX represents 20 per cent of NBA players, including Kobe Bryant and Tracy McGrady, to guide him throughout his career.Asked what the hype over Bogut was like compared to that for Bryant at the same stage in his career, Bauman said: "I haven't seen anything like this. This is really something unbelievable."It started two years ago when he dominated kids his age at the world junior championships. He won the championship almost single-handedly."At the Olympics he got to play against NBA players, a very high level. That's when the hype started."He skyrocketed from No.15 in the charts to No.1. He is leaps and bounds ahead of anyone else in the draft."The comparisons I'm hearing are with Bill Walton, the last great white centre who was No.1 draft pick - that was in 1974. They're saying Andrew will be the first great player like that in 30 years. He is in the company of some very, very good players."Bauman said he was impressed by how well adjusted Bogut was in the face of all this attention."He is the most grounded player I've come across in 14 years."His first instinct when he knew he was in for a lot of money was to give back to the school [University of Utah]. He donated $US125,000 [$162,000] before he even had it, to build a new locker room for his teammates."He's also set up a foundation to help underprivileged kids in Australia, Croatia and the NBA city he will play for. He doesn't want to be one of these NBA guys who only cares about jewellery and cars."http://www.smh.com.au/news/Basketball/Bogut-the-Air-apparent/2005/04/02/1112302291322.html?oneclick=true  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 08 Apr 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7842/1/E-Croatia-Soar-to-Summit.html Croatia Soar to Summit Dado Prso(R) of Croatia and Kevin Sammut of Malta fight for the ball during a qualification match in Zagreb for the 2006 World Cup. Coratia won 3-0(AFP/Denis Lovrovic)  By Steve Douglas, PA International Croatia climbed to the top of World Cup European Zone qualifying Group Eight with a 3-0 win over Malta at the Stadion Maksimir. With previous leaders Sweden not having a qualifying game tonight, the Croats took full advantage as they overran the group minnows in a one-sided contest.Two first-half goals by Rangers’ Dado Prso, who scored in the 24th and 35th minute, set the home side on their way before Igor Tudor fired home in the 80th minute to see off the plucky visitors.The Czech Republic claimed their fifth win in Group One with a comprehensive 4-0 drubbing of bottom side Andorra at the Estadio Comunal de Aixovall.The visitors, vying with Holland for top spot in the table, took a two-goal lead into the break thanks to Marek Jankulovski’s penalty and Liverpool’s Milan Baros.Further strikes in the second period by Vratislav Lokvenc and Tomas Rosicky â€" who netted a last-minute penalty â€" sealed the win for the Czechs.A second-half goal by forward Sergei Terehhov earned Estonia a surprise point in the 1-1 home draw with Group Three rivals Russia. Terehhov struck just after the hour mark to derail Russia’s hopes of challenging Slovakia and Portugal. The visitors had taken the lead through Andrei Arshavin after 18 minutes.Elsewhere in the group, Luxembourg are still without a point after they were soundly beaten 4-0 at Latvia.Imants Bleidelis put the hosts ahead in the 33rd minute before Juris Laizans fired home a 38th-minute penalty.Maris Verpakovskis added a second-half double to wrap up the comfortable win for Latvia, who remain in fourth place but close the gap on Russia to just one point.http://sport.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=4328987 Croatia cruise past Malta to lead groupWed Mar 30, 2005 7:17 PM GMTPrinter Friendly | Email Article | RSS ZAGREB, March 30 (Reuters) - Croatia moved top of European zone Group Eight on Wednesday as two goals from Dado Prso and one from Igor Tudor gave them a 3-0 victory over Malta.Croatia leapfrogged Sweden to lead their World Cup qualifying group with 13 points to Sweden's 12.Rangers striker Prso outjumped Malta goalkeeper Justin Haber to open the scoring after 24 minutes and 12 minutes later he doubled the lead after latching on to a Niko Kranjcar pass.Croatia coach Zlatko Kranjcar reshuffled his side at halftime and they had to wait until 10 minutes from time to add a third when Siena defender Tudor shot home from the edge of the area. http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldFootballNews&storyID=URI:urn:newsml:reuters.com:20050330:MTFH35270_2005-03-30_18-17-05_L30307837:1Croatia Takes Easy 3-0 on MaltaSports: 30 March 2005, Wednesday.Croatia has defeated Malta in an easy home win 3-0 on Wednesday. The outsider Malta confirmed preliminary expectations it is too small against the strength of Croatia who has a bunch of good footballers. Only a few days ago Iceland came to Croatia and lost 4-0. Malta did draw 0-0 with Iceland but that is their only point so far. The win for Croatia put them on top of Group 8 ahead of Sweden. They beat Sweden away earlier. Malta has conceded 13 goals in 4 games but seven of those did come in just one game when they lost 7-0 at home to Sweden. They were also beaten hard by Bulgaria, which is playing later on Wednesday its crucial qualified against Hungary.http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=46139   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 30 Mar 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7843/1/EH-Hrvatska-vs-Island-40-Croatia-vs-Island-40.html  European WCQ Group 8 Wrap: Croatia Make No Mistake Against Iceland, Swedes Defeat Bulgaria3/26/2005 10:05:00 PMCroatia beat Iceland 4-0 in Saturday’s Group 8 World Cup qualifier in Zagreb to underline their determination to take part in the Germany 2006 Finals.Hertha Berlin’s midfielder Niko Kovac scored in the 40th minute after a somewhat nervous start for the hosts. The goal relaxed the Croatian team, so suddenly it was just a question of how many goals they would manage to put past Iceland’s goalkeeper Arason. The second came in the 72nd minute when another Hertha Berlin’s player, Josip Simunic, scored after a good assist from Darijo Srna. A great day for Hertha’s players in the Croatian national team continued in the 76th minute. Another precise assist from Darijo Srna and Niko Kovac scored his second goal. Glasgow Rangers’ striker Dado Prso scored in the 90th minute from a distance of some 18 meters to seal a very good performance. ‘’My players did it in a magnificent way tonight. The only version I see right now is a victory against Malta when we host them on Wednesday’’, commented Croatian coach Zlatko Kranjcar. However, for Wedneday’s match he will not be able to count on Saturday’s scorer Josip Simunic - or one of his best players Darijo Srna â€" because of yellow cards they picked up. By defeating Iceland, Croatia now have ten points from four games in Group 8. They are second, two points behind Sweden. However, Sweden have earned their 12 points from 5 matches. The Swedes maintained their grip on top spot with vital and impressive victory in Sofia against Bulgaria. Freddie Ljungberg netted twice (in the 13th and 90th minutes) and Erik Edman hit the other (73rd) in a 3-0 victory over the Bulgarians, who were reduced to 10 men when Markov was shown a second yellow card in the 58th minute. Lazarov and Kishishev were also booked for Bulgaria, while Ibrahimovic, Ljungberg and Ostlund were cautioned for the Swedes. http://www.goal.com/NewsDetail.aspx?idNews=53730&progr=0 NOGOMET, KVALIFIKACIJE ZA SP: DARIJO ASISTIRAO, NIKO I JOE ZABIJALI 26.03.2005 U susretu četvrtoga kola osme kvalifikacijske skupine za Svjetsko prvenstvo 2006. godine Hrvatska je u Maksimiru svladala Island s 4:0. Dvostruki strijelac za kockaste bio je Niko Kovač, a suparničku mrežu jednom su zatresli Josip Joe Å imunić i Dado PrÅ¡o. Trostruki asistent bio je Darijo Srna, koji je ubijao goste svojim savrÅ¡enim centarÅ¡utovima. Tako Hrvatska nakon četiri utakmice ima 10 bodova, dva manje od Å vedske, koja ima i susret viÅ¡e, a koja je danas u Sofiji svladala Bugarsku s visokih 3:0.Slab početak HrvatskeMaksimirski dvoboj Hrvatska je počela u najavljenom sastavu, s Anthonyjem Å erićem na lijevom boku te sa Stjepanom Tomasom u obrani umjesto požutjelih Marka Babića i Roberta Kovača.U prvih deset minuta nije bilo nijedne prave kombinacije hrvatske izabrane vrste, čak su gosti bolje izgledali na terenu. Lopte su u uvodnim tenucima bježale Dadi PrÅ¡i i Ivanu Leki, a jedina opasnija situacija bio je udarac Nike Kovača iz velike daljine u sedmoj minuti.Opasni Kranjčarovi prekidiTri minute kasnije Niko Kranjčar zaprijetio je iz slobodnog udarca, izvedenog gotovo uz korner liniju s lijeve strane, no vratar Arason izbio je loptu upućenu u svoj dalji kut vrÅ¡cima prstiju. Dva slobodna udarca Kranjčara s lijeve strane gostujućeg kaznenog prostora urodila su s dvije Å¡anse - u 12. minuti ponovno je izvrsno nabacio na glavu imenjaka Nike Kovača, koji je sa sedam-osam metara pogodio vratnicu.Kockasti vezni red bio je u tim trenucima prilično neinspiriran, za Å¡to dio zasluga sigurno pripada i gustoj sredini gostiju, pa su napadači bili odsječeni. Ipak smo prijetili, najviÅ¡e iz prekida. Najbolja prilika u dotadaÅ¡njem tijeku utakmice nastala je nakon Kranjčarova udarca iz kuta u 19. minuti. Na drugoj vratnici okvir gola zatresao je Ivan Klasnić, lopta se odbila do PrÅ¡e, koji je glavom s dva metra prebacio gol.Domaća momčad je, kako je poluvrijeme odmicalo, pomalo uspostavljala dominaciju na maksimirskom travnjaku, no nije to bila tečna igra, a napadački dvojac PrÅ¡o - Klasnić nije bio previÅ¡e raspoložen za individualne pokuÅ¡aje. U 26. minuti islandskoga vratara je ipak na iskuÅ¡enje opasnim udarcem pod prečku sa 18 metara stavio napadač bremenskog Werdera, ali brza lopta iÅ¡la je previÅ¡e po sredini gola. ViÅ¡e od Islanđana publiku je iziritirao južnoafrički sudac Jerome Damon, koji je čak dao žuti karton PrÅ¡i za samo njemu vidljiv prekrÅ¡aj u napadu, a donosio je i niz drugih čudnih odluka.Niko Kovač glavom za 1:0Grubi ulazak u noge Srni u 38. minuti osvetio se Islanđanima. Darijo je sam izveo slobodni udarac zdesna, s nekih 40-ak metara, i izvrsno nabacio na drugu vratnicu, a loptu je u mrežu glavom sa Å¡est metara poslao kapetan Niko Kovač - 1:0 za Hrvatsku u 39. minuti!Iako bez velike igre, momčad Zlatka Kranjčara zasluženo je povela, jer gosti nisu stvorili nijednu pravu priliku sve do sudačke nadoknade, kad je nakon kornera glavom zaprijetio potpuno nečuvani gostujući napadač.Nastavak donio razigranog PrÅ¡uU nastavak obje momčadi uÅ¡le su s identičnim sastavima, a prva prava prijetnja bio je prodor PrÅ¡e po lijevoj strani gostujućeg Å¡esnaesterca u 50. minuti, kad je branič Islanda u zadnji trenutak izbacio loptu u korner. Uslijedilo je nekoliko minuta konstantne gužve u islandskom kaznenom prostoru, no igrači u plavom su se nekako uspijevali spasiti.U 63. minuti možda i najljepÅ¡a akcija hrvatske vrste. Nekoliko izvrsnih dodavanja zavrÅ¡ilo je prodorom Å erića uz korner liniju, povratna lopta krenula je prema PrÅ¡i, koji je bio na pet-Å¡est metara od gola, no islandski branič u posljednji je trenutak presjekao dodavanje i spriječio gotovo siguran pogodak.Četiri minute kasnije PrÅ¡o, koji se razigrao u drugome poluvremenu, sapleten je u protivničkom kaznenom prostoru nakon niskog udarca iz kuta Darija Srne, no južnoafrički sudac ostao je nijem. Svoj show nastavio je i u 69. minuti, kad je PrÅ¡o povučen s leđa na liniji peterca, ponovno bez posljedica.U četiri minute razrijeÅ¡ene sve dvojbe No, pogodak Josipa Å imunića u 71. minuti rijeÅ¡io je sve dvojbe. CentarÅ¡ut Srne smirio je nekako u padu Ivica Olić, koji je zamijenio Klasnića, lopta se dokotrljala do Å imunića, a on je s pet metara smireno poslao u suprotni kut protivničkoga gola - 2:0 za Hrvatsku!Tada se igra otvorila, a i treći gol Hrvatske pao je nakon slobodnog udarca Srne. Udarac je izveden praktično s desne aut linije, a Niko Kovač je i drugi put izvrsno reagirao na ubačaj, pogodivÅ¡i nogom bliži gornji kut gola. Bila je to 75. minuta utakmice, a Srna se upisao u statistiku kao trostruki asistent.PrÅ¡o zapečatio pobjeduDeset minuta prije kraja utakmice gosti su imali priliku iz slobodnjaka sa 17 metara, a minutu kasnije nakon nesmotrenog ispucavanja Butine Island je doÅ¡ao do jedine prave prilike, no naÅ¡ vratar iskupio se dobrom obranom.Dvoboj je mirno priveden kraju, čak su Srna i Å imunić uspjeli zaraditi žute kartone, pa će propustiti utakmicu s Maltom i sigurno biti na raspolaganju za važnije susrete. U samoj zavrÅ¡nici pobjedu je uljepÅ¡ao Dado PrÅ¡o izvrsnim udarcem u suprotni kut, čime je naplatio svoju odličnu igru u drugome poluvremenu. Bilo je to konačnih 4:0 za Hrvatsku.HRVATSKA - ISLAND 4:0 (1:0)Strijelci: Niko Kovač (39, 76), Å imunić (71), PrÅ¡o (90)HRVATSKA: Butina, Tomas, Tudor, Å imunić, Srna, N.Kovač, I.Leko (od 78. J.Leko), Å erić (od 85. BoÅ¡njak), Kranjčar, Klasnić (od 67. Olić), PrÅ¡oISLAND: A.G. Arason, K.Sigurdsson, Bjarnason, I.Sigurdsson, Marteinsson (od 73. Gislason), Vidarsson (od 47. Steinsson), Hreidarsson, Gunnarson, Helguson, J.Gudjonsson (od 60. B.Gudjonsson), EinarssonŽuti kartoni: PrÅ¡o (27), N.Kovač (55), Srna (83), Å imunić (86), J.Leko (90), Helguson (31), Sigurdsson (38)Sudac: Jerome Damon (Južna Afrika)DanaÅ¡nji rezultati i ljestvica osme skupine:Bugarska - Å vedska 0:3 (0:1) HRVATSKA - Island 4:0 (1:0) 1. Å vedska 5 4 0 1 17:2 12 2. HRVATSKA 4 3 1 0 10:2 10 3. Bugarska 4 2 1 1 9:7 7 4. Mađarska 4 2 0 2 5:8 6 5. Island 5 0 1 4 4:14 1 6. Malta 4 0 1 3 1:13 1 http://sport.hrt.hr/htvsport/default.asp   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 26 Mar 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7844/1/E-Croatian-Andrew-Bogut-is-Basketballs-latest-rising-star.html  Croatian Andrew Bogut is Basketball's latest rising starI just found out that college basketball star Andrew Bogut of the Utah Utes is Croatian. He is an Australian of Croatian heritage and plays for Australia's national team. He was doing an interview for CBS and was wearing an Australian shirt and a Dinamo touque. The significance is that he is projected by most experts to be the number 1 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft.Mike PocrnicBasketball is an international game, and 7-foot Andrew Bogut is its latest rising star. Utah's Bogut sure to be a tourney attraction[published on Thu, Mar 17, 2005] By BOB BAUM The Associated Press TUCSON, Ariz. – He was born in Australia. The roots of his game are from his parents' native Croatia. He was a star in Athens, and he has carried Utah into the NCAA tournament. Basketball is an international game, and 7-foot Andrew Bogut is its latest rising star. Soon, the NBA will make him a lottery pick, maybe the No. 1 choice overall. Before that, though, Bogut has some unfinished business with the Utes. "Here's a guy that no one's been able to stop all year," UTEP coach Doc Sadler said. "He's probably the premier guy in college basketball. If they're talking about whether or not you're going to be the third pick or the first pick, that's pretty good. I mean, what can't he do?" Sadler's 11th-seeded Miners (27-7) will try to contain Bogut and the No. 6 seed Utes (27-5) today in a first-round Austin Region game at Arizona's McKale Center. The game will be the second afternoon contest. In the first game, No. 3 seed Oklahoma (24-7), the Big 12 regular-season champion, will play 14th-seeded Niagara (20-9), making its first NCAA tournament appearance in 35 years. The evening contests feature teams from the Albuquerque Region. No. 3 seed Gonzaga (25-4) faces No. 14 Winthrop (27-5), and sixth seed Texas Tech (20-10) plays No. 11 seed UCLA (18-10) in the nightcap. Utah wants Bogut to touch the ball on every possession. If he does not score – and he can even hit an occasional three-pointer – then the collapsing zone defense or double-team leave a teammate wide open. "He's throwing it out, and we're basically playing horse out there," Ute guard Tim Drisdom said. "We get a lot of open jump shots, and it's up to us to knock them down." Bogut was recruited by Rick Majerus and was Mountain West freshman of the year last season. But his game truly blossomed with the Australian national team at the Athens Olympics, where he averaged 14.8 points and 8.8 rebounds in five games. He returned to the college game a wiser player. "I'm playing with guys my age again," the 20-year-old from Melbourne said. "In the Olympics, you're playing guys who are 26, 27 with experience playing all around the world. I came back to play against guys my age and my strength. I thought I could do very well, and I've done pretty well to this point." Bogut is averaging 20.7 points and is third in Division I at 12.3 rebounds a game. He made 64 percent of his shots, third-best in the country. "To see what he's been able to do for this team and this program this year is really amazing," said coach Ray Giacoletti, hired after last season when Majerus resigned for health reasons. "He's the focal point, but the rest of the group has really bought in to understand that he needs to touch the basketball whether it be in transition or the halfcourt game. That's something, to me, that is even more special." UTEP, in its first season under Sadler, wants to make Bogut and the rest of the Utes run. "He's going to get his points and rebounds," UTEP forward Omar Thomas said. "We know he's a good player, that he's a top-five pick. He's going to do what he does. We're just going to hope he doesn't kill us too bad. We're going to play UTEP basketball and make him run up and down the court, what he's not used to, and make him guard our big man." Thomas leads the Miners in scoring at 20.4 points per game, but Puerto Rican point guard Filiberto Rivera makes the team go. The Purple Eagles of Niagara, whose long trip to Tucson included a 4-hour flight delay, are relishing their underdog status against the Sooners. "Like I always say," coach Joe Mihalich said, "they've got McDonald's all-Americans on their team, and we've got guys that eat at McDonald's." Oklahoma coach Kelvin Sampson, of course, was having none of that. He said that Juan Mendez "could start for any team in our conference." "We just played a fast, I mean fast, point guard in Jarrius Jackson (of Texas Tech) and Alvin Cruz is every bit as fast," Sampson said. Gonzaga and Winthrop bring the two longest active winning streaks into the NCAA tournament. The 'Zags have won 12 in a row, Winthrop 18. Gonzaga is in its seventh straight NCAA tournament and has its second consecutive high seeding. It was No. 2 last year. The finale Thursday features Bob Knight's Red Raiders against a UCLA team that barely made the NCAA field. Texas Tech is in the tournament for the third time in Knight's four seasons at the school. UCLA, meanwhile, has its lowest seed in history in a tournament it has won 11 times.http://www.nwherald.com/SportsSection/college/283680824811736.php   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 21 Mar 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7847/1/E-Heroism-Failure-Redemption-in-Davis-Cup.html  Heroism, Failure, Redemption in Davis CupWednesday, March 9, 2005By Mert Ertungamertertunga@sports-central.orgDramatic!Sensational!Stunning!Call it what you will...There is nothing like it!Over the weekend, the Davis Cup once again provided the tennis fans with a different kind of excitement. This is not your everyday tennis tournament type of excitement. In Davis Cup, one look at the players' face proves that this is not about that player or about his battle. What one sees on the player's face is so much more than tension about how to win the next point. The Davis Cup is the moment where the eyes of the player are fixated on the ball and the court, but his mind is slowly, but steadily crushed under the responsibility of representing the vast population that live in his country, and that country's flag. What you see on the player's face is the stress of the whirlwind of thoughts circulating in his mind, including what his teammates are thinking of him, what the millions of viewers are thinking about him when he commits that double fault on that crucial point, or how he will celebrate the win and what a hero he will become to his country's fans if he could just ... oh just ... win the next two games.Take it from a guy who has played the deciding fifth match of a Davis Cup tie, a match that lasted five sets. The picture slowly forming in front of you is composed of a large, very large, group of people (millions in most cases), with a group of boxing gloves enough for all of them laying on one side, and a huge layer gifts and flowers laying on the other. If you win, you are showered with one. If you lose you are punished with the other. Get it?One guy experienced the punishment side three years ago at the pinnacle of Davis Cup. In the 2002 Davis Cup finals in Paris, then 20-year-old Paul Henri Mathieu played Mikhail Youzhny for the deciding fifth match. Mathieu, much to the delight of the home crowd, won the first and second sets. Then the nightmare began and two hours later Youzhny was the hero and Mathieu was the guy who choked the Davis Cup away in five sets. If one did not think Mathieu was haunted by that memory for three years, one probably did not see last weekend's tie between Sweden and France. Mathieu was once again put in the same position against Thomas Johansson, one of the more composed players on the tour. This time around, the location was Strasbourg, France. Mathieu again won the first two sets. And then the nightmare began again. After leading most of the third set, Mathieu squandered away the set in a tiebreaker failing to capitalize on three match points, and went down a break in the fourth. That third set lasted 77 minutes, longest minutes of Mathieu's career, maybe his life. Yet Mathieu clamped down, and won the fourth set by winning the last four games in a row. Immediately, tears came pouring down on his face. Those tears also took away from his body three years of heavyweights that were hanging in his mind since the nightmare in Paris. This time around, he was the hero. Meanwhile in California, the U.S. Team composed of Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick, and the best doubles team in the world, the Bryan Brothers, could not possibly lose to Croatia, right? Wrong!When Agassi went down to the young but bolding Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia, the alarm bells appeared for Patrick McEnroe. Then the bells started ringing loud and clear when the Bryan brothers, who had yet to lose a set in Davis Cup prior to last weekend, went down in four sets to Ljubicic and Mario Ancic. Surely, Roddick and Agassi could still bring the victory to Croatia the next day, couldn't they? Well, that next day was a day of absolute heroism for Ljubicic and a colossal failure for Roddick. Ljubicic, battling injuries and cramps in the fifth set, defeated Roddick to move his country to the quarterfinals. More than Roddick, this defeat leaves question marks regarding the coaching ability of Patrick McEnroe. All through the fifth set, Roddick rushed the points, tried to hurry his shots, and made silly mistakes against a guy who had very little left in the tank. It was almost like Roddick helped Ljubicic's cause by keeping the points short and giving several away on easy unforced errors. You would think that McEnroe on the sidelines would have a few words of wisdom for Roddick during that set. After all, that is one advantage of Davis Cup. The coach can intervene during play. But neither McEnroe showed the ability to guide his player in the right direction, nor Roddick showed his court wit to take a player mentally down that was already physically down.In other ties, a Roger Federer-less Switzerland, without his automatic two wins, lost to Netherlands. Romania defeated Belarus in a thriller, mainly thanks to the home court advantage. On paper, Mirnyi and Voltchkov should have taken care of business against Pavel and Hanescu. But the home crowd helped the Romanians win five tiebreakers in singles matches vs. only one for Belarus. Russia took out Chile and Argentina and Australia blanked their opponents advancing to the quarterfinals.The biggest surprise on paper after Croatia's win was the debacle of the defending champions Spain in Slovakia. However, after considering a couple of factors, it pales in "surprise" element to the U.S.' failure. First of all, Spain did not have the services of Davis Cup veterans Carlos Moya and Juan Carlos Ferrero. Second, the tie was played in Slovakia, indoors on carpet. Probably the last time Fernando Verdasco and Feliciano Lopez played on carpet was when they were little kids in their bedrooms.There is heroism, choking, failure, and revenge on the ATP Tour. The Davis Cup offers the kind that is not available in ATP tournaments. In the Davis Cup, heroes and victims do not have the luxury of being selfish. Therefore, successes and failures are truly heartfelt. To steal from TNT's commercial line: "Drama is Davis Cup."http://www.sports-central.org/sports/2005/03/09/heroism_failure_redemption_in_davis_cup.php   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 09 Mar 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7845/1/E-Davis-Cup-Photo-Gallery-2005.html  San Pedro Croatian Fans at the Roddick - Ljubicic tennis match March 6, 2005Click here: Davis Cup - Popup Gallery Window http://www.daviscup.com/gallery/popup.asp?id=13210&current=4099 Mariana Hazdovac213.955.4534 direct323.843.9762 fax  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 08 Mar 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7846/1/E-Croatia-shocks-US-in-Davis-Cup.html  Croatia shocks U.S. in Davis CupLjubicic's five-set victory over Roddick seals Americans' fateCroatia seemed to have almost as many fans as the U.S. team in the lively, drum-banging and somewhat rowdy crowd of 6,584. Southern California is home to a large number of transplanted Croatians.  Kevork Djansezian / APCroatia's Ivan Ljubicic, center, celebrates with the rest of his teammates and officials after he defeated Andy Roddick of the United States on Sunday, clinching the first-round Davis Cup tie for Croatia. Ljubicic won 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (11), 6-7(7), 6-2. The Associated PressUnited States' Andy Roddick (news), right, congratulates Croatia's Ivan Ljubicic (news) after Roddick lost their first round reverse singles match of Davis Cup at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., Sunday, March 6, 2005. Ljubicic won 4-6,6-3,7-6,(11), 6-7(7), 6-2 to eliminate the U.S. and advance Croatia to the Davis Cup quarter-finals.(AP Photo/Kevork Djansezian)  Updated: 10:19 p.m. ET March 6, 2005CARSON, Calif. - The United States remains in a Davis Cup slump.Ivan Ljubicic beat Andy Roddick in a taut, five-set marathon Sunday to give Croatia an insurmountable 3-1 lead in the opening-round Davis Cup matches. Playing iron man for his country, Ljubicic outlasted Roddick 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (11), 6-7 (7), 6-2 in a match that lasted almost 4 hours. The one remaining singles match became essentially an exhibition since Croatia had clinched the round. Andre Agassi was scheduled to play Mario Ancic, but doubles specialist Bob Bryan subbed for the United States.The 25-year-old Ljubicic began the round with a straight-set win over Agassi, then teamed with Ancic to hand Bryan and his twin brother, Mike, their first Davis Cup loss in six matches.Ljubicic also played and won three first-round matches in 2003 in Zagreb when Croatia eliminated the United States.The Americans, who lost to Spain in the finals last year, have won the Cup 31 times, but haven’t taken it since 1995. The drought is their longest in 68 years.The 34-year-old Agassi, who hadn’t played for the United States since 2000, rejoined the team to try to help end the winless string, but lost to Ljubicic in Friday’s opening singles. Roddick beat Ancic in four sets in their match the first day.Both Roddick and Ljubicic played extremely well in what was an exciting match, with one of Roddick’s serves hitting 152 mph. But Ljubicic was able to punch back his opponent’s powerful serves much of the match, setting up a string of lengthy rallies from the baseline.After winning the fourth-set tiebreaker, Roddick immediately lost his serve in the opening game of the fifth set. Ljubicic broke Roddick’s serve again in the fifth game to take clear control.When Ljubicic finished it off with a service winner, the Croatian team locked arms and broke into an impromptu jig on the court.Croatia seemed to have almost as many fans as the U.S. team in the lively, drum-banging and somewhat rowdy crowd of 6,584. Southern California is home to a large number of transplanted Croatians.Croatia moves on to the quarterfinals against Romania, which defeated Belarus in the first round.Source: http://msnbc.msn.com/id/7111772/   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 06 Mar 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7848/1/E-US-Hosts-Croatia-in-Davis-Cup-Match-Today-on-TV.html  US Hosts Croatia in Davis Cup Match on TV today 4 pm EST (USA) By Steve Schy Washington03 March 2005Veteran tennis star Andre Agassi will play for the United States Davis Cup team for the first time in five years Friday, as the Americans host Croatia in a first round World Group Match in suburban Los Angeles, California. The 34-year-old Agassi has a 30-5 record playing in Davis Cup singles matches. Andre Agassi and former U.S. Open champion Andy Roddick will lead the United States against Croatia in the three-day competition. Agassi and Roddick are scheduled to play singles, while brothers Bob and Mike Bryan are set to play doubles. Croatia beat the Americans in the first round two years ago and has chosen Ivan Ljubicic and Mario Ancic to lead its team. Former U.S. Davis Cup captain John McEnroe, who is now a tennis analyst, says with Agassi back, the U.S is favored but it should be an interesting matchup. "Andre is one of the legends and [one of] the greatest players that ever played and Roddick is one of the best players in the world, and they have got the number-one doubles team, so on paper obviously they should win," he said. "But it is also a highly competitive match potentially, because Ljubicic is one of the hottest players out there this year. I think he has been in four finals now this year already. And Ancic is someone who got to the semis at Wimbledon and just last week got to the finals of a tournament - very dangerous. This is certainly not 'a gimmee' by any means."The U.S. team has won the Davis Cup a record 31 times, but is in the middle of its longest-ever championship drought. The last time the Americans won the trophy was in 1995. In other first round matches getting under way Friday, defending champion Spain visits Bratislava to take on Slovakia, Switzerland hosts the Netherlands, Australian Open champion Marat Safin of Russia leads his nation against Chile in Moscow, nine-time champion France takes on seven-time winner Sweden and Belarus visits Romania in Brasov. The winners of this weekend's best-of-five match series meet in the quarterfinals in July. The Davis Cup final is in December. http://www.voanews.com/english/2005-03-03-voa56.cfm   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 04 Mar 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7853/1/E-Croatia-striker-Dado-Prso-scored-twice-Rangers-on-top.html  Croatian striker Dado Prso scored twice for Rangers Rangers back on top in Scotland Prso hit the woodwork as well as scoring twice for RangersAlex McLeish and Rangers are back on top in Scotland Saturday, February 12 2005 6:30Croatia striker Dado Prso scored twice for Rangers in a 3-0 win over third-placed Hibernian which put the Glasgow giants top of the Scottish Premier League table.Rangers dominated the game and could have scored a hatful of goals if Hibernian goalkeeper Simon Brown had not been in superb form.Brown saved a penalty by Nacho Novo just before halftime after Novo was fouled. Prso hit the woodwork after scoring his first goal with a header from a corner.Prso scored his second five minutes after halftime to put the game beyond Hibernian's reach before Belgian striker Thomas Buffel added a third.Rangers, with 62 points, lead on goal difference from Celtic who play at Inverness Caledonian Thistle tomorrow.Hearts, in fourth, beat Kilmarnock 3-0 and Aberdeen (fifth) went down 2-1 at Dunfermline Athletic. This evening, Aberdeen manager Jimmy Calderwood branded Ireland Under-21 star Richie Byrne's defending as amateurish after he allowed Dunfermline substitute Simon Donnelly to score a late winner in the 2-1 defeat at East End Park.Another Irish underage star, Billy Mehmet, had put the Pars ahead in the 53rd minute before Alexander Diamond's equaliser 20 minutes looked to have secured a share of the points for the Pittodrie side.But, with seven minutes remaining, slack defending by former Pars' defender Byrne allowed the former Celtic man grab a late winner.Ex Shamrock Rovers star Byrne was jeered by the home support throughout the game but the Aberdeen manager refused to sympathise with the Irishman.Calderwood said: "I don't feel sorry for him, it was amateur stuff. I feel more sorry for Jimmy Nicholl and myself. I think he was affected by the crowd big time and he's just been told that. I was disappointed and I spoke to him afterwards."Byrne remained tight-lipped about Calderwood's criticism but denied the Pars' crowd had played any part in his slip.He said: "I'm not going to comment on what he (Calderwood) said. The gaffer said a couple of things to me after the game and I'm not going to discuss them outside the dressing room. You can't blame fans for getting the hump, they are the ones who make the game. It is quite enjoyable when they are booing a player." http://www.rte.ie/sport/2005/0212/rangers.html Prso goals send Rangers to the topSaturday, February 12, 2005 Posted: 1711 GMT (0111 HKT) Prso hit the woodwork as well as scoring twice for Rangers GLASGOW, Scotland (Reuters) -- Croatia striker Dado Prso scored twice in a 3-0 win over third-placed Hibernian which put Rangers on top of the Scottish Premier League.Rangers, with 62 points, lead on goal difference from Glasgow rivals Celtic who play at Inverness Caledonian Thistle on Sunday.Hearts, in fourth spot, beat Kilmarnock 3-0 and Aberdeen (fifth) went down 2-1 at Dunfermline Athletic.Rangers dominated the game and it needed a superb display by Hibernian goalkeeper Simon Brown to restrict their tally to three.Brown saved a penalty from Nacho Novo just before halftime after Novo was fouled.Prso hit the woodwork after scoring his first goal with a header from a corner.Prso scored his second five minutes after halftime and Belgian striker Thomas Buffel added a third.http://edition.cnn.com/2005/SPORT/football/02/12/scotland.rangers.reut/  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 13 Feb 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7852/1/E-Bahrain-coach-Srecko-Juricic-of-Croatia.html  Bahrain coach Srecko Juricic of CroatiaBAHRAINIS HOLD IRAN By RAMI HULAYYELBAHRAIN, sponsored by Batelco, were held to a goalless draw by Iran in their opening Group B match of the 2006 World Cup second qualifying round last night at the National Stadium.Playing in front of a capacity crowd of 30,000 cheering spectators, Bahrain proved the better side but a spate of poor finishing saw them throw away a golden opportunity to make a winning start to their dream campaign of booking a place in the World Cup finals for the first time."It was a very important match for us. But we missed a good chance of making a winning start," said Bahrain coach Srecko Juricic of Croatia."Such matches require great concentration and experience. It was a tactical game and our players played well. Bahrain created more scoring opportunities while Iran showed a good defence and I think the result is fair," added Juricic."I am quite satisfied with the overall performance of my players and look forward for our next match against North Korea for which we have a different strategy," added Juricic.Iran's coach Ivankovic Branco, also of Croatia, said the match was very tough for both the teams."Bahrain is a strong team and we tried to find a way through their defence but it was not possible," said Branco."It was a very tense and dynamic match although both Bahraini and Iranian players managed to hold their nerve," added Branco.Bahrain enjoyed better share of the ball and put increasing pressure on the Iranian defence through midfielders Mohammed Salmeen, Rashid Al Dossary and Mohammed Hubail who created most of the home team's moves.Playing with three strikers - Talal Yousef, Daij Nasser and Salman Isa - Bahrain were always in aggressive mode but the Iranian defence commanded by Rahman Rezaei and Yahya Golmohammadi stood firm.Bahrain's best chance came on the hour mark when Al Marzooqi's close-range header was tipped over by Iran's goalkeeper Ebrahim Mirzapour.On the other hand, Iran, who reached the World Cup finals twice in Argentina in 1978 and 20 years later in France, made most of their moves through Asia's 2004 best player Ali Karimi.But like their hosts they were unable to find the target.Iran's veteran captain Ali Daei and Vahid Hashemian were kept at bay by Bahrain's defence of Hussain Baba, Abdulla Al Marzooqi and Sayed Mohammed Adnan while Bahrain's goalkeeper Ali Hassan was hardly tested. http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Story.asp?Article=104028&Sn=SPOR&IssueID=27327  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 13 Feb 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7850/1/E-Bill-Belichick-Head-Coach.html  Bill Belichick Head Coach Croatian PrideYear: 30 Yrs/Pat: 6 Acquired: 1999School: WesleyanMajor: EconomicsBorn: Apr 16, 1952 Nashville Tenn. Personal--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Bill Belichick was born April 16, 1952 in Nashville, Tenn. and raised in Annapolis, Md. His father, Steve, played fullback for the Detroit Lions in 1941 and coached for 33 years at the Naval Academy. Bill was a standout prep athlete at Annapolis High, where he has since been inducted into the school's Hall of Fame. He attended Phillips Academy in Andover, Mass., before enrolling at Wesleyan, where he earned his bachelor's degree in economics in 1975. He and his wife, Debby, have three children: Amanda, Stephen and Brian. Coaching History--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Bill Belichick returned to New England when Patriots owner Robert Kraft named him the 14th head coach in Patriots history on Jan. 27, 2000. Belichick, who was a defensive assistant and assistant head coach for the Patriots when the team won a conference title in 1996, took over and quickly molded the Patriots into one of the elite teams in the NFL. On Feb. 3, 2002, he became the first head coach in the franchise's 42-year history to lead the team to a league title, AFL or NFL, with a dramatic 20-17 victory over the St. Louis Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI. Then, on Feb. 1, 2004, after the Patriots defeated the Carolina Panthers, 32-29, in Super Bowl XXXVIII. He became just the sixth head coach in NFL history to win two Super Bowls in a three year span.The Super Bowl XXXVIII victory improved Belichick's record in the playoffs to 6-0 since joining the Patriots in 2000 and gave him seven career playoff victories in eight postseason games. His current six-game postseason win streak is the third longest in NFL history. To put that into perspective, consider that in the franchise's first 40 seasons, the team had only won seven of its 17 playoff games. Belichick's three playoff victories last season improved his career winning percentage in the playoffs to .875. The only coach to enjoy a better rate of success in the playoffs is the coach whose name is now emblazoned on the Super Bowl trophy, Vince Lombardi. Lombardi won nine of his 10 playoff appearances, including the league's first two Super Bowl titles while coaching the Green Bay Packers.With his Super Bowl XXXVIII triumph, Belichick became just the 12th head coach in NFL history to win multiple Super Bowl titles. Chuck Noll (4), Joe Gibbs (3) and Bill Walsh (3) are the only head coaches in the history of the game to have won more Super Bowls than Belichick.The recent Super Bowl win was the fourth of Belichick's distinguished NFL career, a career that began in 1975. Now in his 30th season in the NFL, he has more years of NFL experience than any of the other 31 head coaches. In his first 29 seasons, his teams qualified for the playoffs 13 times and won nine division titles, five conference championships and four Super Bowls. He won his first two Super Bowls as the defensive coordinator for the New York Giants in 1986 and again in 1990 before claiming his two Super Bowl championships with the Patriots in the past three years. George Seifert is the only other man to have won multiple Super Bowls both as a head coach and as an assistant coach.Entering his fifth season as the Patriots head coach, Belichick already owns the franchise's highest career winning percentage (.643) and needs just nine more wins to move ahead of Mike Holovak's (1961-68) franchise record of 53 wins. In 2001, he rebounded from a 5-11 record the previous season to improve to 11-5, tying the then franchise regular season record for wins. With a 20-17 victory over the Rams in the Super Bowl, the Patriots tied the franchise's record of 14 wins in a season and set another record with a nine-game season-ending win streak. In 2003, the Patriots eclipsed each of those marks, posting a 14-2 record in the regular season and notching 17 total wins on the season, including a season-ending 15-game win streak. The 15 consecutive wins in a single season is the second-longest streak in NFL history (Miami's 17-0 in 1972). The team's 17-2 overall record in 2003 was also the third-best in NFL history, trailing the 1985 Chicago Bears (18-1) and the 1984 San Francisco 49ers (18-1).In Belichick's last three seasons, the Patriots have won 40 games, claimed two division titles, two conference titles and two Super Bowl titles. His 40 wins during that time (2001-03) are not only the most in the NFL, but also the most during any three-year span in Patriots history. Both championship seasons were met with early season adversity and relied on the depth of the roster to overcome injuries. In 2001, the Patriots opened the season 0-2 before rebounding to win 14 of the next 17 games. In 2003, a 31-0 season-opening setback in Buffalo was answered triumphantly, as the team rebounded to win 17 of the next 18 games, including a 15-game season-ending win streak.The 2003 squad featured one of the most talented defensive units in franchise history. On November 16, the Patriots recorded their first shutout victory in seven years with a 12-0 victory over the Dallas Cowboys. It was the first of three shutouts in 2003, including a 31-0 payback when they hosted the Buffalo Bills in the regular-season finale. The three shutouts set a franchise record and brought the Patriots' points allowed average for the season to a league-low 14.9 points per game (238 points for the season). In their last six regular-season home games, the Patriots allowed just one touchdown and a lowly average of 3.7 points per game. The defense was a ball-hawking, opportunistic unit that was credited with interceptions in 15 of their 16 regular season games and led the NFL with 29 interceptions, the second-highest total in franchise history. They also recovered 12 fumbles for a total of 41 takeaways, which led the AFC and ranked second in the NFL. With just 24 turnovers surrendered, the Patriots finished the year with a plus-17 turnover ratio, the second highest in the league and the highest in team history.The Patriots were 12-0 when recording a positive turnover ratio and 10-0 against teams with winning records, including the playoffs. For the first time in franchise history, the team was also undefeated at home, 10-0, including the postseason.Coach Belichick's accomplishments were lauded, as Associated Press was one of the first to name him their 2003 NFL Coach of the Year. It was just the second time in the franchise's history that a Patriots coach received the AP honor. It was the first of many NFL Coach of the Year awards, including honors from The Sporting News, Sports Illustrated, SI.com, NFL.com, Dallas Morning News, San Francisco Chronicle, NFL Alumni, FOX TV/Terry Bradshaw, the Victor Awards and the AFC Coach of the Year honors presented by the 101 Football Awards in Kansas City, just to name a few.Over the past three seasons, the Patriots have been the best in the league at maintaining a lead late in the game. Since 2001, the Patriots have won 27 consecutive regular season games when leading after three quarters. Only Tennessee (19), Kansas City (15) and Dallas (10) have double digit streaks going into the 2004 season. In addition, the Patriots have played their best football late in the season. Since 2001, the Patriots have a 28-4 (.875) overall record in games played after November 1.When the Patriots announced Belichick's hiring, many regarded him as one of the premier defensive strategists in the game. That reputation was earned over a 25-year NFL coaching career that included Super Bowl titles as the defensive architect of the New York Giants in 1986 and 1990 and a conference championship as the assistant head coach and defensive assistant for the Patriots in 1996. When he returned to the Patriots in 2000, he followed a sound architectural plan, fortifying the foundation of the roster with team-oriented free agents who would support his overall team philosophy. After directing the Patriots from a worst-to-first turnaround in 2001 and claiming two Super Bowl titles in the past three years, many now regard him as the premier head coach in the game. He enters the 2004 season ranked ninth among the league's active head coaches with 82 career wins, including a 7-1 record in the playoffs.In 2002, the Patriots valiantly defended their title and remained in playoff contention through the final game of the regular season. A dramatic come-from-behind victory over the Miami Dolphins in the 2002 season finale gave the Patriots their ninth win of the season and a chance to qualify for the playoffs. Unfortunately, just three hours later, the Patriots were eliminated from the postseason when the New York Jets upset the Green Bay Packers to claim the remaining playoff position.After an unspectacular 1-3 start in 2001, the Patriots rebounded to win 10 of their last 12 games to claim the division title for the first time in four years. A six-game win streak propelled the Patriots into the playoffs, where their team-first philosophy earned national acclaim. In each playoff game, the offense, defense and special teams units played critical roles, enabling the Patriots to systematically defeat three favored opponents throughout the playoffs with wins over the Oakland Raiders, Pittsburgh Steelers and St. Louis Rams. The victories extended their streak to a then-franchise record nine games and earned the team New England's first Lombardi Trophy. That season, the Patriots averaged 23.2 points per game while surrendering just 17 points per contest. The 23.2 point average was the highest by a Patriots team since 1996 (26.1 ppg), while the 17 points allowed was the lowest since 1977 (15.5 ppg.)During the 2000 season, Belichick started the rebuilding process with the acquisition of 30 new players. That year, the Patriots set a team record by having 13 of their 16 games played decided by eight points or less. Never had so many Patriots games been decided by such a small margin during the course of a season, but the Patriots were only 4-9 in those games. One marked area of improvement was the team's overall reduction in turnovers, dropping from 33 in 1999 to just 25 in 2000 (fourth-best in franchise history).Belichick returned to the Patriots as head coach after three seasons with the New York Jets, where his defenses were credited for New York's intra-division success against the high-octane offenses of the Patriots, Dolphins, Bills and Colts. He was also credited for successfully defusing the Indianapolis Colts' offensive arsenal, limiting the conference's most prolific offense to an average of just 14.5 points in their two matchups. That year, the Colts averaged over 28 points per game in their 14 other games.In 1998, the Jets surrendered just 266 points, one point shy of Miami's league-leading 265. The 16.6 points allowed per game was the third lowest season average in Jets history and propelled the team to their first division title with a franchise-best 12-4 overall record. The Jets advanced to the AFC Championship game, but were defeated by the returning Super Bowl Champion Denver Broncos, who went on to repeat as champions.Following the season, Belichick filled in for Bill Parcells as the head coach of the AFC's squad in the 1999 Pro Bowl. The AFC won the matchup, a game in which Ty Law was named co-MVP.Belichick was named head coach of the New York Jets on Feb. 3, 1997, an interim position he held until Parcells was formally announced as head coach a week later. During that week, Belichick hired Scott Pioli as his director of pro personnel. After Parcells was named head coach, Belichick became the assistant head coach/secondary coach responsible for calling the team's defensive signals. In his first season with the Jets, his defense surrendered just 287 points, an average of 17.9 points per game. That marked a significant 10.5-point improvement per game from 1996. The 287 points allowed ranked second in the AFC, sixth overall, and was critical to the Jets' rise from 1-15 in 1996 to 9-7 in 1997. In three seasons in New York, his defenses were credited with 90 takeaways, improving each season from 25 in 1997 to 30 in 1998 to 35 in 1999.Patriots fans witnessed his impact on a team firsthand in 1996 when Belichick joined the Patriots after five seasons as the head coach of the Cleveland Browns. That year, the Patriots claimed their first division title in 10 years with an 11-5 record and won their first two playoff games at Foxboro Stadium to advance to Super Bowl XXXI. Characteristically, Belichick's defensive influence was credited for the team's overall defensive success down the stretch and through the playoffs. That year, the Patriots' defense allowed just 19.6 points per game and forced 34 turnovers, second in the AFC. The defense was at its best in the "red zone," finishing second in the AFC by allowing touchdowns just 42.3 percent of the time. In two playoff games, the defense allowed just nine points combined, propelling the Patriots to victories over Pittsburgh (28-3) and Jacksonville (20-6). Their victory over Jacksonville gave the Patriots their second AFC Championship and a return to New Orleans for Super Bowl XXXI vs. Green Bay.Prior to joining the Patriots, he spent five seasons (1991-95) rebuilding the Cleveland Browns, whose 3-13 finish in 1990 was the worst in the history of the franchise. By 1994, the Browns were again one of the elite teams in the NFL, boasting the second-best record in the AFC. That head coaching opportunity came following the 1990 season, when Belichick's defensive efforts with the New York Giants helped claim a second Super Bowl title in five years. Cleveland wasted no time in hiring the talented young defensive coordinator, naming him the franchise's 10th head coach on Feb. 5, 1991. At the age of 38, he became the NFL's youngest head coach. In his first season, he began the rebuilding process by restoring the foundation of the aging squad he inherited. In 1991, the Browns improved to 6-10 and played in 11 games that were decided by a touchdown or less. The most dramatic improvement came in the category of turnovers. In 1990, the Browns surrendered 46 turnovers. In Belichick's first season as head coach, the team established a franchise record by turning the ball over just 18 times - four shy of the NFL record set by the Super Bowl Champion New York Giants the previous season. The Browns led the AFC with a plus-15 turnover ratio, a remarkable 39-turnover improvement from their NFL-low negative-24 ratio the year before.Following back-to-back 7-9 campaigns in 1992 and 1993, the Browns improved to 11-5 in 1994. Only Pittsburgh, who won the division with a 12-4 record, had a better record in the AFC that season. In their return to the playoffs, the Browns eliminated Parcells' Patriots, 20-13, in a first-round wild-card game on New Year's Day 1995. The Browns advanced to the divisional playoff round before being bumped by the Steelers. The 1994 squad was defined by its defense, which allowed a league-low 204 points (12.8 ppg) and just 301.6 yards per game, second in the AFC.The 1995 season was disrupted by the mid-season announcement that the franchise would be moved to Baltimore at the conclusion of the season. The announcement caused an inextricable mid-season distraction resulting in a 5-11 finish. Belichick did not accompany the franchise's move to Baltimore after the 1995 season.Belichick originally began his coaching career after graduating from Wesleyan University and accepting a staff assistant position with the Baltimore Colts in 1975. At the age of 23, he was named special assistant to Head Coach Ted Marchibroda.In 1976, he joined Rick Forzano's staff with the Detroit Lions as an assistant special teams coach. The following year, he was given his first positional coaching assignment as the Lions' tight ends and receivers coach. In 1978, Denver Broncos Head Coach Red Miller hired Belichick as the assistant special teams coach and assistant to defensive coordinator Joe Collier.In 1979, he joined Ray Perkins' staff with the New York Giants as a defensive assistant and special teams coach, launching a 12-year tenure with the Giants. After the 1980 campaign, he drew the added responsibility of coaching the Giants linebackers. In 1983, he began coordinating the defense on Bill Parcells' staff and continued coaching the linebackers, a unit that would become known as one of the most dominant groups of all-time. He was officially appointed defensive coordinator in 1985, a position he held for the next six seasons. During his time as the defensive signal caller, his units were never ranked lower than 11th in the NFL and finished as high as second in the league three times, including the Super Bowl seasons of 1986 and 1990. His contributions with the Giants throughout the 1980s brought him national recognition as one of the best young assistant coaches in the NFL. His reward came just nine days after Super Bowl XXV when the Cleveland Browns hired him as their head coach. PlayingBelichick lettered in football, lacrosse and squash while attending college at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Conn. He earned three letters in football while competing at center and tight end. As a senior, he was named captain of his lacrosse team. http://www.patriots.com/team/index.cfm?ac=coachbio&bio=506   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 13 Feb 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7849/1/E-Bill-Belichicks-Radio-Interview---says-he-is-Croatian.html  Bill Belichick http://www.patriots.com/team/index.cfm?ac=coachbio&bio=506  January 5th 200512:50 (on the twelve minutes and 50 seconds of the interview)  With two Croatians....(Belichick and Saban)http://www.croatianworld.net/Letters/BelichickCroatian.smil - Click on this link and hear the Interviewhttp://wfan.com/joebsid/?b_start=60 Courtesy of WFAN This may be the turning point or tipping point for Croatians around the world for self-respect and pride.Bill Belicheck - The Man - said it on the paramount of his carrier, when there was nothing to gain for himself, but just to give and be generous to the Croatian Community and for all us who long for recognition... overdue recognition of who we really are. Thank you,Nenad Bach http://www.patriots.com/team/index.cfm?ac=coachbio&bio=506 http://www.patriots.com/homepage/   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 13 Feb 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7854/1/E-Bucks-at-best-when-Kukoc-gets-minutes.html  Bucks at best when Kukoc gets minutes Just give him some timeBy CHARLES F. GARDNERcgardner@journalsentinel.comPosted: Feb. 11, 2005St. Francis - Call him Ten-minute Toni, if you must.Toni Kukoc has been a key in some of the Bucks’ best victories.The truth is, Milwaukee Bucks veteran Toni Kukoc has played so well lately that his time in the lineup has been extended to 15, even 27 or 33 minutes. And he is staying on the floor at the end of games, with the outcome on the line, and helping the Bucks win.And that 10-minute bit? Well, that comes about because the Bucks have a gaudy 11-4 record this season when the 36-year-old forward plays at least 10 minutes in a game.Kukoc has overcome a hip problem that sidelined him for 23 games earlier in the season, and is again showing the flair and passing skills that have endeared him to Bucks fans since his arrival in the fall of 2002.It's no coincidence that the Bucks have won four of their last five games, giving them a chance to go into the National Basketball Association all-star break next weekend on a positive note. The Bucks play three more games before the break, starting tonight at home against the Atlanta Hawks."I think finally he's feeling a lot better physically," Bucks general manager Larry Harris said. "He's getting some consistent minutes to get into a rhythm."With all the other injuries that have taken place, it has allowed him to get back on the floor and play some major minutes."Kukoc made the most of his opportunity when starter Desmond Mason was out with the flu on Feb. 1. The 6-foot-11 native of Split, Croatia, was inserted in the starting lineup at small forward and played 33 productive minutes, contributing nine points, six rebounds and five assists in the Bucks' 91-86 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.Since then, Kukoc has come off the bench and provided a spark, along with fellow reserves Mike James, Zaza Pachulia, Keith Van Horn and Erick Strickland."We're getting used to each other," Kukoc said after the Bucks' practice Friday. "We had some injuries that kind of messed up the lineups. Lately, we're pretty sure when we go in what we've got to do. We're getting in the right positions, getting the chemistry right, and that's why we're winning games."With Van Horn limited to about 15 minutes per game because of a foot injury, coach Terry Porter has used Kukoc more often at the small-forward position. The Bucks have been able to take advantage of some size mismatches, using the taller Kukoc to post up smaller defenders.Kukoc scored a key basket late in the victory over Minnesota when he got the ball in post-up position against Timberwolves guard Sam Cassell."The other night in Toronto, we tried to use him as much as possible, because he had the advantage over Jalen (Rose), height-wise," Porter said. "We were just solid, and we tried to play out of his hands."If Kukoc does get double-teamed in the post, he has the knack for finding the open man. And he is usually lethal when he has the ball in the open floor, with options on his right and his left."I am getting more assists from the three spot," Kukoc said. "I can see the floor better, I guess, and I have the ball more often."Kukoc had four assists during the Bucks' 22-0 knockout run against Boston in the second quarter on Tuesday, as Milwaukee went on to an easy victory. Then he posted his best all-around game of the season with 10 points, eight assists and six rebounds Wednesday night in the Bucks' 110-107 victory at Toronto.With Kukoc on the floor, Pachulia is taking advantage of some chances in the paint, and point guard Mike James is getting better looks from the perimeter.James sank eight of 13 three-pointers against Boston, and he hit six of 10 overall (2 for 4 from three-point range) against Toronto."When he's in there with that Toni lineup, it gives him a chance to get other shots," Porter said of James. "He doesn't worry so much about trying to create his own, and he gets quality looks when he's in there."Kukoc termed his hip about 75% healed but said he was not sure whether it would improve this season."It's not that I'm going to go out and play 35 minutes every night," he said. "But 20, 25 or 28 minutes, I think I can handle that."I actually feel pretty good right now, knock on wood. If it stays like this, everybody will be happy."Rumor season:With less than two weeks left until the Feb. 24 league trading deadline, rumors are everywhere.A TNT report on Thursday said the Bucks and 76ers were considering a deal that would bring forward Glenn Robinson back to Milwaukee and send Van Horn to Philadelphia, where he played during the 2002-'03 season.Van Horn is the Bucks' highest-paid player and is under contract through the 2005-'06 season, when he will make $15.7 million. The 32-year-old Robinson, who has not played for Philadelphia this year, is owed $12 million this season but is not under contract for next season.The Bucks might be tempted to clear some room under the salary cap so they can make additional moves in the off-season or sign guard Michael Redd to a long-term deal.Redd, who will be a free agent at the end of the current season, also has been the subject of intense trade speculation.Harris said he expected to have numerous conversations with other NBA general managers in the next two weeks, but he stressed that he will not respond publicly to specific trade talk."It's that time of year, and there will be a lot of conversations throughout the whole league, no doubt about it," Harris said. "But I cannot comment on trade rumors."From the Feb. 12, 2005, editions of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Get the Journal Sentinel delivered to your home. Subscribe now.http://www.jsonline.com/sports/buck/feb05/301097.asp   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 11 Feb 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7851/1/E-Queen-of-Croatia-Delivers-Third-Gold.html  Queen of Croatia Delivers Third Gold Janica Kostelic of Croatia plays with her gold medals after winning the women's slalom competition at the Alpine skiing World Championships in Santa Caterina, February 11, 2005. Kostelic of Croatia won the women's slalom at the world championships on Friday in a provisional combined time of one minute 47.98 seconds. REUTERS/Ruben Sprich 1 Janica Kostelic of Croatia shows her three gold medals she won at the World Alpine Ski Championships, in Santa Caterina Valfurva, Italy, Friday. (AP/Luca Bruno) 2/12/2005] - Queen of Croatia Delivers Third Gold Janica Kostelic delivered a near flawless run on a course set by her father, Ante, and outskied Tanja Poutiainen to take the gold medal last night in slalom. With this, her third while in Bormio, she outdid even her last performance at the St. Moritz Worlds when she took gold in both slalom and combined. The 23-year old has amassed victories in 20 World Cup races and now has a total of nine medals between two World Championships and one Olympic Games, with only one of those medals being a silver. This queen of Croatian skiing clearly has a passion for all that is golden.Tanja Poutiainen of Finland, the current overall World Cup leader, won the first slalom run but could not hold off the Kostelic attack brought on for the second run. The Finn was satisfied with her performance and was quoted as saying, "I think I really won the silver medal today rather than losing the gold one. It was really not easy, I was glad to make it to the finish." Poutiainen struggled on top but re-grouped for the bottom part of the course to maintain her spot on the podium.Celebrating her 20th birthday on race day, Sarka Zahrobska from the Czech Republic found that the surprise awaiting her after blowing out the cake candles was a bronze medal. This is the first medal for the Czechs, and although Zahrobska has never been on a World Cup podium prior to yesterday, she has placed among the top ten on nine different occasions.For the American squad, Resi Stiegler, Sarah Schleper, and Julia Mancuso finished 6th, 7th, and 8th respectively. With her now signature kitty ears adorning her helmet, young Stiegler was the strongest among the three and actually had a second run of 56.30 that beat the top three finishers. Had her first run not been sluggish and affected, like many skiers, by illness, Resi may have seen the view from the podium. http://www.fantaski.it/ol/eng/home/leggonews.asp?id=244 letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 11 Feb 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7855/1/EHS-HRVATSKE-SVJETSKE-IGRE---ZADAR-2006.html  www.zadar2006.com    HRVATSKE SVJETSKE IGRE - ZADAR 2006 Postovani gospodine Bach i citaoci CROWN-aRadujem se da Vas danas mogu izvjestiti o pocetku nase sluzbene promocije. Molimo Vas da objavite ovu vijest na Vasim stranicama, po mogucnost sa vizualnim linkom na Vasoj prvoj stranici. U prilogu Vam saljem nas promotivni materijal.HRVATSKESVJETSKE IGRE - ZADAR 2006 CROATIAN WORLD GAMES - ZADAR 2006 JUEGOS CROATAS MUNDIALES - ZADAR 2006 www.zadar2006.com  Zahvaljujem Vam se unaprijed i stojim Vam na raspolaganju za moguca pitanja. Srdacan pozdrav iz Zadra Jure Strika jstrika@lycos.com   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 08 Feb 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7858/1/E-Croatia-wins-SM-in-Handball.html  Croatia wins S&M in Handball Croatia's Denis Buntic (R) fights for the ball against Serbia's Ratko Nikolic during their Men's Handball World Championship second round match in Nabeul, Tunisia, February 3, 2005. REUTERS/Jean Paul Pelissier Reuters - Feb 03 10:14 AM Croatia's handball players Niska Kaleb, left, and his compatriots Blazenko Lackovic, 2nd right, and Igor Vori, right, stop handball player Vladica Stojanovic, 3th left, beside his compatriot Ratko Nikolic, 3th right, during the main round match between Croatia and Serbia Montenegro at the 19th World Handball Championship in Nabeul, Tunisia, on Thursday, Feb. 3, 2005. Serbia and Montenegro lost the match 24-23. (AP Photo/Christof Stache) Croatia's Ivano Balic (R) and Igor Vori celebrates after their victory against Serbia during their Men's Handball World Championship second round match in Nabeul, Tunisia, February 3, 2005. Croatia defeated Serbia 24-23 and is qualified for the semi-finals in Tunis. REUTERS/Jean Paul Pelissier   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 05 Feb 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7857/1/E-Kostelic-claims-historic-downhill-title-for-Croatia.html  Janica Kostelic claims historic downhill title for Croatia Janica Kostelic of Croatia takes a curve to win women's downhill race at the Alpine Ski World Championship in the northern Italian resort of Santa Caterina, February 6, 2005. Kostelic won ahead of Elena Fanchini of Italy and Renate Goetschl of Austria. REUTERS/Stefano Rellandini   52Croatia's Janica Kostelic celebrates on the podium after winning the gold medal in the Women's Downhill at the World Alpine Ski Championships in Santa Caterina Valfurva, Italy, Sunday Feb. 6, 2005. (AP Photo/Kevin Frayer) The women's downhill event three medalists L-R silver medal Elena Fanchini of Italy, gold medal Janica Kostelic of Croatia and bronze medal Renate Goetschl of Austria pose on the podium at the Alpine skiing World Championship in Santa Caterina, February 6, 2005. REUTERS/Andreas Meier  Kostelic claims historic downhill title for Croatia02-06-2005, 13h23Thomas Coex - (AFP) SANTA CATERINA, Italy (AFP) - Triple Olympic champion Janica Kostelic claimed her second crown of the world ski championships when she won the women's downhill. Kostelic, the winner of the women's combined a few days ago, hit speeds of over 122 km/h to dislodge early leader Elena Fanchini of Italy from the leaderboard with a winning time of 1min 39.90sec. Fanchini, with a time of 1:40.16, eventually finished in second having led the race for nearly an hour having started with bib number eight. The 19-year-old Italian did however pick up what will be a valuable silver medal after Austria's former world downhill champion Renate Gotschl could only finish in third. Kostelic, who has been more of a slalom/combined specialist, exploded with joy upon realising that she had won the title, her fourth world title overall and the first world downhill title won by a Croatian "It's fantastic, it is incredible, I just never expected a result like this. It is just so nice," she said. "When I saw Fanchini's time I thought we might as well go home, I thought no one could catch that time. "But I was relaxed and had a smooth run and to win a downhill gold medal is simply incredible for me," added Kostelic, who has also won the slalom world title, in 2003, and two combined titles. Sweden's reigning World Cup champion Anja Paerson, the winner of the women's super-G title here and a runner-up in the combined behind Kostelic, could only finish in seventh place after losing time on the second half of her run during which she had led her Croatian rival. The 23-year-old Kostelic's victory was all the more special as she has only returned to World Cup skiing this season having spent the whole of the 2003/04 season sidelined, nursing knee injuries and having thyroid surgery. Kostelic made history at the Salt Lake City Games in 2002 when she became the first women to win three gold medals in alpine Olympic events. Michaela Dorfmeister, one of the co-favourites for the title, crashed out shortly after landing from the main jump after her left ski pulled away from her. The Austrian sustained no serious injuries in the crash. American Lindsey Kildow, a bronze medal winner from the super-G, just missed out on the bronze this time, coming fourth at 0.62 adrift of Kostelic. http://www.turkishpress.com/sports/news.asp?id=050206132334.j25jh36y.xml letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 05 Feb 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7856/1/E-Handball---Croatia-takes-second-place-in-the-World-2005.html  Croatia Takes Silver - Second in the World Sun Jan 23,12:40 PM ET  Mirza Dzomba of Croatia is embraced by goalkeeper Venio Losert following their victory over France in their men's World Handball Championships semi-final match, in Rades stadium near Tunis, February 5, 2005. Croatia won 35- 32. REUTERS/Jean-Paul Pelissier Reuters - Feb 05 10:30 AMArgentina's Eric Gull (R) shoots to score a goal against Croatia's Denis Spoljaric during their men's Handball World Championship Group C match in Sfax, Tunisia, January 23, 2005. Croatia defeated Argentina 36-23. REUTERS/Jean Paul Pelissier Australia's Bevan Calvert (C) breaks through Croatia's defender Goran Sprem (L) to score a goal against Croatia's goalkeeper Ognjen Latinovic (L) during their Men's Handball World Championship Group C match in Sfax, Tunisia, January 26, 2005. REUTERS/Jean Paul Pelissier Croatian player Ivano Balic, right, competes for the ball with French player Gueric Kervadec, during the semifinal of the World Handball Championship between France and Croatia in the Rades stadium in Tunis, Tunisia, Saturday Feb. 5, 2005. (AP Photo/Remy de la Mauviniere) AP - Feb 05 9:48 AM Spain clinches World Handball title after beating Croatia in TunisiaEl Pais Spain | STAFF REPORTERMadrid In an overwhelming show of power, Spain's national handball team beat Sunday World and Olympic champions Croatia in the final of the Handball World Championships, held in Tunisia. This is the first time the Spanish team has clinched victory in the World Championship.Spain, which had gained a major confidence boost after beating host team Tunisia in the semi-finals, appeared undaunted Sunday before Croatia's impressive track record of recent years, and beat the Olympic gold medalists 40-34.After pulling ahead by one point in the 10th minute, Juan Carlos Pastor's men held on to their lead for the rest of the game. The Spaniards reached half-time eight points ahead, quashing with their effective defense several powerful attacks by Ivano Balic, the star of the Croatian team."This has been an incredible final. Spanish handball deserved this title. This is a great way to start the sporting year for Spain," Jaime Lissavetzky, secretary of state for sports, said after the game.Lissavetzky traveled to Tunisia to witness the finals along with royal princess Cristina de Borbón and her husband, Iñaki Urdangarín, a former member of the national handball team.France, the 2003 World Champions, took third place after a tight game in which they beat Tunisia 26-25. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 05 Feb 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7859/1/E-Mladen-Stanicic-assistant-coache-to-US-Navy-water-polo.html  Mladen Stanicic assistant coache to US Navy water polo1/24/2005 - Men's Water PoloNavy Water Polo Adds Two Assistant CoachesMike Schofield has announced that Mladen Stanicic and Kevin Foster will join his staff as assistant coaches. ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- Navy water polo head coach Michael Schofield has announced that Mladen Stanicic and Kevin Foster will join his staff for the upcoming season. Stanicic will be an assistant coach, while Foster will serve as a volunteer assistant. The Mids posted a 19-12 record last season, their 23rd straight season with at least 19 wins.Stanicic is a graduate of the University of Split, Croatia and has worked with the Naval Academy Aquatic Club since 1988. His Navy AC women's team has been the top club team in the East for many years, with many graduates earning scholarships to top NCAA programs. He has developed numerous NCAA All-Americans, both male and female, and is recongnized as one of the top goalie coaches in the U.S. Stanicic and his wife Miriam, daughter Blaise, and son Maro reside in Arnold. Foster, from Davis, Calif., is a 2003 graduate of Princeton University, and played under Navy grad and current Princeton coach Luis Nicolao, earning All-American honors all four years with the Tigers. He spent 2004 playing professionally in Adelaide, Australia and was the top foreign goal scorer in the Australian pro league. Kevin's older brother, Sean, graduated from Navy in 2001, and was a two-time All-American and Eastern Championship MVP in 2000. He is currently flying P-3's in the Navy. "I think we have really strengthened our program with Mladen and Kevin. Anyone who has watched us play over the past couple years would tell you that we are a bit weak in the goal and at the center position," said Schofield. "Mladen has developed multiple national team goalies in both genders, and Kevin is one of the best centers to have ever played in our conference. They will be a big help and I think our players are really happy about having these two with us. Both of them know our program and our players very well, and have already made a positive impact on our practices." The duo joins Schofield, who ranks as Navy's all-time winningest coach. He will enter his 21st season with a career 442-177-1 record at Navy.http://www.navysports.com/sports/mwpolo/release.asp?RELEASE_ID=17154   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 25 Jan 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7861/1/E-Bill-Belichick-one-victory-away-from-best-record-in-playoffs.html  Croatian coach about to set the best record in playoffsBill Belichick one victory away from best record in playoffsMonday, January 24, 2005AFC: NotebookBelichick set to pass LombardiA victory in Super Bowl would give Patriots coach best record in playoffs.PITTSBURGH -- Bill Belichick is one victory away from another Vince Lombardi trophy -- and one of Lombardi's most impressive records, too. The New England Patriots coach stymied the Steelers on Sunday night, guiding New England to a 41-27 victory over Pittsburgh to reach the Super Bowl for the third time in four years. A victory on Feb. 6 and Belichick will hoist the trophy named for Lombardi while passing him for the best playoff coaching record in NFL history. "It's very flattering to be mentioned in the same breath with Vince Lombardi," he said after earning the right to play the Philadelphia Eagles for his third NFL title. "That's why the trophy has his name on it. I don't think I deserve it." Belichick improved to 9-1 in the postseason over his career, and will pass Lombardi atop the NFL's all-time list with a victory over Philadelphia in the Super Bowl in Jacksonville, Fla. Belichick has never lost with a conference or NFL title on the line. Chuck Noll won four Super Bowls in Pittsburgh, Joe Gibbs won three in Washington and Bill Walsh won three in San Francisco. Belichick is among nine men who have won two as a head coach, though he also has two rings as a New York Giants assistant. "I'm just happy to play for him," defensive lineman Vince Wilfork said. "Hands down, he goes down as one of the best coaches in history. I'm just happy to be a part of it." A week after embarrassing NFL MVP Peyton Manning, the Patriots defense did the same with rookie of the year Ben Roethlisberger, jumping to an early lead on a frigid Pittsburgh night in a stadium full of Terrible Towel-waving fans. New England picked Roethlisberger off three times -- the first on his very first pass of the game and the second for an 87-yard touchdown return by Rodney Harrison that gave New England a 24-3 lead. Eugene Wilson grabbed his second interception of the game when Roethlisberger overthrew Hines Ward with 7:29 remaining and the Steelers running out of chances. Under the guidance of Belichick and defensive coordinator Romeo Crennel, who is expected to be hired as Cleveland's head coach after the Super Bowl, a depleted Patriots' defense held Roethlisberger to 224 yards passing. Jerome Bettis carried 17 times for 64 yards but fumbled on a first-quarter fourth-and-1 and a fourth-quarter third-and-goal from the 3 that forced the Steelers to settle for a field goal. "The strength of their team is the running game. Any time you can take that away and make it a one-dimensional team, that's your goal," said defensive lineman Jarvis Green, who subbed when All-Pro Richard Seymour was scratched. "Your goal is to stop (Bettis) and make a rookie quarterback throw the ball downfield," linebacker Rosevelt Colvin said. "With Bill, it's pretty much cut and dry. He tells you 'This is going to work. This is not going to work.' He presents the players with a great opportunity to be successful. All we have to do is go out and perform." And they've done that better than any other team in football over the past two seasons, going 14-2 and reaching the Super Bowl in consecutive years. "It's tough but very gratifying. This team has worked hard," Belichick said. "We demand a lot of them. They lay it on the line. I've never been around a harder-working group of guys." In last week's playoff game against Indianapolis, the Patriots held Manning without a touchdown -- or even a pass longer than 18 yards -- to beat the Colts 20-3. Roethlisberger had not lost as a starter coming into the game, though he struggled last week against the New York Jets with two interceptions. But Pittsburgh was still awash in signs praising "Big Ben" as he tried to become the first rookie quarterback to lead his team to the Super Bowl. Things didn't start well for him. On the third play of the game, his pass went off Antwaan Randle El's hands, off each hand of Patriots cornerback Asante Samuel and into Wilson's. New England drove to the Pittsburgh 30 before Adam Vinatieri's field goal made it 3-0. Steelers Coach Bill Cowher went for it on a fourth-and-1 from the Patriots 39, but Colvin forced Bettis to fumble and Mike Vrabel recovered it. On the next play, Tom Brady hit Deion Branch on a 60-yard touchdown pass -- the Patriots' longest pass play of the season -- to make it 10-0. New England was playing without starting cornerbacks Ty Law and Tyrone Poole, who have been out most of the season, and lineman Richard Seymour, who has missed the last three games with a left knee injury. Record returnRodney Harrison's 87-yard interception return for a touchdown was the longest run back for a score in Patriots history. It was Harrison's fourth playoff interception in two seasons with New England, tying him with Ty Law for the most in franchise history. The 87-yard return topped Law's 47-yard return against the Rams in the 2002 Super Bowl. Fans in Ben Roethlisberger's home town of Findlay, Ohio, painted their faces black and gold ... but they quickly turned blue. The Steelers quarterback who won his first 14 starts and was trying to become the first rookie to take his team to the Super Bowl threw three interceptions Sunday. Roethlisberger's hometown fans, though, said the loss wouldn't diminish his season. "I think they ought to have the biggest parade they've ever had for him," Findlay's Bev Phillips said. "How can you not be proud of him?" New England was playing without starting cornerbacks Ty Law and Tyrone Poole, who have been out most of the season, and lineman Richard Seymour, who has had a left-knee injury. Detroit News wire serviceshttp://www.detnews.com/2005/lions/0501/24/D06-68385.htm  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 24 Jan 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7860/1/E-Croatian-Priests-the-best-soccer-players-in-Europe.html  Croatian priests the best soccer players in EuropeWednesday, Jan 19, 2005 http:/www.index.hr/The Croatian Priests' Soccer Team won first place in the European championship games that were played in Austria. The Croatian priests achieved that title by recording six victories. Besides the Croatian priests, the championship games were also represented by priests' soccer teams from Austria, Germany, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovenia and Bosnia and HerzegovinaOne of the representatives, Fra Zarko Relota commented for the Croatian Catholic radio, that the Croatians achieved first place with superiority, without any defeat. Fra Zarko expressed hope that many teams will also participate in the next championships, which will be held in Croatia .Help in the logistics during the preparations and the actual appearance of the Croatian priests' team was assured by the Croatian Bishops' Conference and by the Croatian Soccer Union. HinaTranslated for CROWN by Hilda Marija Foley  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 24 Jan 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7865/1/E-But-we-still-cant-stop-the-Croatian-dudes.html  But we still can't stop the Croatian dudes Joliet is set; what about Croatia?Victorious Illini win one battle vs. Northwestern but lose anotherMonday, January 17, 2005By JOHN SUPINIEof COPLEY NEWS SERVICE The Joliet-area connection handled the paint, but Illinois had trouble covering the Croatian combination of Vedran Vukusic (20 points) and Davor Duvancic (13 points). The mobile big men scored primarily thanks to drives and long-range jumpers."I thought we did a good job on (Thompson),'' Illinois coach Bruce Weber said. "They never let him get in a rhythm. But we still can't stop the Croatian dudes.''Although they both played high school basketball in New Lenox, Illinois' James Augustine and Northwestern's Mike Thompson never met in a varsity game. The college big men finally went face to face Saturday as No. 1 Illinois rolled to a 78-66 victory over the Wildcats at Evanston.The match up inside was a key variable as Illinois set school records for consecutive victories in a single season and to start a season. After Illinois improved to 18-0 overall and 4-0 in the Big Ten Conference, Augustine suggested it wasn't a grudge match between two guys from rival high schools."It wasn't like it was a big reunion,'' he said.Thompson left Joliet to play at New Lenox Providence. Augustine prepped at New Lenox Lincoln Way Central."I was supposed to play him in high school, but I broke my foot the night before,'' Augustine said. "They were the Catholic school in our town. We never usually played them in anything except wrestling, and I didn't wrestle.''Thompson, who averaged 14 points over the previous three games, was left ineffective as Augustine and senior Roger Powell, the former Joliet star, controlled the paint. Thompson, a McDonald's All-American who transferred to Northwestern from Duke last season, finished with seven points and three rebounds.Powell had 15 points and seven rebounds. Augustine had nine points and seven rebounds."It was kind of cool playing against him,'' Powell said. "We used to be good friends.''The Joliet-area connection handled the paint, but Illinois had trouble covering the Croatian combination of Vedran Vukusic (20 points) and Davor Duvancic (13 points). The mobile big men scored primarily thanks to drives and long-range jumpers."I thought we did a good job on (Thompson),'' Illinois coach Bruce Weber said. "They never let him get in a rhythm. But we still can't stop the Croatian dudes.''The Illini, who took Sunday off, play host at 6 p.m. Thursday to No. 24 Iowa. The Illinois victory Saturday avenged a 10-point loss at Northwestern last season when the Illini blew a nine-point halftime lead. Illinois is 34-3 since then.These days, the fans yell, "Bruuu-ce'' during pregame introductions. After the loss last season at Northwestern, they shouted something else."I think it was a boo, not a Bruce,'' Weber said.If the short-term objective is a victory in Illinois' only game this week, the next key date comes Jan. 25 at Wisconsin. The Badgers rallied past No. 15 Michigan State 62-59 Sunday to improve their home winning streak to 38 games.Illinois' school record for consecutive victories is 25, set in a span from 1914 to 1916. Reaching that milestone will take some work, because the Illini have upcoming road games against Wisconsin, Michigan State and Michigan.The Illini are within reach of surpassing the school record of 31 victories set in 1988-89."We want to win a Big Ten championship and make a nice run in March and April,'' Weber said. "If you do that, you're going to get a lot of wins.''Unlike last season, Illinois showed a killer instinct in the second half Saturday. Illinois built an 18-point lead after halftime. "Before the game, the last thing I talked about was 40 minutes,'' Weber said. "We went into the locker room too comfortable (last season). This year was a little different story. We understand what it's about. We didn't want to lose here.''http://www.pjstar.com/stories/011705/ILL_B5AP7PAU.W02.shtml   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 20 Jan 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7863/1/E-Welcome-To-Zagreb-LIEBHERR-Croatian-Open.html  Welcome To Zagreb Sinisa Bozic & Ian Marshall Photo by: An Sung HoLIEBHERR Croatian Open, ZagrebThe capital city of the Republic of Croatia, Zagreb, once again hosts an ITTF Pro Tour tournament with the Liebherr Croatian Open being held in the Zagreb Sports Hall from Wednesday 19 to Saturday 23 January 2005.Croatia gained independence in 1991 with Zagreb being established as the political and administrative centre for the Republic of Croatia. Tamara BOROS seeking victory on home soil in Zagreb An old Central European city, Zagreb lies on the intersection of important routes between the Adriatic coast and Central Europe, for centuries being a focal point of culture and science. Nowadays it is not only a centre of commerce and industry, it is also the hub of the business, academic, cultural, artistic and sporting worlds in Croatia (a university, ten theatres, twenty-one museums, fourteen galleries, twelve art collections).AtmosphereMany famed scientists, artists and athletes come from the city, or work in it and visitors can enjoy the Baroque atmosphere of the Upper Town, picturesque open-air markets, diverse shopping facilities, an abundant selection of crafts and a choice cuisine. Zagreb is a city of green parks and walks, with many places to visit in the beautiful surroundings. The city enters the third millennium with a population of one million and in spite of the rapid development of the economy and transportation, it has retained its charm and a relaxed feeling that makes it a genuinely human city. Zagreb has a continental climate, the average temperature in winter being one degree centigrade. Why choose Zagreb as the host city of the Liebherr Croatian Open? It is a city steeped in the traditions of table tennis and as the host of a major international tournament it has two main advantages that no other city can offer. The venue, the Zagreb Sports Hall and the accommodation, the Hotel Panorama are extremely near to each other, in fact they are only one hundred and fifty metres distant. Croatian PlayersHome supporters will no doubt be hoping that their leading two players Zoran PRIMORAC and Tamara BOROS can rise to the occasion. However, PRIMORAC has never won an ITTF Pro Tour tournament in Croatia. He has come close but he has never scaled the top step of the medal podium on home soil. Currently ranked number twenty-seven in the World, he didn't play in Slovenia but has prepared in Belgium for the Liebherr Croatian Open.“It’s true that the Croatian Open and myself have never been the best of friendsâ€?, said PRIMORAC. “I do not know the real reason but it's hard to play in front your crowd. I’ve made a good start in 2005; I’ve beaten the World champion Werner SCHLAGER and I was pleased with my performance against the Olympic winner RYU Seung Min. I think i can play a major role this year, I know I am not one of the favourites, but do not sign off me too early.â€?Meanwhile, Tamara BOROS won the Women’s Singles at the Croatian Open in 1999;whilst at the most recent ITTF Pro Tour tournament, the Liebherr Slovenian Open she reached the semi-finals, losing to Hong Kong’s LIN Ling. She is the only European player who is in the top fifteen ranked female players in the World, currently the number four ranked woman.PRIMORAC and BOROS have both shown over the years that they can compete at the highest levels, they are fine players and undoubtedly a good performance from the country’s two leading players this week would be welcomed by the organisers of the Liebherr Croatian Open; home success would certainly provide a major boost to the tournament and would certainly attract the media. Can they succeed? Watch this http://www.ittf.com/stories/Stories_detail.asp?Year=2005&General_Catigory=General&ID=6861  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 20 Jan 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7864/1/E-Thousands-celebrate-Croatias-capital-first-World-Cup-event.html  Thousands celebrate Croatia's capital first World Cup event01-19-2005, 19h48Vincenzo Pinto - (AFP/File) ZAGREB, Croatia (AFP) - Some ten thousand people gathered evening at the Croatian capital's main square to attend a public draw and celebrate the hosting of the country's first World Cup skiing event, the women's slalom, a first for a capital. "Ever since I have started to ski this was my dream. I hope that everyone here is happy. I'll try to do my best tomorrow to win," triple Olympic champion Janica Kostelic, dubbed "the Snow Queen" here, told the crowd. She spoke from an improvised stage at the Ban Josip Jelacic square after the draw for Thursday's race in which she will start from seventh position. Organisers of Thursday's event at the mount Sljeme overlooking the capital repeatedly paid tribute to Janica Kostelic and her world men's slalom champion brother Ivica stressing that their great results enabled Zagreb to get the race.The Kostelic siblings made their skiing debuts on the Sljeme slopes with their father Ante, who was coaching them. Kostelic said earlier that if she wins on Thursday it would be her most memorable victory in the World Cup. "It think it would be great for Janica that she wins tomorrow. She deserves it as a crown of all her successes," Zeljko Matic, a 21-year-old architecture student, told AFP. "Tomorrow's event means a lot for us. Zagreb can finally support Janica and repay her for all her successes which made us famous abroad," said Vanda-Sandra Domijan, a 32-year-old fashion designer. After the draw an open air World Cup party was organised at the square with performances of several popular pop bands and singers. This season Kostelic made a great comeback on the slopes after missing all of the last campaign with a recurring knee injury and thyroid gland surgery. She is currently second in the overall World Cup standings after 21 races. The first run on Thursday is due at 3:00 pm (1400 GMT) and the second one three hours later. http://www.turkishpress.com/sports/news.asp?id=050119194810.mbihombj.xml   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 19 Jan 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7862/1/H-Hrvatski-svecenici-najbolji-nogometasi-u-Europi.html  Hrvatski svecenici najbolji nogometasi u EuropiSrijeda, 19. sijecnja 2005. HRVATSKA svecenicka nogometna reprezentacija osvojila je prvo mjesto na Europskom prvenstvu, koje je odrzano u Austriji. Hrvatski svecenici su do naslova dosli ubiljezivsi sest pobjeda. Osim hrvatskih svecenika na prvenstvu su nastupile i svecenicke reprezentacije iz Austrije, Njemacke, Madjarske, Ceske, Slovenije i Bosne i Hercegovine.Jedan od reprezentativaca fra Zarko Relota u izjavi za Hrvatski katolicki radio rekao je da su Hrvati superiorno osvojili prvo mjesto bez poraza. Fra Zarko je izrazio nadu da ce brojne reprezentacije sudjelovati i na sljedecem prvenstvu sto ce odrzati u Hrvatskoj. Pomocu u logistici tijekom priprema i samih nastupa hrvatskoj svecenickoj reprezentaciji osigurala je Hrvatska biskupska konferencija i Hrvatski nogometni savez. Hinahttp://www.index.hr/   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 19 Jan 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7866/1/E-Janica-Kostelic-took-over-the-World-Cup-overall-standings.html  Janica Kostelic takes overall World Cup lead Janica Kostelic took over the World Cup overall standingsThe Croatian missed last season due to hyper-thyroidismAgence France PresseKostelic 739 Goetschl 718 Poutiainen 7061/15/2005, 9:36 a.m. ETBy ANDREW DAMPF The Associated Press CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy (AP) â€" Austria's Renate Goetschl showed again Saturday she is the queen of Cortina, winning a downhill for her third victory in four days. And Croatia's Janica Kostelic showed she is back at the summit of World Cup skiing after missing all of last season.Goetschl posted a winning time of 1 minute, 37.27 seconds â€" 0.29 ahead of Kostelic. Lindsey Kildow of the United States finished third, 0.44 behind, for her sixth top-three finish this season.This was Goetschl's eighth victory on the Olympia delle Tofane course. It was also her 36th World Cup victory, tying her with Germany's Katja Seizinger for third place on the career list."It was a goal of mine to reach Katja. I'm happy that it's now, I didn't expect it so soon," said Goetschl, who had not won this season before arriving in this resort town, which is known as the queen of the Dolomite mountain range.Kostelic finished second for her best career downhill result and took the lead in the overall World Cup standings."It's pretty good, but there are still a lot of races to come," said Kostelic, who celebrated wildly after her finish. "I'm not really into that right now. I'm really not thinking about it. I'm just going race to race."A former two-time overall champion who missed last season because of illness and injuries, Kostelic now leads with 739 points. Goetschl moved into second with 718 and Finland's Tanja Poutiainen, who began the day with the lead, dropped to third with 706. Poutiainen does not compete in speed events and is taking the week off.Defending overall winner Anja Paerson of Sweden finished 29th and dropped from second to fourth with 661 points.With five super giant slalom wins and three downhill victories on this course, Goetschl matched Ingemar Stenmark for most wins at one resort. The Swedish great won eight slaloms and giant slaloms at Madonna Di Campiglio between 1974 and 1983."I'm just really happy about this now," Goetschl said. "It's not every day you get three victories day after day," she said.Kildow lost her lead in the downhill standings to Goetschl after the race. She also trails the Austrian in the super-G standings. Kildow finished second to Goetschl in Friday's super-G. Goetschl also won a super-G on Wednesday, her first win of the season.Racing in her shiny gold helmet and the red boots of the Austrian "Wunderteam," Goetschl was the first top skier to hit the course. She finished 1.02 seconds ahead of previous leader Kirsten Clark of the United States, who ended up eighth. In other American finishes, Caroline Lalive was 12th and Julia Mancuso 17th.Despite perfect conditions that held up throughout the morning, no skier could catch Goetschl."On some other slope maybe," Kostelic said. "Being behind her here is like winning because she's too fast for everyone."http://pennlive.com/newsflash/pa/index.ssf?/base/sports-6/110579904946840.xml&storylist=pahomepagephoto:janica50Janica Kostelic took over the World Cup overall standingsThe Croatian missed last season due to hyper-thyroidismAgence France Presse Goetschl wins first of two downhills at Cortina; Kildow thirdBy Hank McKeeJanuary 15, 2005 The track at Cortina d'Ampezzo, Olympia delle Tofane, has some interesting nuances. Tap into them and you own the place. Regine Cavagnoud won four races there. Isolde Kostner won five. Katja Seizinger won four. But Renate Goetschl has changed the locks and parked her car in the garage with eight Cortina World Cup wins, the most by nearly double of any competitor.Saturday, Jan. 15, with a day left yet to run, she had collected three wins at Cortina this season in four days. None of the margins were big, but they were big enough. "On some other slope, maybe" said runner-up Croatian star Janica Kostelic. "But, being behind her here is like winning... She's too fast for everyone."With the most recent win Goetschl caught Katja Seizinger for third on the all time women's World Cup wins list with 36. It was something she had aimed at doing, "but I didn't expect it this soon." At 29, she could elect to go after the top two on the list, Vreni Schneider with 55 and Annemarie Moser-Proell with 62, but those marks will be well off into the future.The second place result was nearly as exciting for Kostelic as first was for Goetschl. The Croate moved into the lead for the World Cup overall title with her first ever downhill podium. Both she and Goetschl overtook Finn Tanja Poutiainen who has led the tour from the early going with nothing but slalom and GS points. Poutiainen does not race downhill. "It's pretty good," said an elated Kostelic, "but there are still a lot of races to come." Thirteen in fact, assuming the schedule is completed in this weather dependent sport, (3DH, 3GS, 3SG, 3SL and 1 combined).The happy news on the U.S. front was the sixth podium of the season for Lindsey Kildow who finished third. The 20 year old was set back in the downhill standings to second by Goetschl, but she is obviously still in the fight and still throwing punches. She skied brilliantly high on the course and may be having a set of Olympia delle Tofane keys made. In five races over two seasons she has never finished worse than fifth.Kirsten Clark finished eighth, her best result of the season, but she had the unenviable delight of holding the lead before Goetschl came down and pushed her to second place by more than a second. The U.S. got it's usual five scoring finishers with Caroline Lalive in 12th, Julia Mancuso in 17th and Jonna Mendes in 23rd. Bryna McCarty was 38 missing points by .64. Libby Ludlow finished 42nd.The Canadians suffered two DNF's and had Kelly Vanderbeek in 26th place. The only other Canadian racer to cross the finish line was Sophie Splawinski in 44th. This result didn’t come without any hardships: Approximately a kilometer into the race, Splawinski, the last racer out of the start gate, was yellow flagged after the skier ahead of her fell. Splawinski had to take the chairlift back to the summit of the course, and then hike up to the start hut positioned between two impressive rocks at the highest point on the mountain. Splawinski courageously regrouped herself and managed to ski a solid run considering her young experience on the World Cup circuit.“I’m very happy about my run,â€? said Splawinski. “I stayed calm and I even found a way to use my re-run to my advantage. I talked to my coach and he gave me a few pointers on what I could do better in that first section. I guess every time you get another chance on this hill it’s a bonus!â€?Also noteworthy was the return of former World Cup downhill title holder (2000) German Regine Haeusl. It was her first scoring race (27th place) in nearly a year as she attempts to rebound, at age 31, from torn left knee ligaments sustained a year ago. She had been a DNF in both Cortina SG's and had finished in the 30's and 40's in earlier races this season.World CupWomen's DownhillCortina d'Ampezzo, ItalyJan. 15, 20041. Renate Goetschl, AUT 1:37.272. Janica Kostelic, CRO 1:37.563. Lindsey Kildow, USA 1:37.714. Hilde Gerg, GER 1:37.805. Michaela Dorfmeister, AUT 1:37.956. Ingrid Jacquemod, FRA 1:37.987. Nadia Styger, SUI 1:38.208. Kirsten Clark, USA 1:38/299. Janette Hargin, SWE 1:38.3310. Alexandra Meissnitzer, AUT 1:38.4811. Karin Blaser, AUT 1:38.5312. Caroline Lalive, USA 1:38.5512. Jessica Lindell-Vikarby, SWE 1:38.5514. Sylvaine Berthod, SUI 1:38.6915. Isolde Kostner, ITA 1:38.7516. Fraenzi Aufdenblatten, SUI 1:38.8017. Julia Mancuso, USA 1:38.8318. Astrid Vierthaler, AUT 1:38.9619. Carole Montillet-Carles, FRA 1:39.0320. Andrea Fischbacher, AUT 1:39.0921. Petra Haltmayr, GER 1:39.1222. Marie Marchand-Arvier, FRA 1:39.2223. Jonna Mendes, USA 1:39.2324. Magda Mattel, FRA 1:39.2824. Isabelle Huber, GER 1:39.2826. Kelly Vanderbeek, CAN 1:39.3727. Katja Wirth, AUT 1:39.4127. Regine Haeusl, GER 1:39.4129. Anja Paerson, SWE 1:39.4230. Selina Heregger, AUT 1:39.52other North Americans:38. Bryna McCarty, USA 1:40.1642. Libby Ludlow, USA 1:40.7044. Sophie Splawinski, CAN 1:40.99DNF: Emily Brydon, Anne-Marie LeFrancois, CANTHE SCOOPBy Hank McKeeequipmentWomen's Downhill, Cortina d'Ampezzo, Jan. 15, 2005 Skier, skis/boots/bindings1 Goetschl, Salomon/Salomon/Salomon2 Kostelic, Salomon/Salomon/Salomon3 Kildow, Rossignol/Rossignol/Rossignol4 Gerg, Volkl/Lange/Marker5 Dorfmeister, Atomic/Atomic/Atomic6 Jacquemod, Salomon/Salomon/Salomon7 Styger, Salomon/Salomon/Salomon8 Clark, Fischer/Salomon/Marker9 Hargin, Rossignol/Lange/Rossignol10 Meissnitzer, Volkl/Tecnica/MarkerWomen's Downhill, Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy Jan. 15, 2005. ... It is the 20th race of the women's 32 race (plus 1 combined) schedule. ... The fifth of eight scheduled downhills. ... Winning margin is .29 and the top seven are in the same second.It is the 36th career victory for Renate Goetschl. ... third of the season and third in four days. ... It is her eighth win at Cortina. ... It is her 18th DH win. She is now tied with Katja Seizinger for third on all time women's victory list (behind Annemarie Moser-Proell and Vreni Schneider); and is second all time on the DH win list behind Moser-Proell.It is the 34th career podium for Janica Kostelic. ... Her fifth of the season. ... It is her first career podium in DH.It is the seventh career podium for Lindsey Kildow. ... Her sixth of the season. ... Her second in two days.It is the best finish of the season for Kirsten Clark. ... It is her 29th career top 10. ... her fifth at Cortina. ... It is the sixth best of 10 scoring results this season for Caroline Lalive. ... She has been in the top 12 of all five DH's this season. ... It is the 12th scoring result of the season for Julia Mancuso. ...Her fourth in DH. ... It is the seventh scoring result of the season for Jonna Mendes. ... It is the fifth scoring result of the season for Kelly Vanderbeek.It is the first scoring race in nearly a year (1/18/04) for 31 year old Regina Haeusl. ... she is returning from torn left knee ligaments 1/28/04. ... She had been a DNF in both Cortina SG's and had finished in the 30's and 40's in earlier races this season.Both Janica Kostelic and Renate Goetschl moved past Tanja Poutiainen (did not race) and Anja Paerson (29th) in the overall standings... Kostelic holds the lead 739-718 over Goetschl. ... Poutiainen is third at 706 and Paerson fourth at 661. Top American is Lindsey Kildow in fifth at 625. ... Goetschl has the downhill standings lead 355-335 over Kildow with Hilde Gerg (finished 4th) third at 315. ... Caroline Lalive is next best American in eighth at 138. Austria leads the women's Nations Cup standings 3556-2074. ... The Germans are third at 1578.http://www.skiracing.com/news/news_display.php/2126/ALPINE   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 15 Jan 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7867/1/E-Bill-Belichick--Nick-Saban-Croatian-Coaches-in-the-NFL.html  Bill Belichick & Nick Saban two Croatians Coaches in the NFLHost: Coach, Nick Saban, who was a protégé of yours â€" you had him in Cleveland as your defensive coordinator â€" had a tremendous success obviously at LSU, and now he's going to be in the division at Miami. How about that? What kind of a head coach do you think Nick's going to be in the NFL?BB: I think Nick's an outstanding coach, I don't think there's any question about that. I think he's one of the very best I've ever had the opportunity to work with. Nick is strong in every area of the game â€" personnel, strategy, motivation. He has a lot of experience, and he's very good at, as I say, at everything he does, and he can truly get all the bases covered.I think it just makes this division, which is already very tough, even that much tougher. You know, two Croatians in the division, Joe, that's not something you see everyday. [Laughter]Host: That's got to be a first, right Coach?http://www.allthingsbillbelichick.com/transcripts/joebenignotranscript.htmBill Belichick with Joe Benigno and Sid Rosenberg WFAN, Sports Radio 66AM New YorkJanuary 5, 2005--------------------------------------------------------------------------------Host: ...the best coach that there is in the business right now, and that is the head coach of the World Champion New England Patriots, Bill Belichick. Coach, how you doing? Happy New Year.BB: Thank you Joe, Sid. How you doing?Host: Good. Nice to talk to you, Coach. And congratulations again. Let's start right here. Everyone's talking, obviously, about the Steelers' 14-game win streak, and Peyton Manning's record-breaking season. But somehow or another, through it all, your New England Patriots went 14-2, and looks like you're well on your way to another championship â€" at the very least at least vying for one. So congratulations on a great regular season.BB: I think it's a real accomplishment for our team. You know, they've gone through a lot of adversity, and met a lot of challenges along the way. But right now we're just where a lot of other teams are right now, we're 0-0. The team that wins will be the team that plays the best from here on out. So everybody that's in, is in. Nothing really matters except how we can each do going forward. That's where our focus is, to try to get our game to its highest level.Host: Coach, I know you don't like to lose, and I know you haven't done much of that lately â€" what is it, 29 out of the last 31? But I thought one of the best things that happened to this team was going down to Miami and losing that game to the Dolphins. Because it seemed like you came right back and smacked my team next week, of course. And then you win the final game of the season to go 14-2. But it seems like maybe that kind of refocused your team again, Coach. Do you agree with that or not?BB: Losing down there was tough. You got an 11-point lead with four minutes to go in the game, and end up losing to Miami. That was pretty disappointing.Host: I guess his answer's no. [Laughter]BB: Yeah, I don't think there were a lot of positives on that one.Host: How about the Steeler game? Let's talk about them for a little bit. Because the chances are, at least if you're asking me, I think the AFC title game is going to be you guys and the Steelers in a couple weeks in Pittsburgh. What happened in that game? Was it just a case that maybe you'd won 21 in a row, and you were due to lose, and you kind of ran into a bus? I mean, what happened that day in Pittsburgh, Coach?BB: You know, they played a lot better than we did. We didn't play very well defensively. We turned the ball over on offense â€" they ran one back for a touchdown, and recovered another two fumbles inside our 30. We just didn't play well. We got outcoached, outplayed, and they deserved to win, they were the better team. And there was no question about it that day. That's why they're the #1 seed. They're 15-1. You've got to give them all the credit in the world, they've had a tremendous regular season.Host: They did, they won 14 straight games. And everybody's talking about that matchup, Coach, with you and Pittsburgh. But...BB: I wouldn't worry too much about that one right now.Host: Right, that's what I'm saying. There's a good chance you're going to see Peyton Manning along the way, again, and you guys have been very successful here against Peyton Manning. [Both hosts talking at once] He's watching film on Manning right now. I know he won't admit it. Probably so. He's got the projector on as we speak watching Manning, figuring how we're going to beat him again. Now you guys have been very successful against him, Coach. Including back to Week 1 in this regular season, you won that game as well. But you went on to the record-breaking season. I mean, do you think that at this point that you can be successful against Peyton doing the same things you've done in the past, or has his game really gotten to the point now where you're going to have to make some changes?BB: Oh, I think there will have to be some adjustments made. I'm sure they will make some, and I'm sure we will make some. We didn't exactly â€" I mean, that game came down to a field goal on the last play of the game, and that was the difference. So that could have easily gone either way. I think that at this point we're prepared to play all three teams â€" the Jets, San Diego, and Indianapolis â€" depending on how things turn out this weekend. And we have a lot of respect for all three of them. We know that no matter who we play at this time of the season, they're all good. And I think if you look at â€" you know I'm not a big stat guy, but when you look at the league stats after 16 regular season games, and you see all those teams bunched up there in terms of turnovers, and rushing defense, and red area production, and all those kind of things, they're all right up there at the top. It doesn't really matter who you play at this time of year â€" everybody's good. It's just a question of which team goes out and plays well. And can you get your best performance on the field at this point in time. And that's really what it comes down to. There's plenty of talent on every team, and I'm sure we'll have some very competitive games as we go through the playoffs. But it'll just come down to the team that can execute the best at critical points in the game.JB: Coach, you know Andy Reid, Philadelphia, had everything wrapped up a couple weeks ago. Andy Reid had his team basically mail it in that game against the Rams and certainly last week against Cincinnati they got killed 38-10. You know, no Westbrook, no McNabb. And even though you really had nothing to play for â€" you were locked in last week against the 49ers â€" you still played Brady three quarters in that game, Coach. I mean, how about that? What's your feeling on, you know, do you feel maybe if you don't play your best players in these kind of games that maybe you lose momentum going in to the playoffs?BB: Well I think, Joe, that every coach does what he thinks is best for his football team. And whatever any other coach did, I respect that 100% because I know that that coach is doing what he thinks is best for the team. And where one team is, and where another team is, can often be two different things. In our case, our players are used to being in a routine, they're used to getting ready to play, and playing. They want to play. I don't think that they would have really accepted any other approach. To them it's football season, it's a game, and they want to play in it and they want to be prepared when they walk out on the field to play in it. That's the way we approached it. But we just do what we thought was right for us. I'm not saying that another team should have done it differently, or could have done it differently. We just try to make the decisions in the best interest of our organization. I don't want to tell anybody else how to do their job.Host: We are talking to the coach of the defending World Champion New England Patriots, Bill Belichick. Coach, lots of adjustments you had to make this year, especially on the defensive side of the football with the injuries, Ty Law going down in that Steeler game. And a guy like Troy Brown is out there picking off passes at the cornerback position. And a couple youngsters had to step in for you this year â€" the kid Wilfork from Miami, and Randall Gay as well. Last couple of years in New England, was this the toughest job you've had to do to kind of patchwork this defense together to get you through the second half of the season?BB: We've had to make some adjustments in the secondary, but on our defensive front we've actually been pretty consistent there with our defensive line and linebackers. We've had a lot of the same guys pretty much every week. So it seems like every year you've always got something, or one position, and sometimes a little more than that. But every team goes through that, and we just have to work our way through it. But Troy's done a nice job for us. And Randall Gay is an undrafted rookie, so he stepped in and probably given more than anybody would have expected from. Although once he started playing, he's played at a good, competitive level. Asante Samuel was our nickleback last year, and has got a lot more opportunity this year, and he's been able to take advantage of that playing time. So that's what a lot of just competitive sports is, are guys preparing and then getting an opportunity. Then a lot of times when they get that opportunity they're able to raise their play to a high competitive level. And that's been the case with some of the players for us in the secondary this year.Host: Coach, how tough has it been with the situation with Charlie Weis? You know, he accepts the Notre Dame job a couple weeks ago, but he's still your offensive coordinator. I guess he's kind of been shuffling back and forth between Foxborough and South Bend. How difficult has that been for you, and more specifically, for Charlie?BB: I think it's been probably more challenging for Charlie. My job hasn't changed a lot, and neither have the players' or any of their coaches. But Charlie's had to manage another situation. But I think all in all that it's gone fairly smoothly. We all know what it is, and there's no question that he's added some responsibilities. But he hasn't really been shuffling back and forth. He's basically been here, and he's done all the things that he would normally do. And he's done a good job. So I think that we can certainly work within the situation that we have to deal with. And I think we can handle that.Host: Talking about Charlie Weis and the offense here, Coach, let's stick with the quarterback position. You know obviously this year Ben Roethlisberger is getting an incredible amount of play. In fact, they started the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award back in 1957, and this year Ben Roethlisberger was the first quarterback ever to win that award. So he has the big year, everybody's talking about him. Peyton Manning breaks the record, everybody's talking about him. And there's the guy that plays for you that's won two Super Bowl MVPs in the last three years, who at least, in my opinion, never seems to get that respect. Tom Brady's name is never mentioned at the top of the list. Now with his accomplishments the last couple of years, do you think it starts to bother Tom at some point, or is he just so business-like it doesn't really matter?BB: Well I think Tom's focused on winning. And I think his record there speaks for itself. Tom's a winner. He prepares hard, he's a great leader, he's good with his teammates, and is a well respected team captain and teammate really from all quarters â€" offensively, defensively, guys on special teams. He's a player that I think everybody's glad is on this team, and has contributed a lot to our victories. I think that he understands that, and in the end that's the way he wants to be measured. And I think he's done a pretty good job of it.JB: You know, Coach, one thing that I'm sure bothers you â€" I know it's all about winning championships, obviously, for you â€" but I take a look at the Pro Bowl voting every year, and I think the only guy on the defense that makes it to the Pro Bowl is Richard Seymour. And I look at guys like McGinest, I look at guys like Tedy Bruschi, and I don't know if there's a better linebacker in the NFL right now than Tedy Bruschi. Does that kind of motivate these guys even more? I mean, you've got so many top-flight players on that defense, yet Baltimore's got like five guys going, and they're not even sniffing the playoffs. And you got one guy from the defense. How about that?BB: Well, Joe, you know, the Pro Bowl voting and all comes from a number of different areas â€" you know, the fans, the coaches, the players â€" and so that's the way it's set up. It's really hard, I know just from my standpoint, I don't get to see every single player in the AFC play. I see the ones that we play. So it's a hard thing to get totally accurate, because I don't think everybody gets a good full view of the league. You know, and then you start going on stats and reputation and so forth. So I'm sure that every team in the league has a couple players that they feel like should have gotten more recognition than they did. But, you know, unfortunately that's the way it goes.JB: But I would think, Coach, that that's the way you like it â€" again, talking to Bill Belichick from the New England Patriots â€" because going back to when you won the Super Bowl a couple of years ago, and you were kind of introduced as a team, and not the individuals. And you guys, in the last couple of years, have kind of epitomized what the team is all about in an era where it seems like it's all about the selfish individual. That's not your football team. So is it fair to say that maybe at the end of the day you're kind of happy? You know you guys are all-pro players, but you're still a team, and not a bunch of individual superstars?BB: I think that our players take a lot of pride in the success of the team. And I think it's important to them to support their teammates, and do their job, and not let their teammates down. So when we all walk out at the end of the day, I think number one you want to feel good about yourself and what you've accomplished. And you know you can't always react to externally what the judgments are â€" good or bad. I think our players are pretty mature about that, they have a good perspective on it. As long as they feel like they're doing all they can, then that's what counts the most for them.Host: Coach, Nick Saban, who was a protégé of yours â€" you had him in Cleveland as your defensive coordinator â€" had a tremendous success obviously at LSU, and now he's going to be in the division at Miami. How about that? What kind of a head coach do you think Nick's going to be in the NFL?BB: I think Nick's an outstanding coach, I don't think there's any question about that. I think he's one of the very best I've ever had the opportunity to work with. Nick is strong in every area of the game â€" personnel, strategy, motivation. He has a lot of experience, and he's very good at, as I say, at everything he does, and he can truly get all the bases covered. I think it just makes this division, which is already very tough, even that much tougher.You know, two Croatiansin the division, Joe, that's not something you see everyday. [Laughter]Host: That's got to be a first, right Coach?BB: Probably is.Host: Alright Coach, let you go here. But as you're about to embark here on the playoffs â€" you're not doing a road game at the very least to get to the Super Bowl, but I think your team is certainly capable of doing that. And you've got all these great players, and Corey Dillon is here this year. You know the one thing that I guess we have to talk about is â€" no disrespect to Mike Vanderjagt in Indianapolis, or Jeff Reed in Pittsburgh â€" but the one guy we've got to talk about this time of year, maybe the most clutch kicker in the history of the game, and that's Adam Vinatieri. This is a guy that's made more big kicks for you than anybody can ever remember.BB: Well, you get in a very competitive situation like the playoffs where a lot of times teams are so close, and it comes down to a play or a kick, there's nobody we'd rather have than Adam. He's been familiar with kicking in the weather that we have in the northeast at this time of year â€" you never know what you're going to get. So, you know, he's a football player. He's not really a kicker, he's a football player. He has a lot of poise, has good talent, and has obviously come through for us in a lot of big situations. But again, his work ethic and his demeanor and what he puts into the game is really just as impressive as his performance. And we'll need everything we've got at this time of year. As I've said, every team we play we know is good, and we'll need every ounce and every resource that we have available.Host: Coach, before I let you go, I've got to ask you about the quarterback of my Jets, Mr. Pennington. Who every time you play him now recently finds the open Tedy Bruschi on a regular basis. What's your feel on him right now, where he is? Give me a little feel on what you think about Pennington right now.BB: I think that offensively the Jets are a good football team. They have a lot of weapons. It starts with Curtis, naturally. I think it always has. And then everything works off of that â€" the play action game, the vertical routes to McCareins and Moss, the utilization of the tightends, Becht and Baker, especially on those bootlegs and things like that. And they have a good offensive line, so the complementary plays and the complementary part of the offense flows very well together most of the time. Now sometimes when one aspect of it isn't really being productive, then that can effect another aspect. But I think overall the Jets are a good offensive football team. I think they have a lot of balance â€" one of the better balanced teams in the league â€" going even to their second tightends, and their fullbacks like Sowell, two good running backs. And a good set of receivers, Wayne as a third receiver, and even the whole receiving crew, Carter, I mean the whole works. So I think they're a good, balanced offensive football team, and I have a lot of respect for them. I have a lot of respect for what they do. And I think Chad's very accurate, and as long as, like any team, as long as you can keep those passing situations to manageable yardage â€" I mean there's not any quarterback that's really very good on 3rd-and-15 â€" but you know when it's 3rd-and-four, five, six, and you have a couple different guys that you can throw to, and you got the threat of the running game and all that, then those situations are advantageous for any quarterback in any offense.JB: Coach, you know you chopped him up pretty good two weeks ago. I mean he's got problems with the shoulder. Do you think he's playing hurt right now, in your mind, Pennington?BB: You know, it's hard to say, Joe. I don't know. I think that at this point in the season, every player who's playing a lot is less than 100%. I mean 16 regular season games against this competition, everybody's got bumps and bruises, everybody's sore, everybody would love to feel a lot fresher than they feel right now. But you know what, it's football time of year. It's crunch time, it's playoff time, so everybody just puts that behind them, they reach down, they suck it up. And you know, you're going to see the teams that play their best football now are teams that are going to be mentally tough, they're going to be physically tough, and they're going to be resilient. And I wouldn't worry too much about what happened last week or what happened two weeks ago. You know, it's about right now what every team can muster up and generate going forward. And they're all good, so whichever one of these 12 teams comes out on top, that team will deserve it because they will have mustered up the most energy and the best performance in the coming weeks. And that's what championship football's all about.Host: Coach, you breaking out a new sweatshirt for the playoffs?BB: No, probably not.Host: Did you get rid of that red one that you had on down in Miami when you lost? Did you burn that one? You must have.BB: Yeah, we'll move on from that one.SR: Will there be a 60 Minutes II with Lesley Stahl if you win the Super Bowl again this year? That was fascinating that piece. I love that piece you did last year.BB: No, that's not my call. You know, that's not really my thing, Sid.SR: I know, but you were great. I've got to tell you, Coach, I thought that was fascinating how you go about your work everyday. Even watching Tedy Bruschi a couple of weeks ago during the Monday night game â€" before the game, Coach, against the Dolphins â€" how he breaks down video every week. I mean, I don't think the average fan really realizes, Coach, how many hours you put in every single day. How many hours your players put in every day. We all know about practice, but I don't think the average person realizes, Coach, you know, 16, 17, 18-hour days that you guys put in. Do you ever sleep, Coach?BB: It's a very competitive league, and you're going up against the best every week. And every other team that you play, their coaching staff, their players, they're working just as hard as you are. And you just can't leave a stone unturned. You want to make sure that you've got your execution up to its highest level, because that's where it needs to be. It's such a competitive league, especially now. We go to this time of year where one play can mean everything. It determines the whole course of your season. So it's important, and you just want to put everything you have into it and get it right.Hosts: Coach, a great job as always. Appreciate you coming on. Thank you very much, Coach. Good luck in the playoffs.BB: It's a pleasure. And Joe, it's great to talk to you when the sun's up. I don't think we've ever done this before.Host: How about that? Well, you know, this is actually like late in the day for you. Do you ever sleep, Coach? I mean you never do, right?BB: Oh, yeah. Yeah.Host: What, an hour a day? An hour a week? What?BB: Oh, no. When I run low at the end of the day, that's it for me. I just sometimes I get an early start. Not as early as you start it though. Great to catch up with you, too.Host: You too, Coach. Good luck. We'll talk to you down the road, alright?BB: OK. Thank you.Hosts: Alright, there he is, Coach Bill Belichick of the New England Patriots. And he gave us quite a bit of time there, Joe. He did. Big fan of Joe Benigno, Bill Belichick. I tell you what, there's no question about it â€" THE best in the business right now. Yeah, it's not close. I think Parcells really took a beating with Dallas this year. Shanahan â€" Denver's falling off. Andy Reid â€" no, he's never even won a Super Bowl. Only guys who have won Super Bowls. You're right, you can't get that level till you win a Super Bowl. Mike Holmgren â€" you know, forget about it. This guy [BB] is the best right now. He's the best without a doubt. You and I've been saying this for a couple of weeks now, don't be surprised â€" three times in four years. Absolutely. We'll see, Belichick.Transcribed by the webmaster.Full audio available at www.WFAN.com http://www.allthingsbillbelichick.com/transcripts/joebenignotranscript.htm   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 13 Jan 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7868/1/E-Terra-Incognita-Croatia-2005---Adventure-Race.html  Terra Incognit a Croatia 2005 Media releaseYou can start registering for the 6th edition of adventure race Terra Incognita 2005 in Croatia. We provided brief news about the race 2005. Terra Incognita is one of the toughest competition in the world. It relies heavily on teamwork, endurance and navigation as well as individual skills. Mixed gender teams of four race together for 400 km through a series of checkpoints to get to the finish line as quick as they can. To assist them they have mountain bikes, ropes, kayaks and personal equipment.MORE...This event is designed to push the envelope of human endurance. Teams race 24 hours a day for five days - the clock never stops. The rules are quite simple. The team must get from the start to the finish by themselves and with no outside help. The pressure of racing must be dispersed through a solid team structure. If a person drops the entire team must halt. When an individual reaches total exhaustion resulting in complete body shutdown the entire team is condemned to the same fate. They must carry with them what they need to survive. During the race they receive no hot food or morale support, they must provide this themselves. If they dare they can sleep. Extreme situations cause emotions to develop in very quick sequences and even after five days of racing, success and failure almost touch.www.adventurerace.hr Posted by: Megan on Jan 11, 05 http://www.4ar.info/comments.php?id=1831_0_1_0_C   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 12 Jan 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7870/1/E-Vukusics-play-key-in-Northwesterns-victory.html  Vukusic's play key in Northwestern's victory BY JOHN MULLINChicago TribunePosted on Sat, Dec. 18, 2004 CHICAGO - (KRT) - He was late coming out of the locker room after the game because he was busy eating birthday cake and he had to endure good-natured ribbing from teammates as he talked about his role in Northwestern's 53-44 victory over Seton Hall.But Vedran Vukusic will take this kind of birthday anytime.With Northwestern (4-4) struggling and trailing 39-38 with eight minutes remaining Saturday, the 22-year-old junior forward from Croatia, simply took over a game that was slipping away from the Wildcats. Vukusic collected a pair of layups, a three-pointer and two steals in the span of three minutes and effectively secured Northwestern's third straight victory and second in a row over a winning team."He's getting that go-to feeling and he's starting to really step up," coach Bill Carmody said. "I wish we could get him more shots."Vukusic finished with a game-high 14 points to go with seven rebounds, two assists, no turnovers and two blocked shots. Guard T.J. Parker contributed 13 points and center Mike Thompson had 12 in a game where he shot better under pressure from the field (4 of 10) than he did at the free throw line (4 of 11)."That's something we'll work on tomorrow," Thompson said, laughing.What Northwestern worked on before a crowd of 4,306 Saturday, however, was defense. Seton Hall (4-3) has four starters averaging double figures but the Pirates had no one in double figures and shot an appalling 28.6 percent.Seton Hall center Kelly Whitney, from Marshall High School, was limited to a season-low six points on 2 of 15 shooting by a swarming defense. Virtually every Wildcat got into the act at one time or another swatting at the ball anytime Whitney put it on the floor."We knew coming in that he was their go-to guy and I wanted to take him out of the game," said Thompson, who led Northwestern with nine rebounds.He thought the defense got inside Whitney's head as the game wore on."The defense was making him afraid to dribble and that helped a lot," he said.Seton Hall had 21 offensive rebounds to offset their poor overall shooting partially. The Pirates put in eight points off offensive rebounds to overtake Northwestern at 39-38 before Vukusic's explosion, which coincided with Seton Hall suffering a turnover, blocked shot or offensive foul on five of six possessions and going nearly five minutes without scoring.The very physical game saw players sprawled on the floor repeatedly in the second half but it was the kind of matchup that can only help Northwestern getting ready for the Big Ten season in January."You have to have some physical games," Parker said. "Michigan State's going to be the same thing."© 2004, Chicago Tribune.http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/sports/10449849.htm     letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 02 Jan 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7869/1/E-Croatian-fans-donate-potatoes-for-salaries.html  Croatian fans donate potatoes for salaries Fans of a soccer team in Nedeljanec, Croatia, donated six tons of potatoes to be sold to raise money to pay players' salaries. . . .http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD%2FMGArticle%2FRTD_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1031779759101&path=!sports!punch&s=1045855935482  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 02 Jan 2005 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7872/1/E-Janica-Kostelic-on-the-podium-in-Zauchensee-Austria.html  Janica Kostelic on the podium in Zauchensee, Austria Winner of the women's slalom World Cup race Finland's Tanja Poutiainen, center, celebrates on the podium with second placed Austrian Marlies Schild, left, and third placed Janica Kostelic from Croatia in Zauchensee, Austria, on Sunday, Dec. 12, 2004. (AP Photo/Claudio Scaccini) Sun Dec 12, 7:56 AM ET Croatia's Janica Kostelic clears a gate during the women's slalom World Cup race in Zauchensee, Austria, on Sunday, Dec. 12, 2004. Kostelic placed third behind Finland's Tanja Poutiainen and Austria's Marlis Schild. (AP Photo/Claudio Scaccini)    letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 15 Dec 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7871/1/E-Water-Polo-Coach-Rudic-Returns-to-Croatia.html  Water Polo Coach Rudic Returns to Croatia U.S. Coach Rudic to take over his native Croatia's team(12-09) 12:22 PST LOS ALAMITOS, Calif. (AP) Ratko Rudic is stepping down as U.S. men's water polo coach to take over his native Croatia's team. Rudic's departure comes after he recently signed a four-year contract extension with USA Water Polo. He is the most successful Olympic coach in the sport's history, having won gold medals in 1984 and '88 with Yugoslavia and in 1992 with Italy. He guided the Americans to a seventh-place finish in the Athens Olympics. "We are sad to see Ratko leave," USA Water Polo executive director Tom Seitz said Thursday. "He brought innovation to our training and organization that will benefit our program for years to come." Rudic took over the U.S. men's team in 2001, months after coaching Italy to a fifth-place finish over the Americans in the Sydney Games. The United States finished second in the 2003 U.S. Cup, won gold at the 2003 Pan American Games and finished third in the 2003 FINA World League Super Final. Rudic helped launch the American Water Polo League as a way to professionalize the sport in the United States, like it is in Europe. Rudic will take over a Croatian team that finished 10th in Athens. A search is under way for his replacement.  http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/news/archive/2004/12/09/sports1519EST0338.DTL  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 15 Dec 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7875/1/E-Croatian-Tomic-to-Play-Volleyball-for-FSU.html  FSU Volleyball Signs Croatian Setter To National Letter Of Intent Zrinka Tomic becomes the second member of the 2005 recruiting class  Dec. 1, 2004TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Florida State University volleyball head coach Todd Kress announced today (Wednesday, December 1, 2004) that 5-foot-11 setter, Zrinka Tomic, signed a National Letter of Intent to attend and compete in volleyball at the University next fall. Tomic, a native of Vinkovci, Croatia, is a junior college transfer from Garden City Community College in Garden City, Kansas. "Zrinka is an all-around outstanding player," FSU associate head coach Rita Buck-Crockett said. "Having a left-handed setter is always a positive because they have a natural attack. Also, her defense is exceptional which will compliment Jessica Skower, our other setter, so they can work together as a good setting team. Jessica is a power player and Zrinka is a defensive player, so they will combine to be a strong force for our team next season." Tomic led the Garden City Broncbusters to a 20-14 record and they finished their season at the Region VI Division I Tournament in Hutchinson, Kan., where Tomiæ paced her squad with three service aces in the final match. She earned first team All-Region VI honors for the second time in her career. Before junior college, she played for Vibrobeton in the First League of Croatia. Tomic is the third international volleyball player the Seminoles have signed in as many years. "International players are unique because they grow up playing the game," continued Buck-Crockett, who played professionally and coached international volleyball for over 25 years. "Their court sense is better because they've devoted their whole life playing one sport. As Americans, we were raised playing volleyball, basketball, running track, etc., so we don't entirely devote all our time to one sport as international players do. I think Zrinka will come to Florida State with a passion to play and we expect big things out of her." Outside of athletics, Tomic has a perfect 4.0 GPA at Garden City Community College. http://www.collegesports.com/sports/w-volley/stories/120104aae.html  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 07 Dec 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7873/1/E-Vukusic-scores-25-points-for-Northwestern.html  Croatian Vukusic scores 25 points for NorthwesternNo. 25 Virginia (4-0) at Northwestern (1-3) 9:30 pm ESTEVANSTON, Illinois (Ticker) -- No. 25 Virginia will look to continue the Atlantic Coast Conference's dominance over the Big Ten Conference when it visits Northwestern on Wednesday.With big wins by Georgia Tech, Duke and Florida State on Tuesday, the ACC improved to 4-1 in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge this season.The Cavaliers, who beat Minnesota at home in the event last year, face Northwestern for the first time.Defense has been the hallmark with the Cavaliers holding each of their four opponents below 61 points. On Sunday, Virginia posted an 85-58 win over Richmond. Devin Smith scored 26 points with five 3-pointers and Elton Brown added 12 points and 10 rebounds.The Wildcats, who have failed to crack 60 points in each of their last two games, will attempt to halt a three-game losing streak.Despite Vedran Vukusic scoring 25 points, Northwestern lost to Colorado, 66-57. A native of Croatia, Vukusic has averaged 17.3 points, but is shooting just 39 percent from the field. http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/preview?gameId=243360077  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 07 Dec 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7874/1/E-Israel-to-host-Croatia-in-Jerusalem.html  Israel to host Croatia in JerusalemTue 30 November, 2004 10:22 JERUSALEM, Nov 30 (Reuters) - Israel will host Croatia in a friendly in Jerusalem on February 9, the Israel Football Association said.The match will be Israel's only preparation fixture against international opponents before home World Cup qualifiers against Ireland on March 26 and France four days later.Israel's 2-1 victory in Cyprus this month left them on eight points from four Group Four games, the same as leaders Ireland and second-placed France.The match in Jerusalem is the first international there since February 1999 and the first outside the Tel Aviv area for the national team since 2001.When UEFA allowed Israel to host matches again last April following a two-year ban due to security concerns, it specified that all games under its jurisdiction must be played in the Tel Aviv area.The Croatia friendly is not sanctioned by UEFA and can therefore be held at another venue.http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldFootballNews&storyID=6951453&section=news  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 06 Dec 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7876/1/E-Successful-Santic-now-fishing-for-a-Cox-Plate.html  Successful Santic now fishing for a Cox Plate Tony ArroldNovember 03, 2004THE OWNER WITH Makybe Diva delivering two Melbourne Cups and a Sydney Cup within a year, owner-breeder Tony Santic has one further ambition: to win a Cox Plate."I don't think I will be doing that with this mare," Santic, 52, said of his record-breaking mare, "but, hopefully, I can win it somewhere down the track."The Melbourne and Sydney Cups sit in the Santic home showcase in Port Lincoln, South Australia, alongside a Cox Plate trophy of national significance. That one is an 18-carat trophy won by the great Phar Lap, in 1931. Santic bought it at public auction for $420,000 -- claimed at the time as a national record for a piece of sporting memorabilia -- just days after Rogan Josh's Cup win in 1999. One of the three biggest tuna farmers in Australia, Santic is among the nation's biggest individual owners of bloodstock, with about 200 horses on his books. He has 47 in training and the rest is made up of breeding stock and foals, weanlings and yearlings. His latest venture in the racing-breeding side of his business is Smytzer's Lodge, a breeding operation built at substantial cost at Geelong, south-west of Melbourne. Santic deflected questions about the turnover of his tuna farming and export business to Japan and Europe. "I couldn't say what my turnover is -- it fluctuates so much. But it keeps the horses going," Santic said. Croatian-born Santic, husband to Christine and father of five children, entered BRW's rich list in 2003, with his wealth then estimated at $200 million. His burgeoning tuna farming business, which was set up in Port Lincoln, has expanded to his native Croatia. All Santic-owned runners race in red, white and blue colours, with the top half of the jacket featuring the Southern Cross, the bottom half the red and white checks of Croatia's national flag. Makybe Diva, a six-year-old mare who has had only 25 starts over three seasons, contributes heavily to cash-flow requirements of Santic's racing-breeding operation. When she ran up and took the lead from the crack European stayer Vinnie Roe in the closing 300 metres and went on to become the first mare in 144 years to win the Cup for a second time, she picked up a winner's cheque of $2.7 million and associated trophies valued at $80,000. That bounty lifts Makybe Diva's lifetime earnings to $7,157,135 in prizemoney, becoming the second highest stakes-winning mare in Australian history, after Sunline's $11.1m. http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,11269874%255E2722,00.html  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 30 Nov 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7878/1/E-Croatia--Hungary-Plan-Joint-Euro-Bid-for-Soccer-2012.html  Croatia & Hungary Plan Joint Euro Bid 11/28/2004 12:51:00 PMCroatia and Hungary are planning a bid to jointly host the European Football Championships in 2012, Croatia minister of Education and Sports Dragan Primorac revealed to journalists after contacts with Hungarian partners. Minister Primorac announced that the two countries would give a final decision on becoming joint candidates for Euro 2012 on December 16th. ''I'm convinced we would place a bid to organize the European championship together with Hungary'', said Primorac. He added that he expected to have a positive reaction from Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader as well. http://www.goal.com/NewsDetail.aspx?idNews=36041&progr=1   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 28 Nov 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7877/1/E-Janica-Kostelic-is-back-with-a-win-in-Colorado.html  Janica Kostelic is back with a win in Colorado Janica Kostelic of Croatia (C) celebrates her win in the women's World Cup slalom in Aspen, Colorado, November 27, 2004 with second placed Anja Paerson (L) of Sweden and third place Tanja Poutiainen of Finland. REUTERS/Mark LeffingwellCroatia's Janica Kostelic celebrates after winning the women's World Cup Slalom race in Aspen, Colo., on Saturday, Nov. 27, 2004. (AP Photo/Alex Trovati) Croatia's Janica Kostelic slams past gates during the second run on her way to winning the World Cup Slalom in Aspen, Colo., on Saturday, Nov. 27, 2004. (AP Photo/Nathan Bilow) Croatia's Janica Kostelic sprays champagne into the crowd after winning the Women's World Cup slalom with a time of one minute and 43.70 seconds in Aspen, Colorado, November 27, 2004. REUTERS/Mark Leffingwell Winner Janica Kostelic (C) of Croatia, second-placed Anja Paerson (L) of Sweden and third-placed Tanja Poutiainen of Finland celebrate on the podium after the World Cup slalom in Aspen.(AFP/Don Emmert) Croatia's Janica Kostelic in action during her second run, to a first place finish at the Women's World Cup Slalom in Aspen, Colorado November 27, 2004. Kostelic had a time of one minute, 43.70 seconds. Sweden's Anja Paerson was second with a time of one minute, 44.97 seconds and Finland's Tanja Poutiainen was third with a time of one minute, 45.02 seconds. Photo by Mike Blake/Reuters  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 28 Nov 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7881/1/E-Croatia-represented-in-Mexico-with-martial-arts.html  Bahrain martial arts squad to vie for gloryTHE Bahrain national Hoi Jeon Moo Sool team will vie for glory at the World Championship which takes place today in Cancun, Mexico.A total of 12 countries - South Korea, US, Finland, Spain, Oman, Canada, Brazil, the UAE, France, Croatia, Mexico and Bahrain are in the fray for this one-day event.The 20-member team underwent the weighing-in procedures yesterday and are ready to compete with top martial arts players from across the world.Mohammed Bakhsh, Ammar Rafei, Mahdi Farhadi and Mahmood Al Shuala will take part in the first dan black belt competition, while Ahmed Janahi, Mohammed Isa, Mohammed Habib and Mohammed Al Bastaki are in the fray for the second and third dan contest.Rafei, Al Shuala, Habib, Salah Al Kharraz and Faisal Taqi will participate in the free style competition. In the sword demonstration event, Al Shuala, Habib, Al Kharraz, Taqi and Hamad Al Bastiki will be in the fray, while Taqi will take part in the stick demonstration contest.Seven team members - Jamal Al Khaldi, Al Shuala, Mohammed Farooq, Mohammed Isa, Hussain Ahmed, Al Kharraz and Taqi will participate in the self defence contest.The final competition will be the special kicks in which 10 players will be taking part. They are Rafei, Al Shuala, Habib, Al Kharraz, Taqi, Bakhsh, Mohammed Merza, Jamal Al Mutawa, Janahi and Isa.The Bahraini team started their preparations two months ago at the Hoi Jeon Moo Sool Gym located on Budaiya highway next Bahrain International Hospital under their eighth Dan black belt Korean coach Kang Kio Sig.The delegation is headed by team manager Yousef Al Taho and includes coach Sig, administrator Sanad Al Mutawa and physiotherapist King Huan Yang.Vol XXVII NO. 246 Sunday 21November 2004 http://www.gulf-daily-news.com/Story.asp?Article=97091&Sn=SPOR&IssueID=27246   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 22 Nov 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7879/1/E-Senior-Goran-Milic-from-Dubrovnik-Croatia-had-four-goals.html  Senior Goran Milic (Dubrovnik, Croatia) had four goals Cal Baptist Falls To No. 3 Southern CalNov. 20, 2004From California Baptist Athletics RIVERSIDE, Calif. (www.calbaptist.edu/athletics) -- The #19 California Baptist University men's water polo team ended the 2004 season with a 15-7 loss to #3 USC at the Lancer Aquatic Center on Saturday afternoon. The Lancers finish the year with a 19-15 record. USC, which has the MPSF Tournament coming up, is 20-4. CBU senior utility Goran Milic (Dubrovnik, Croatia) scored four goals today. He ends his Lancer career with 188 goals in his career and 86 this season. Both marks put him in second place in CBU's record books. The Trojans were led by senior utility Cameron Kaiser, who had five goals, and junior 2-meter Zuraj Zatovic, who scored four times. CBU kept the game close early, as the Trojans held a 5-3 lead partway through the second quarter. But USC scored the game's next six goals (three by Kaiser) to take an 11-3 lead late in the third quarter. http://www.collegesports.com/sports/m-wpolo/stories/112004aai.html  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 22 Nov 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7880/1/E-New-Territory-For-Croatians.html  New Territory For Croatians  Ian Marshall, Editor of Table Tennis IllustratedPro Tour Austrian Open, WelsCroatia’s Andreja BAKULA and Sandra PAOVIC are the only European pairing to reach the semi-finals of the Women’s Doubles at the Vegeta Austrian Open in Wels; the other three pairs are all from Asia. Top seeds GUO Yue and NIU Jianfeng, the title favourites are joined by their Chinese compatriots CAO Zhen and LI Xiaoxia plus Japan’s Haruna FUKUOKA and An KONISHI.NIU Jianfeng, through to the semi-finals of the Women's Doubles with GUO YueThe semi-final stage of an ITTF Pro Tour tournament is unexplored territory for the Croatians Andreja BAKULA and Sandra PAOVIC. The furthest they have progressed on the ITTF Pro Tour as a pair, prior to the Vegeta Austrian Open, is the round of the last sixteen. It is a feat they have achieved on three occasions: in Zagreb in 2000 at the Croatian Open when they lost to the Germans Olga NEMES and Jing TIAN-ZÖRNER, in Magdeburg at the German Open in 2002 when they were beaten by the Austrians LIU Jia and Judit HERCZIG and earlier in 2004 in Warsaw at the Polish Open, when Japan’s Yuka SHIOSAKI and MIKIE TAKAHASHI ended progress.Both girls enjoyed successful junior careers and gained medals at European Youth Championships. BAKULA was the runner up in the Cadet Girls’ Singles in 1996 in Frydek-Mistek being beaten at the final hurdle by Slovenia’s Martina SAFRAN, whilst three years later in the same Czech town, she reached the final of the Junior Girls’ Singles, losing to Austria’s LIU Jia. However, she does have four European Youth Championship titles to her credit. In 1996 she won the Cadet Girls’ Doubles with colleague Bojana POLJAK and the Cadet Mixed Doubles with Germany’s Dominic HALCOUR, whilst in 1999 she was a member of the Croatian side that won the Junior Girls’ Team title and partnered Italy’s WANG Yu to gold in the Junior Girls’ Doubles.On the ITTF Pro Tour the furthest she has ever been in any event is the quarter-final stage, a round she reached with Croatia’s Eldijana AGANOVIC-BENTSEN in Cairo in 2002 at the Egypt Open, the pair losing to the North Koreans, KIM Hyang Mi and KIM Hyon Hui.Meawhile, Sandra PAOVIC won a hat-trick of titles at the European Youth Championships in Topolcany, Slovakia in 1997. She was a member of the Croatian team who clinched the Cadet Girls’ Team title; she won the Cadet Girls’ Singles beating Italy’s Nicoletta STEFANOVA in the final and partnered Jiri VRABLIK of the Czech Republic to success in the Cadet Mixed Doubles overcoming Brice OLLIVIER and Elisabeth GLADIEUX of France in the final. Three years later in Bratislava she was the runner up to Croatia’s Cornelia VAIDA in the Junior Girls’ Singles and with Nicoletta STEFANOVA won the Junior Girls’ Doubles, whilst in 1999 she was a member of the Croatian team with BAKULA who became Junior Girls’ Team Champions.The Vegeta Austrian Open has seen them reach new heights; in the semis they play the Chinese duo of CAO Zhen and LI Xiaoxia, the winners of the ITTF Pro Tour Panasonic China Open in September 2004, whilst in the top half of the draw GUO Yue and NIU Jianfeng meet Japan’s Haruna FUKUOKA and An KIONISHI.http://www.ittf.com/stories/Stories_detail.asp?Year=2004&General_Catigory=General&ID=6640   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 20 Nov 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7886/1/E-Croatia-Star-Rapaic-Joins-Standard.html  Croatia Star Rapaic Joins Standard    Previously unemployed Croatia forward Milan Rapaic will play with Belgian side Standard Liege for the next two seasons. "I am happy and in good shape. I trained with Ancona until August 15th, and then continued training with Hajduk Split until a short while ago," the player said after signing on a free. Rapaic was one of Croatia's best players in the past European Championships. Besides Ancona, his major club experiences were at Perugia and Fenerbahce.  Related Information:Milan Rapaic - http://www.goal.com/DWH_Actor.aspx?idPersona=2303 Standard - http://www.goal.com/DWH_Team.aspx?idSquadra=460 http://www.goal.com/NewsDetail.aspx?idNews=31280&progr=0  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 11 Nov 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7885/1/E-Karmen-Jericevic-of-Croatia-to-play-guard-at-MLC.html  Karmen Jericevic of Croatia to play guard at MLC By Brent Wasenius/Managing-Sports EditorSeveral new faces are expected to play prominent roles for the Midland Lutheran College women's basketball team in 2004-05.The Lady Warriors open the season at 7:30 tonight at Hopkins Arena against Peru State. On Saturday, Midland plays College of St. Mary at 4 p.m. in Hopkins.Midland lost several players from last year's squad that finished 16-13 overall, including 7-11 in the Great Plains Athletic Conference."We need some experience individually and as a team," Midland coach Joanne Bracker said. "It is a younger group. It takes a while to get to know each other's tendencies and strengths and weaknesses."Among the players lost to graduation were Jill Hayden, a four-year starter at point guard. The Lady Warriors will also be without the services of Prague native Trisha Petrzelka. The junior forward will miss the season while recovering from knee surgery.Bracker does, however, have five players with varsity playing experience.Rebecca Garrelts, a 6-0 center, started seven games last year while averaging 8.4 points and 5.6 rebounds per game. Garrelts missed several games because of illness last winter, but is back to 100 percent."She looks great," Bracker said. "She is 6-foot, but she can score with a 3-point shot. She has a nice jumper or can go inside and post up. Her strength is her scoring ability."Shari Elofson, a 6-2 junior from North Bend, played in 27 games last year while averaging 5.6 points and 4 rebounds per game.Liz Sneed, a 5-10 sophomore, is expected to play a bigger role this season. Sneed was bothered by injuries and illness as a freshman."She is capable of huge offensive numbers," Bracker said. "If she is healthy, she could be a great player for us."Sophomore Kendra Kuncl, a 5-4 guard, is the leading candidate to replace Hayden at point guard. Melanie Hinken, a 5-6 sophomore guard from Fremont, also figures to play more this year."She is an outstanding athlete and plays great defense," Bracker said.Allie Rippe, a 5-9 forward-center from Johnson, is one of the newcomers expected to contribute."She plays inside, but adds a different dimension," Bracker said. "She is real quick and has excellent court sense. She is one of those players that was very active on the court in high school. She has had some excellent scrimmage games."Karmen Jericevic (5-8) of Croatia will play both guard positions. Tremaine Toussaint (5-8), a transfer from Penn Valley (Kan.) Community College, will also provide backcourt depth.Additional help is expected to come from Ashley Bruegman, a 5-10 forward from Pierce, Allen native Angie Sullivan (5-8) and Stacia Fricke (5-11) of Ulysses."This is an outstanding group to coach," Bracker said. "It is one of those situations that we should see improvement with each practice and game. That is always motivating and rewarding."http://www.fremontneb.com/articles/2004/11/05/sports/sports2.txt  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 11 Nov 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7884/1/E-Croatian-Antonia-Perhat-setter-for-Lancers.html  Croatian Antonia Perhat, setter for Lancers Lancers take aim at junior college volleyball titleBY ALAN DELL CORRESPONDENTBRADENTON -- They've come from all over the world seeking a second chance. What they've gotten is an opportunity of a lifetime.The undefeated Manatee Community College volleyball team, ranked sixth in the country, begins state tournament play today with its eye on a national championship. It supersedes anything the players had in mind when they gathered for their first practice last August in a scene that resembled a United Nations convention.Alicia Stritz, one of the few area women on the team, joined MCC after she gave up basketball because she could not regain the speed she lost when she tore her anterior cruciate ligament as a senior at Out-Of-Door-Academy.Antonia Perhat, the Lancers' setter from Croatia, came to MCC when her college of choice, Oral Roberts University, had too many setters and couldn't make good on the scholarship she was promised when she left her country.Vanessa Targino from Brazil tried out for the team because she needed scholarship money to attend college. The oldest player at 25, she was a first-team Suncoast Conference selection.Palmetto High graduate Rachel Taylor came to MCC because she is a self-described "homebody," who couldn't bear to be away from her family.Alexandra Karastathi, the Lancers' 6-foot-2 middle arrived from Athens, Greece, needing time to heal a surgically repaired shoulder that scared Division I coaches away, at least temporarily. She is the 2004 Suncoast Conference Player of the Year.Judit Vass, who was born in Hungary and came to Sarasota at 14 where she played for Booker High, was just looking for a place to play when she asked for a tryout at MCC. She responded by leading the Lancers with 444 digs and was a first-team Suncoast Conference choice.Marjolein Vermeersch from Belgium, another six-foot-plus hitter, came to Sarasota on a visit, decided to try out for the team on a whim and hasn't left.The orchestrator of this international symphony is Ken Deterding, Suncoast Conference Coach of the Year. He wanted to coach volleyball so badly he agreed to work on a sod farm in Arcadia after leaving his coaching duties at Idaho State because he couldn't bear the freezing weather anymore.Now 48, Deterding subsequently founded the Gulf Coast Juniors Volleyball Club in Clearwater, which has gained statewide prominence.The girls have come together and after running to a 23-0 record and a Suncoast Conference Championship, the goals are much loftier. They are talking about bringing home the school's first national volleyball championship.Deterding thinks that's a real possibility, and his opinion should be respected. Before leaving Idaho State for Arcadia, the Illinois native traveled throughout the Midwest and was highly successful coaching women's volleyball.What he likes best about this MCC team is its athleticism and attitude."This could be the most talented team I've ever had," Deterding said.The girls said the bond they have formed, despite sometimes having to fight their way through various versions of English accents to communicate, is their biggest asset.They all agree a key to their success is Perhat, a 5-foot-11, sleek setter, who looks more like a point guard than a volleyball standout.She is quick, tall and has a 25-inch vertical jump.Being left-handed is a bonus because it throws the other teams off, Deterding said.On the shy and quiet side, Perhat feels she landed in a fantasy world ever since she stepped off the plane in Florida. She leads the Lancers with 643 assists and added 226 kills and 64 aces."In Croatia, you can't mix sports and education. You have to do one or the other, but here they are connected and that's why I came," she said. "I was in a cultural shock when I first got here. I couldn't breathe because it was so hot and humid. In Croatia, people never say hello and how are you doing to people they don't know. People here always saying 'I am sorry; I am sorry,' when they don't have to. It makes you feel good."Karastathi, the Lancers' youngest player, who leads the team with 346 kills and has 36 blocks, looks as if she could muscle her way around the low post if she ever decided to play basketball."I like volleyball because there is no touch with the other team. It's everything about the ball," the 17-year-old Karastathi said. "Basketball is more of a touch game, and sometimes you get into fighting, which I don't like. Volleyball, it's just you and the ball."The 5-foot-10 Taylor, who has 254 kills, said the camaraderie between the girls is its strongest asset."We don't have a lot of cat fights and we don't talk about each other a lot," Taylor said. "If we didn't get along we wouldn't do that well on the court. We care about each other, and that makes us play better as a team."MCC opens state tournament play today at Brevard Community College in Titusville. If the Lancers win the Florida Gulf District section of the tournament it qualifies for the National Junior College Athletic Association Tournament, slated for Nov. 22-24 in West Plains, Mo.http://www.heraldtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041104/SPORTS/411040592/1006&Page=2  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 11 Nov 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7883/1/E-Kayaking-championship-in-Croatia-next-year.html  Kayaking championship in Croatia next year Ferguson has one more golden era in his sights By TERRY MADDAFORD Ian Ferguson and Paul MacDonald's last stand - at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics - spelt the end of the golden era for New Zealand canoeing and for the next decade flatwater kayaking was little more than a ripple on recreational lakes. Ben Fouhy then paddled into view, quickly becoming world champion and then Olympic silver medallist. His switch from whitewater and multisport gave new hope. Ferguson, now national coach, then had his passion for the sport rekindled. He and his small team went flat out but came up just short at the Athens Olympics leaving many wondering where to now. Ferguson has no doubts. "I'm determined not to let it go to sleep like it did after Paul and I quit," Ferguson said. "There are a lot of paddlers out there who need help. Our sights now have to be set on [the 2008 Olympics] Beijing. "I want to get more coaches involved. We are in the process of setting up an identification process. "It is good to have a group of young guys coming through. They need all the help we can give them. "We have a 17, 18 and 20-year-old out there. Anyone of them could be a world-beater. That excites me." There will be changes. Fouhy and Steven Ferguson of the old guard are certain to be at the forefront of the next Olympic campaign. Mike Walker and Peter Longdill are taking a break, but Ferguson expects they will continue, as will rising star Troy Burbridge. He says we have seen the last of Australian-based Dave Kennedy and Owen Hughes. Ferguson is loathe to dwell on the Hughes outburst during the Olympics. "I pretty much ignored Owen Hughes. We were given a top 13 criteria by the Olympic selectors. He did not meet that. It was not my decision. I don't understand the boy's brain. "He wanted something he could not have. I don't know why he picked on me. He got grumpy and spat the dummy." Ferguson prefers to look ahead saying both Fouhy and his son Steven have unfinished business. "Steve is doing some swimming while Ben is taking a break but keeping himself in shape with multisport and some mountain biking. He is doing more paddling than riding though. He is still down at the [canoe] club regularly. "He is just taking a break from strict kayak training. He was so intense for two years. Nothing got in way of his training. I have never met anyone so focused. I want him to win at the next Olympics." Having his longtime girlfriend Katie Pocock involved helps Fouhy's focus. Ferguson said while it is unlikely Pocock's favoured K1 1000m will be introduced in Beijing, he was keen to help her increase her speed. Ferguson is unsure of Fouhy's plans for next year's world championships in Croatia in August where he would defend his K1 1000m title. "I'm not going to ask him about that until after he has had a break. I want him ready for Beijing but if he came to me in March, he would be ready to race in April." Ferguson was surprised at suggestions that Fouhy was giving the sport a break."He was talking candidly and it seems his comments were taken too literally. He was surprised it came out like that. "I hope Ben will compete at our nationals in February but I know he won't unless he feels he would be competitive. Knowing him as I do, I'm sure he will be." http://www.nzherald.co.nz/sports/sportsstorydisplay.cfm?storyID=3607525&thesection=sport&thesubsection=watersports&thesecondsubsection=general  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 11 Nov 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7882/1/E-Nenad-Sulava-of-Croatia-plays-chess-in-France.html  Nenad Sulava of Croatia plays chess in France Anand enters Corsica chess final[Sports India]: Corsica (France), Nov 4 : Indian grandmaster Viswanathan Anand entered the final of the Corsica Masters chess tournament with a comprehensive 2-0 win over Etienne Bacrot of France in the semi-finals.If Anand goes on beat Russia's Sergei Rublevsky in the final, it will be his fifth straight Corsica title.Rublevsky beat Alexander Motylev 1.5-0.5 in the other semi-final Wednesday night.NIIT brand ambassador Anand has now won five of the six games he has played in three matches here. His only draw was against Nenad Sulava of Croatia in the pre-quarters after which he blanked Mikhail Gurevich 2-0 and now Bacrot.Anand outplayed local hope and French No. 1 Bacrot in front of over 500 spectators at the Bastia theatre.Anand first demolished Bacrot with black in the first game and then crushed the Frenchman with white in the second game for good measure. In the crucial first game, Anand surprised with the Marshall Gambit of the Ruy Lopez. Bacrot declined and entered an obscure sideline with 9.d4. He soon landed in an inferior position, and Anand wrapped things up on the queenside.The other semi-final was much harder-fought, with the all-Russian duel between Motylev and Rublevsky came down to the final seconds. As the score suggests, former Russian champion Motylev went from forcing mate to being mated on a single move at the end.Anand and Rublevsky have met in a rapid match before, way back in 1996 when they played in the Moscow PCA Grand Prix. Anand needed to win a blitz tiebreak game to go through. The 30-year-old Rublevsky is one of the many very strong "second tier" Russian GMs.--Indo-Asian News Service http://www.newkerala.com/news-daily/news/features.php?action=fullnews&id=40812 letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 10 Nov 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7887/1/E-Croatian-Johnny-Pesky-and-the-Red-Sox.html  Croatian Johnny Pesky and the Red Sox   Dom DiMaggio (left) and Bobby Eoerr (center) joined Johnny Pesky for Game 2 of the Wolrd Series at Fenway Park    Elsa/Getty Images  Red Sox Star, Croatian Johnny Pesky, at World Series For those not familiar with American sports, the Boston Red Sox won the World Series championship on October 27, 2004. Despite consistently being one of the best teams in baseball, the Red Sox had previously not won a  World Series since 1918 - in other words, longer than the existence of Yugoslavia!One of the primary persons involved in Red Sox history is 85 year oldCroatian American Johnny Pesky who is still involved in the organization and was interviewed by members of the press in the Red Sox locker room as the team celebrated their victory. In Pesky's honor, one of the portions of Fenway Park in Boston is called Pesky's Pole (it is one of the home run poles in outfield) and he is a member of the Red Sox hall of fame.The following piece comes from the web page of the Baseball Biography Project (http://bioproj.sabr.org). Since this initially appeared, Bill Nowlin has written a full length biography about Pesky which appeared in March 2004 ("Johnny Pesky: Mr. Red Sox"). Pesky along with Red Sox great Ted Williams and others was the subject of another book which appeared in 2002 by award winning writer David Halberstam called "The Teammates." You can get both books at many book stores or on Amazon.************************************************************************Johnny Peskyby Bill NowlinJohnny Pesky's career got off to an unparalleled start, and could have propelled him into the Hall of Fame had World War II not pulled three prime years out. Pesky set a rookie record with 205 hits his freshman year (1942) but then served in the Navy for the next three years. When he came back, he twice more he produced over 200 hits, in the Red Sox pennant-winning year of 1946 and in 1947. Had he managed over 200 hits for each of his three missing years, there is every possibility this lifetime .307 hitter could have made the Hall.Born John Michael Paveskovich in Portland, Oregon on September 27, 1919, Johnny Pesky (he changed his name legally in 1947) was the son of Croatian immigrants. His father Jakov never did really understand baseball, but he and Johnny's mother Marija were both supportive of their middle of three sons when he took to hanging around the Portland Beavers ballpark located a few blocks from the family home. Johnny was just one of  the kids around the park, but groundskeeper Rocky Benevento invited him in and put him to work. Before too long, Johnny was one of the visitors' clubhouse kids - and clearly recalls hanging up the laundry of Pacific Coast League players only a year or two older than himself - players with names like Ted Williams and Bobby Doerr.Johnny had an older brother Anthony, a younger brother Vincent - who spent a little bit of time in the Yankees' system - and three sisters: Anica (Ann), Milica (Millie) and Danica (Dee.) Jakov worked in the sawmills until asthma forced him to retire. The older children took jobs; Vincent was the youngest and Johnny next-to-youngest. There was enough money coming in that it freed up the two boys to play some baseball.From an early age, Johnny was doing everything he could to better himself at baseball. The young middle infielder also played American Legion ball, and on a number of city teams in Portland, as well as on some semipro teams. Before he'd graduated from Lincoln High School in Portland, he spent the summer of 1937 with the Bend Elks in the town of Bend, Oregon and led the league with a .543 average. The team won the state league title. Both the summers of 1938 and 1939 were spent with the Silverton Red Sox. Both the Bend and Silverton teams were summer league teams associated with local timber companies. Surprisingly, Boston Red Sox owner Tom Yawkey owned the Silver Falls Timber Company, so Johnny was actually with the Red Sox (albeit the Silverton Red Sox) even before Boston's scout Earl Johnson signed him. Twice Johnny was part of a Northwest team that went to Wichita and competed nationally. The Silverton team won 34 games and lost two, and sometimes played exhibition games against touring teams like the House of David aggregation and the Negro League Kansas City Monarchs.Johnny was offered $2500 as a bonus by the St. Louis Cardinals, but signed with Boston for $500, because Johnson had so impressed Johnny's parents. They felt he'd look out for Johnny if he signed with the Red Sox. Johnson had offered an additional $1000 if Johnny stayed in the organization for two years. His pay was $150 per month, and the Sox sent him the full thousand after just his first year.Johnny's first year in pro ball, after signing with Boston, was 1940 in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, playing for the Rocky Mount Red Sox of the Piedmont League, under manager Heinie Manush, who Johnny credits as a major influence. Johnny hit a club-leading .325. He had 55 runs batted in but, ever the table-setter, scored 114 times. Pesky led the league with 187 hits and 16 triples. That .325 average placed him third in the league.In 1941, Pesky progressed from Class B ball in Rocky Mount to Louisville where he played for the Colonels, again hitting .325. Louisville was a Double A team in the American Assocation, managed by Bill Burwell. Pesky hit for precisely the same average - .325, and once again led the league in hits, this time with 195. He won the MVP award in the American Association for 1941.By year's end, he was bound for Boston, offered $4000 for his first year's salary. Johnny joined the Sox for spring training just three months after Pearl Harbor. War loomed large over all of baseball, and during Johnny's rookie year, he spent three evenings a week beginning in May taking classroom for the United States Navy where he was in training to become a Naval aviator, in the same program as teammate Ted Williams. Pesky won the shortstop spot in spring training and was assigned number 6. Despite the need to balance baseball with Naval training, Johnny Pesky finished the season with a .331 batting average, second only to Ted Williams (.356) in the American League. He led the league in sacrifice hits. There was no "rookie of the year" award yet. That same year, The Sporting News named Johnny the shortstop on All Star Major League team. Johnny came in third in MVP voting, behind Joe Gordon and Ted Williams.Tom Yawkey had his own prize for Pesky. At season's end, there was a $5000 bonus for the rookie shortstop - enough to buy his parents a home in Portland. Johnny Pesky never forgot Tom Yawkey's generosity at a time when Johnny was off to military service, perhaps never to return. Yawkey won fierce loyalty from many of his players; with gestures like this, one can understand why.WWII took three years out of Johnny's baseball career, but while in the Navy he met his future wife, Ruth Hickey. She was a WAVE who Johnny met while serving as an Operations officer in Atlanta. Nearly sixty years later, Ruthie and Johnny remain very happily married. In 1953, they adopted a five-month old son through Catholic Charities - David Pesky, who was born in December 1952. Like a lot of ballplayers, Johnny had many opportunities to play baseball during the war and even played in the AL vs. NL All-Star Game at Furlong Field, Honolulu in 1945.In 1946, the war over, Johnny and the Red Sox won the pennant, and took the fight right down to the 9th inning of the seventh game of the World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals. Johnny hit safely a league-leading 208 times that season, with a .335 average (3rd in the league), scoring 115 times (second behind Ted's 142.).  The Series was a disappointing one for Pesky, as it was for two other players named Musial (who batted .222 in Series play) and Williams (.200). And generations of baseball aficionados have heard that "Pesky held the ball" on a key play in the 8th inning of Game Seven, allowing Enos Slaughter to score the winning run from first base on Harry Walker's hit to left center. Cardinals 4, Red Sox 3. Films of the play do not show a clear hesitation, and perhaps sportswriter Bob Broeg was right in arguing that credit should go to Slaughter for his "mad dash" around the bases rather than blame being assigned Pesky for what was, at most, momentary surprise that Slaughter was streaking toward the plate rather than secure at third.The following year, Pesky again collected his 200 hits (207 this time around) - the third year in a row he'd led the league. He and Dom DiMaggio were the table-setters for Ted Williams, and the speedy Pesky was usually discouraged from stretching a single into a double, because a double just meant the other team would walk Ted to fill the unoccupied sack at first. Pesky was a clever infielder as well; three times he pulled the rare hidden ball trick, and would have done so a fourth time had the pitcher not stepped off the rubber at the wrong moment.The Red Sox came within a game of winning the pennant both in 1948 and 1949, and were only four games behind in 1950. These were some great Red Sox teams. Pesky's place, though, never seemed secure - a strange spot to be in for a top-ranking shortstop. When Johnny joined the team for spring training in '48, he was unsure where he'd be playing, since Boston had acquired Vern Stephens from the St. Louis Browns and it looked like Billy Goodman - another infielder - would make the team. Stephens contributed 137 RBI in '48; clearly manager Joe McCarthy's decision to play him proved wise. (Stephens led the league in RBI in '49 and '50. Goodman stuck, and hit .310. In 1950, he won the AL batting title with a .354 average - with a bit of an assist from Pesky. Johnny approached 1950 manager Steve O'Neill late in the season and offered to take himself out of the lineup so that Goodman could accumulate the necessary at-bats to qualify.)The problem was an embarrassment of riches. There were just too many good hitters on these Red Sox teams. Johnny Pesky's average fell off sharply in 1948, down to .281. Almost certainly part of the reason was that McCarthy slotted Stephens in at short, and shuffled Pesky over to third. He put a brave "team face" on it, but being asked to learn a new position was unsettling. So, too, was the pay cut Joe Cronin imposed on him after the 1947 season. All he'd done was led the league in hits for each of his first three years, but Cronin cut his $20,000 pay down to $17,500 for 1948. "They asked me how many home runs I hit and how many runs I had knocked in," Johnny explained fifty years later. This was certainly a discouraging situation, and Pesky did pop a career-high three home runs in 1948. He may have been pressing more than a little.1949 saw a bit of a rebound, his average back up to .306 and, earning an even 100 walks, elevated his on base percentage to .408. Johnny, always a team booster, allowed, "What a lucky guy I am. Instead of wearing these shoes, I'd probably be shining them for some other guy in the Coast League." There were endless rumors, though, about trades said to feature Pesky. From time to time, he admits, these rumored trades proved distracting for him.The 1950 season was a tremendous year offensively for Boston. Pesky hit .312, walked 104 times and boosted his OBP to a solid .437. His fielding at third base drew frequent accolades in the Boston press. Scoring 112 runs, he joined teammate Ted Williams as the only other player to have scored 100 or more runs each of his first six seasons of major league ball. This was the year Pesky, in effect, took himself out of the lineup so that Billy Goodman could have a shot at the batting title. Boston Herald sportswriter Bill Cunningham wrote, "The sporting part about his gesture is that he made it for the man who took the job away from him." Years later, in 1985, the Lynn Sunday Post editorialized that Johnny Pesky led the majors in "Most Friends."By 1951, though, the bloom was off the rose, and when the Marines called Williams back in 1952 to fly combat in Korea, the golden days were gone. There were signs that Pesky was slowing a bit. He only stole 2 bases each in '50 and '51, down somewhat from earlier years. He maybe wasn't getting to as many balls as an infielder as he had earlier. Lou Boudreau had been brought in by Yawkey, and was projected as the shortstop. Even though Pesky's career .316 average at the time ranked him fifth among active players, here he was - once again - having to fight for a spot. Johnny got off to a slow start, but wound up the season at .313. Boudreau hit .267.Johnny's 1952 season began poorly, and he was hardly ever used by Boudreau, now the manager and seeking a "youth movement" in Boston. Hampered by injuries, he was hitting a pitiful .149 when he traded to the Tigers in a monster deal. Boston sent five players to Detroit, a full 20% of the 25-man roster. In exchange for Pesky, Walt Dropo, Fred Hatfield, Don Lenhardt and Bill Wight, they got four Tiger players (Hoot Evers, George Kell, Johnny Lipon & Dizzy Trout.) Johnny pulled it together a bit and hit .254 for Detroit. 1952 truly was a sub-par season.He cracked 300 at-bats in 1953, and hit .292 but he was in decline. After appearing in 20 games for the Tigers in '54, Detroit traded him to Washington, where he finished his playing career with a .246 mark between the two teams.Johnny Pesky wound up his major league career with a .307 average, and an On-Base Percentage of .394.His life in baseball, though, was just entering a new phase. Johnny coached with the Denver Bears in the Yankees organization in 1955, then managed five different minor league teams for the Detroit Tigers from 1956-1960.Most of his sixty-plus years in baseball, however, have been with the Red Sox. After his years with Detroit, the Red Sox called him back following the 1960 season. Johnny managed the Sox' Seattle minor league team in 1961 and 1962, and managed the big league Boston Red Sox in '63 and '64. As manager, he brought some fire to the position, after years of yawns under the likes of Pinky Higgins. Some felt he was a little too fiery; he had a few run-ins with "Dr. Strangeglove" Dick Stuart, who committed 29 errors at first in 1963 - but hit 42 homers and had collected a league-leading 118 runs batted in. He also clashed with Carl Yastrzemski a number of times, and Carl made clear his discontent. As much as anything that may explain Yawkey's refusal to find a position for Pesky within the organization when Higgins finally dismissed Pesky late in 1964. Yaz was like a son to Yawkey, and Higgins was one of Yawkey's drinking buddies. Pesky had originally been brought in as manager despite Higgins' opposition.When relieved as manager, Pesky hooked on with the Pirates and served as major league coach for two years, while managing the Pirates' Columbus club for a third.From 1969-1974, he served as broadcaster for Boston, working with Ken Coleman and Ned Martin as a color commentator. Though he worked hard at improving himself, he never felt comfortable except during rain delays when he could really stretch out with stories about players from his era.During the same period, Pesky called on clients for the Sox, initiating a fledgling marketing department for the club, working in tandem with former catcher Bob Montgomery. Johnny Pesky probably appeared at more banquets and events around New England than any other figure in Red Sox history.He's also one of the only people in baseball to have a part of a ballpark named after him. Fenway's famed "Pesky Pole" - the right field foul pole - was given the nickname by Sox broadcaster Mel Parnell. A former teammate, Parnell was poking a little fun at Johnny's lack of power - he hit just 17 home runs, and only six at Fenway - every one of which went out past the right field foul pole, now the shortest distance for a home run in major league ball.From 1975-1984, he was first base coach under Sox skippers Darrell Johnson, Don Zimmer and Ralph Houk. From 1985 to the present, Johnny has been a special assignment instructor, evaluating players at lower levels in the Red Sox system, but also working with generations of Red Sox players at spring training and at Fenway. As late as 2003, Johnny Pesky - "Mr. Red Sox" in the eyes of decades of New Englanders - could be found on the field at Fenway before games, hitting fungoes to infielders and generally serving as a goodwill ambassador throughout the region. Johnny Pesky is a charter member of the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame.SourcesMost of the information for this article was gleaned from many hours of conversation with Johnny Pesky, who gave unsparingly of his time as I worked on the book Johnny Pesky: Mr. Red Sox, scheduled for publication by Rounder Books in 2004. In addition to the newspapers cited in the text, I consulted Total Baseball (7th edition) for statistics, and the microfilmed records of the Boston Globe newspaper for the years of Pesky's career. Other information was provided by personal interviews with Ken Coleman, Bob Montgomery and Vincent Paveskovich.http://bioproj.sabr.org  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 05 Nov 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7888/1/E-Croatians-Fine-Form-Continues---Tamara-Boros.html  Croatian's Fine Form Continues Tamara BOROS, currently the highest ranked European female player   Zhou Xin, Xinhua News Agency, China & Ian Marshall Photo by: Xin ZhouXIAOSHAN, Zhejiang Province, Oct. 27 -- Croatia's Tamara BOROS, currently the highest ranked European female player on the ITTF Women's World Ranking list, started the first day of play in the Bosideng Multiglory Women's World Cup in Xiaoshen, by beating the reigning European champion, Otilia BADESCU of Romania. The result undoubtedly gave her confidence for in the evening session of play she beat the player ranked five places higher in than her in the World Rankings, the World number three, NIU Jianfeng of China.Tamara BOROS ended the opening day's play unbeaten The result undoubtedly gave her confidence for in the evening session of play she beat the player ranked five places higher in than her in the World Rankings, the World number three, NIU Jianfeng of China.Winner of the Volkswagen Grand Finals last year and the reigning Asian champion, NIU Jianfeng was beaten in four straight games 11-9, 12-10, 11-4, 11-8; the Croatian's powerful topspin play proving the dominant factor.`I wasn't in my best form but I felt NIU Jianfeng was in an even worse form; it was important that I won the first two games', said BOROS. `I became more confident and started play in a more relaxed way.'`I'm in a tough group together with NIU Jianfeng, LAU Sui Fei and Otilia BADESCU', she added. `What I expect in the World Cup is to play step by step and to win point by point.' The victory almost guarantees BOROS a place I the quarter-finals whilst for NIU Jianfeng, the runner up last year, the chances of repeat appearance in the second stage have all but evaporated.NIU Jianfeng lost her first match of the day to Hong Kong's LAU Sui Fei, who in the evening session of play was beaten by Otilia BADESCU, and even if the Chinese star beats Otilia BADESCU her fate relies on the result of the Tamara BOROS versus LAU Sui Fei encounter.Meanwhile, the Olympic champion recorded her second win of the day beating Singapore's LI Jia Wei as did GAO Jun of the USA and Viktoria PAVLOVICH of Belarus; the former beat the Dominican Republic's WU Xue whilst the latter's defensive skills proved too consistent for Nigeria's Funke OSHONAIKE.http://www.ittf.com/Protour_new/Stories_detail.asp?ID=6550&PT_Title=&s_Year=&   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 28 Oct 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7889/1/E-Jump-into-the-200-meter-deep-Mamet-cave-Croatia.html  Jump into the 200 meter deep Mamet cave, Croatia   Austrian extreme BASE jumper Felix Baumgartner jumps into the 200 meter deep Mamet cave in the Paklenica National Park in Croatia, October 17, 2004. The jump, lasting only 7.2 seconds, required precise timing to calculate the moment to open the parachute. Picture taken October 17, 2004.REUTERS/sportsandnews/Flo Hagena/Handout Reuters - Oct 19 3:59 AM   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 23 Oct 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7891/1/E-Aljosa-Asanovic-in-CHICAGO--THIS-WEEKEND.html  ALJOSA ASANOVIC IN CHICAGO -THIS WEEKEND!Due to conflict with Croatian School this Saturday - the Youth Camp andClinic with Aljosa Asanovic has been pushed back to approximately 1pm.Please try and have your children their as soon as possible immediatelyafter Croatian school this Saturday. Also, due to demand we will have 2groups of kids, those between the ages of 7-9 yrs old and 10-13 yrs old.The friendly match featuring Aljosa Asanovic as well as all your favoriteChicago All-stars featuring players from Jadran, Hrvat and HNK Zrinski willbe held shortly after the Youth Camp and Clinic.Please contact Phil Lisnich at 773-818-4479 orphillisnich@comcast.net HNK Zrinski Chicago and the Croatian Cultural Center of Chicago welcomeAljosa Asanovic to Chicago this weekend! Please come out and supportChicago Croatian soccer while cheering on one of Croatia's finest playersever to put on the Hajduk Split jersey and one of the stars of the famousWorld Cup France 1998 3rd Place World Cup team for Croatia. Fans will havean opportunity to meet with Aljosa for autographs and purchase Aljosa's bookwritten by author Andrija Kacic Karlin - "Vatreni Lakat" as well as the DVDbased on the best selling book "Nase Vatrene Godine".Aljosa and author Andrija Kacic Karlin will be in attendance at thefollowing locations this weekend as well as many other locations around theChicago Croatian Community.Saturday, October 23rd - Hawthorne Park1:00pm - 3:30pm - Croatian Youth Soccer Camp hosted by HNK Zrinski andAljosa Asanovic, boys between the ages of 10-13 are welcome. Bring youchildren out to meet Aljosa in person and have him help improve your child'ssoccer skills. You do not need to be registered with the HNK Zrinski'syouth team to participate in the clinic. All kids are invited and welcome -Parents, please have kids there as close to 1:00pm as possible..3:30pm - 5:00p - come see Aljosa play with some of the finest Chicago landplayers from all 3 of our Croatian Clubs here in Chicago as well as somespecial guests from around the country....all your favorite players from HNKZrinski, Hrvat and Jadran will be in attendance for this special match!** Hawthorne Park is located on 31st Street and Central Ave. From I-55 (TheStevenson Expressway) Exit at Central Ave North, continue approx 1.5 mileson Central Ave to Hawthorne Park and look for the stadium located on theEast Side of the street...ample parking is available.Sunday, October 24th- Redmond Park - Bensenville, IL5pm-7pm - Come out and see Aljosa Asanovic suit up and play with HNK Zrinskiin their final regular season match in one of Chicago's toughest leagues theMetropolitan Soccer League. Come out and help cheer on HNK Zrinski againstone of our toughest rivals as Zrinski will battle the Ukranian Lions at 5pm.The game is a road game for Zrinski and will be played in Bensenville, ILunder the lights at Redmond Stadium.** Redmond Park is located in Bensenville, IL off of York Rd. Take I-290West to York Rd and exit York Rd North. Take York Rd North about 1 mile,you will pass Grand Ave and look for George St. Turn right or East onGeorge. Go 4 blocks to John St and turn left and you will see Redmond Parkup ahead...ample parking is available.Monday, October 25th - Croatian Cultural Center of Chicago7pm - Stop by and have a drink with Aljosa and Andrija - books and DVD'swill be for sale as well as a showing of the DVD "Nase Vatrene Godine"Please call or email Phillip Lisnich at 773-818-4479 orphillisnich@comcast.net with any questions.CroNetwork: The Croatian-American Organization for Young Professionals.  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 21 Oct 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7890/1/E-Annemarie-Miskovic-Associate-Head-Swimming-Coach.html  Annemarie Miskovic Named Associate Head Swimming Coach at ASUThis appears in today's Arizona Republic concerning Annemarie Miskovic of Rijeka. John KraljicArizona State swimming head coach Michael Chasson announced the promotions of Annemarie Miskovic to associate head coach and Phil Spiniello to assistant coach.Miskovic, from Rijeka, Croatia, graduated from University of Zagreb in 1996 and earned a master's degree in motor learning and development from ASU in 1998.She joined the ASU staff last year after coaching for four years at the University of Virginia.Spiniello was a graduate assistant last year for the Sun Devils and also coaches high school participants in Sun Devil Aquatics, a year-round club team.Spiniello was a four-year letterman on the swimming team at Franklin and Marshall College.  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 20 Oct 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7893/1/E-Croatias-Mario-Ancic-gets-tennis-world-record.html  Croatia's Mario Ancic gets tennis world record Ancic beats RusedskiCroatia's Mario Ancic beat Britain's Greg Rusedski 11-9 in the Superset Tennis sudden-death shoot-out final to walk away with the £250,000 winner-takes-all prize at Wembley Arena on Sunday night.Ancic, aged 20 and ranked 20 in the world, and 31-year-old Rusedski traded serves for 20 games before Rusedski finally capitulated on the third set point. Victory gave Ancic a world record reward for three sets of tennis.The battle of the big servers went with serve for the first 19 games before Rusedski, after saving two match points, was beaten by a forehand down the line. Ancic, the Wimbledon conqueror of Tim Henman, said: "It's been a great year in England for me and right now I'm speechless."It's my first tournament win, it isn't an ATP event but it was worth fighting for. I was just concentrating on serving."Rusedski reflected: "I wish I'd lost in the first round because I wouldn't be feeling so bad now. But Mario served too well and good luck to him."  After beating American Robby Ginepri in the first round, Ancic was involved in a long semi-final when 45-year-old John McEnroe pushed him all the way.The three-times Wimbledon champion had already handed Britain's latest prospect Andrew Murray a 24-minute masterclass, crushing the recent US Open boys' singles champion 6-1.  Then, revelling in the razzmatazz of sudden-death tennis, he stretched Ancic to 9-7 before finally coming to a double fault.Both Ancic and Murray admitted they had never met anyone like McEnroe, with the young Croatian conceding: "He played unbelievable tennis. That's the best guy at serve and volley. For one set he is so tough. "He picked up volleys and half-volleys and showed he is a true legend."McEnroe revealed that he is ready to try and help Murray reach the top. "He's the type of player I hope I will be involved with because I think he has the potential to be a good player," said the American. "The whole idea is that I will be helping the LTA initiative by working with some kids and he's the obvious choice."At first the idea was I would be a figurehead but I want to get down in the trenches and hit with the kids," said McEnroe, who paid 17-year-old Murray respect by never easing up. "You risk losing if you do something like that. I smothered him before he had a chance to get into it," added the veteran.Superset Tennis was making its European debut and is set to return to London in the future. Wimbledon it isn't, despite the All England championships' referee Alan Mills being in charge. Rock music blaring, players marching on court in a fashion more suited to a boxing world title fight, court-side coaches giving advice and the latest hi-tech equipment giving players the chance to challenge controversial line calls were just a few of the innovations.The use of Hawkeye to decide any line disputes was unanimously welcomed by the players, with McEnroe saying: "They are ahead of their time with that as it could be introduced on the tour in the next couple of years."in tennis.    letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 07 Oct 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7892/1/E-Mario-Preskar-Wins-in-37-seconds-at-Madison-Square-Garden.html  Mario Preskar Wins in 37 seconds at Madison Square Garden  Last night in Madison Square Garden after six hours ofboxing, ten bouts which included four world championshipfights, the Ricardo Mayorga vs. Felix Trinidad “Back with aVengeance” main event produced enough adrenaline to liftthe 17,046 fans in attendance to their feet, grossed thethird largest gate in Madison Square Garden history, with$4.65 million, and most certainly is a candidate for thecelebrated “Fight of the Year.”In the opening bout of the evening, Croatian heavyweightprospect Mario Preskar (212 lbs.) from Zagreb knocked outDanny Weyland (210 lbs.) in 37 seconds of the first round.Preskar (5-0-1, 3 KO’s) landed a left hook to Weylands jawand the Arkansas native went down and remained on thecanvas for the remainder of referee Eddie Cotton’sten-count.Preskar next fight is in Tampa, Florida on Friday, October22 then again in Madison Square Garden on Saturday,November 13, 2004 in a "Struggle for Supremacy" eveningthat will feature at least 8 Heavyweight fights including:John Ruiz WBA Champion, Andrew Golota, Chris Byrd IBFChampion, Jameel McCline, Four-Time Heavyweight WorldChampion Evander Holyfield, Larry Donald, Kali Meehan,former WBC and IBF Champion Hasim Rahman, former WBCHeavyweight Champion Oliver McCall, Mario Preskar andothers. source: www.fightnews.com   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 07 Oct 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7895/1/E-JUNIORS--SENIORS-AT-US-OPEN.html  JUNIOR GIRLS & BOYS AND SUPER SENIORS TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP By Katarina TepeshEvery year during the US OPEN the ITF or International Tennis Federation organizes the JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS for JUNIOR GIRLS and JUNIOR BOYS to compete. The event provides the stars of tomorrow with plenty of opportunities to make their dreams of tennis glory come true.In the world of international junior tennis, several Croatians created a buzz.Among seeded players is MIRNA MARINOVIC, ranked 73rd and seeded No. 4. Unfortunately, Mirna did not qualify to compete among "Girls' Singles" and lost in the 1st round in "Girls' Doubles."Sixteen-year-old SANJA ANCIC from Split also lost in the first round of Girls' Singles and Doubles. "My ambition in tennis is to reach the top 10," says Sanja. Her sponsor is "Prince," tennis racquet and clothing company, as well as her parents, owners of a supermarket chain. "I began playing tennis at age 5. I play right-handed and prefer to play on clay courts. My favorite players are Martina Hingis (retired), Jennifer Capriati and of course, Goran Ivanisevic." Her coach is Jozo Dumanic and Neno Ancic. "When I'm not in school or playing tennis, I like to read and go to the cinema." Brother MARIO ANCIC, seeded No. 28, had an unfortunate experience competing among professionals by losing in his first round in Singles and Doubles. Mario's next tennis tournament is in Florida. Due to hurricane Frances, Mario continues to practice at the US Open tennis courts in Corona, Queens. The tennis center, home of the US Open, is the world's largest public tennis facility. It has 45 Deco Turf II courts, 3 stadium courts, 33 outdoor courts (22 of which have "US Open quality lights" for night play) and 9 indoor courts. Chosen as the LL or lucky loser during the qualifying matches, ANTONIO VEIC had the most successful run among Croatian boys and girls. He reached 3rd round of Jr. Boys Singles. In the 2nd round, Veic defeated Spanish player Pablo Andujar, seeded No. 12. In the 3rd round, Veic lost to a Russian player seeded No. 7, Sergey Stakhovsky 6-0, 6-4. On tennis court, Veic moves really well and plays aggressive tennis. Using diversified shots and strong serve, his game looks very promising. Given proper guidance, the talented junior will have a terrific future in tennis. Qualifier MARIN CILIC reached 2nd round in Jr. Boys Singles, but lost in 1st round Doubles. FRANCO SKUGOR lost in 2nd round of Jr. Boys Singles and 1st round in Doubles.Qualifier JURICA GRUBISIC lost in 1st round of Jr. Boys Singles and Doubles. PETAR JELENIC arrived in New York City, played and lost in qualifying matches.Representing Canada, Katarina Zoricic played in qualifying Jr. Girls Singles and lost. WTA or Women's Tennis Association www.wtatour.com lists several Croatian players who did not qualify to compete at the US OPEN due to their ranking. IVANA ABRAMOVIC ranked 148, DARIJA JURAK ranked 203, IVANA LISJAK ranked 223, SANDA MAMIC ranked 229, LUCIJA KRZELJ ranked 259, LANA POPADIC ranked 293, MIRJANA LUCIC ranked 335, NIKA OZEGOVIC ranked 360, ANA VRLJIC ranked 365, MATEA MEZAK ranked 379, IVANA VISIC ranked 477, PETRA DIZDAR ranked 528, NADA PAVIC ranked 648, MARIJA ABRAMOVIC ranked 696, IVANA SOKAC ranked 943, ANA ABRAMOVIC ranked 951, GIANNA DOZ ranked 1051 and IVANA BRACUN ranked 1072. WTA members established a first mentor program in pro sports, which helps rising stars shine even brighter. Among protégés and mentors who have completed formal requirements of Partners for Success are MIRJANA LUCIC and her mentor MARTINA NAVRATILOVA. The professional Development Department tried to help Lucic to continue to compete in tennis tournaments. Mirjana won 1996 US OPEN Junior Girl's Singles Champion and was the youngest to win a WTA tour Singles title in 1997 at 15 years, 1 month and 25 days old. It happened at Bol, the island of Brac. Mirjana won again in 1998. The tournament owned by a native of Hvar, Mr. Plenkovic, is no longer active due to shortage of sponsors. In 1998 Mirjana and Martina Hingis won Australian Open Doubles Championship. IVA MAJOLI announced retirement from Tennis. She lives in Zagreb and is in the process of building a tennis academy. Iva won the French Open 1997 Roland Garros and reached her career high No. 4 on February 5, 1996. Iva's total career prize money reached over $4,390,192. Recipient of WTA Tour 1993 Most Impressive Newcomer and 2000 Comeback Player of the Year Awards. SENIOR TENNIS LEGENDS The US OPEN sponsors annual MASTERS INVITATIONALS where the leading figures in the sport of tennis compete in following categories:Men's 35s Doubles Masters, Men's 45s Doubles Masters, Women's Doubles Masters and Super Senior Doubles. The international Masters Invitational includes legendary champions such as Pat Cash from Australia, Jana Novotna from Czech Republic, Guillermo Vilas from Argentina, Virginia Wade from Great Britain, Ilie Nastase from Romania, Stan Smith from USA and MIMA JAUSOVEC from Maribor, Slovenia. Representing former Yugoslavia, Mima won the French Open 1977 Roland Garros. She was a finalist in 1978 and 1983 in Singles and won 1978 Roland Garros Doubles Championship. At Wimbledon Mima was a finalist in Doubles. Having won in total 5 Singles titles including 1976 in Rome, 1976 Canadian Open, 1978 Hamburg German Open and 1982 Avon Los Angeles. Mima cracked top 10 on March 20, 1977 as No. 9 while she reached her career high as No. 6 on March 22, 1982. Her career prize money reached $933, 926. Mima opened a tennis club in Zagreb. Demolished due to improper building permits, Mima moved to Slovenia. I hope that someday we will see Iva Majoli and Goran Ivanisevic, 2001 Wimbledon Champion, participating at the Masters Invitational along with Nikola Pilic, 1970 US Open Men's Doubles Champion. Pilic had 7 wins in total and 9 as a finalist, while his winning % in finals is .437 .One of the regulars at the US Open is Donald Trump with his Slovenian fiancée Melanie Knauss. To acknowledge the third anniversary of the attacks on America, on September 11, the internationally renowned opera star Jessye Norman will sing "Amazing Grace" and "America the Beautiful." 38 members of the American Boychoir and the Orchestra of St. Luke's, and color guards will accompany Norman from the New York Police and Fire Departments. Tennis players from over 50 countries, along with over 30,000 hours of international TV coverage in more than 160 nations - make the US Open a showcase for tennis with a global reach. Steffi Graf is the Founder and Chairperson of Children for Tomorrow, a nonprofit foundation. With the goal of implementing and developing projects to support children who have been traumatized by war or other crises. During her tennis career, she earned well over 22 million dollars. Steffi is directly involved in the running of the foundation and makes regular financial contributions to the organization.   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 10 Sep 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7897/1/E-Croatia-stunned-Sweden-with-a-1-0-in-a-World-Cup.html  Croatia stunned Sweden with a 1-0 in World Cup qualifying Group Darijo Srna of Croatia, left, celebrates with teammate Josip Simunic after scoring against Sweden during the World Cup 2006 Group 8 qualifying match Sweden vs Croatia Wednesday Sept. 8, 2004, in Gothenburg, Sweden. (AP Photo /Pressens Bild, Niklas Larsson)  SWednesday, September 8, 2004 Posted: 2141 GMT (0541 HKT) GOTHENBURG, Sweden (Reuters) -- Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Darijo Srna netted a second-half winner as Croatia stunned Sweden with a 1-0 away win in World Cup qualifying Group Eight on Wednesday. Srna crashed home a free kick on 63 minutes in an ill-tempered match to hand Croatia their second win in as many games after cruising to a 3-0 success over Hungary on Saturday.Sweden, who routed Malta 7-0 in their opening game, were denied an equaliser when striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic had a goal ruled out for a push on Croatian goalkeeper Tomislav Butina. Tempers flared towards the end with Josip Simunic and Sweden substitute Mattias Jonson booked. Sweden defender Marcus Allback went close to an equaliser in stoppage time but was denied by a save from Butina.Happy HungaryA goal 10 minutes from time from Imre Szabics handed Hungary, thrashed 3-0 by Croatia in their opening World Cup qualifier on Saturday, a thrilling 3-2 win over Iceland in on Wednesday.The visitors went ahead against the run of play five minutes before halftime when Chelsea striker Eidur Gudjohnsen headed home a cross from Arnar Gretarsson.Hungary levelled in the 64th minute with captain Zoltan Gera pouncing to score from close range.Three goals in a five-minute spell set up an exciting climax.Hungary substitute strikers Sandor Torghelle put the home side ahead 15 minutes from time, Indridi Sigurdsson levelled but Szabics rifled in the winner.http://edition.cnn.com/2004/SPORT/football/09/08/world.group8.reut/  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 09 Sep 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7894/1/E-Mario-Preskar-Wins-Again.html  MARIO PRESKAR WINS AGAIN After a much needed summer rest undefeated 20 years oldCroatian heavyweight prospect Mario Preskar (from Dubrava,Zagreb) returned to boxing ring against John Turlington onSaturday night, September 4, at Mandalay Bay Resort &Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. By winning a 4 round boutunanimously on all 3 judges scorecards, Preskar defeatedhis 8 years older opponent in a tactical match to improvehis record to 4-0-1 (2 KOs). Mario's next fight against DanWhetzel 228 lbs. with a record of (2-2) is in MadisonSquare Garden, New York City on Saturday, October 2. Fortickets call 212.307.7171.Pictures:1. Preskar (red trunks) vs. Turlington (photo by Mary AnnOwen - www.boxinginlasvegas.com)2. Croats from New York in Las Vegas at Preskar's fightSource:http://www.boxrec.com/boxer_display.php?boxer_id=202618  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 09 Sep 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7896/1/E-Knicks-sign-Croatian-Baskeball-player-Sundov.html  Knicks sign Croatian Bruno Sundov September 8, 2004NEW YORK (Ticker) -- The New York Knicks signed free agent center Bruno Sundov on Wednesday, adding much-needed depth to their frontcourt. Sundov appeared in five games last season - four with the Cleveland Cavaliers and one with the Knicks. The native of Croatia, who was signed to a 10-day contract by New York on January 21, 2004, averaged 2.2 points and 2.0 rebounds in 6.6 minutes. A six-year veteran, Sundov has appeared in 81 career games, averaging 1.8 points and 1.2 rebounds for the Dallas Mavericks, Indiana Pacers, Boston Celtics, Cavaliers and Knicks. "Bruno will add size and depth to our frontcourt," Knicks president of basketball operations Isiah Thomas said. "I have monitored his progress throughout his career. We have seen his improvement and feel we are getting him at the right stage of his development." http://www.allsports.com/cgi-bin/showstory.cgi?story_id=51043  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 08 Sep 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7899/1/E-Croatia-cruise-to-3-0-victory-over-unadventurous-Hungary.html  Croatia cruise to 3-0 victory over unadventurous Hungary Sunday September 5, 06:42 AM ZAGREB, Sept 4 (Reuters) - Croatia opened their World Cup qualifying campaign with a well deserved 3-0 win over a defence-minded Hungary on Saturday.Hungary made it even easier for Croatia than it might have been with the 11th minute dismissal of defender Szabolcs Huszti, red carded for elbowing Darijo Srna in the head.Croatia striker Dado Prso opened the scoring in the 32th minute, seizing only a loose ball from Balazs Molnar in the box to hammer the ball home.  Ivan Klasnic made it 2-0 in the 57th minute with a left-foot shot from the edge of the box and Gabor Gyepes put through his own net when he mis-judged Croatia substitute Jerko Leko's fine cross in the 80th minute.The Hungarians best chance came five minutes into the second half when goalkeeper Tomislav Butina saved a close-range header from Zoltan Gera."We showed decent creativity for most of the game and it boosts our confidence," said Croatia coach Zlatko Kranjcar who took over in July after Croatia's disappointing first-round exit from Euro 2004 in Portugal.Croatia play away against Sweden, while Hungary meet Iceland in Budapest in their second qualifying matches next Wednesday. http://au.news.yahoo.com/040904/15/qn0t.html   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 05 Sep 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7898/1/E-Croatia-shades-Wolves.html  Croatia shades Wolves THE MISSISSAUGA NEWSAMIT GOSSAI Sep 1, 2004 Croatia's Velemir Crljan kept his Streetsville team's hopes for a Canadian Professional Soccer League playoff berth alive when he scored late for a 1-0 victory over St. Catharines Roma Wolves, Friday night at Streetsville Memorial Park. "It felt really nice to score in the last three minutes and get the game-winning goal," said Crljan. "I think we now have a very good chance of making the playoffs." Croatia now has 18 points (5-6-3), just two points behind Brampton Hitmen and London City, who are tied for the third and final playoff spot with 20 points in the CPSL's Western Conference, with six games remaining. Playing against a St. Catharines team that stands last in the West with a record of 2-9-5, Croatia seemed uninspired through most of what should have been an easy win. "The last goal got at least 50 pounds off my back," said Croatia head coach Aldo Krajcar. http://www.mississauga.com/mi/sports/story/2175571p-2521027c.html   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 04 Sep 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7901/1/E-IVO-IS-MY-MAN.html  "IVO IS MY MAN"IVO KARLOVIC AT US OPENBy Katarina TepeshI was working in the media room on the first day of the US OPEN, when approached by the famous NBC commentator BUD COLLINS. Shaking hands and smiling widely, "I have seen you before?" Sure, last year at the IVO KARLOVIC press conference. "Yes, IVO IS MY MAN!" exclaimed Collins and raised his hands in delight. Legendary Collins, along with his beautiful wife Anita, are always on the lookout for new tennis talent and took the time to learn a few words in Croatian long time ago when Goran Ivanisevic played and eventually won Wimbledon. "Kako si? Dobro…. Hvala" and so on. Last year, Collins took an intense interest to the newcomer to the US Open and wrote a very complimentary article on Karlovic.Disappointingly, this year Ivo Karlovic lost in the first round to No. 5 seed British Tim Henman 7-6, 6-7, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4. Karlovic had 39 aces to Henman's 10. It was a very close match, played point by point. Despite Henman's severe back problems, he had 33 unforced errors versus 54 from Karlovic. "Karlovic has definitely got one of the best serves. It's coming from an angle that I've never seen before," said Henman. Six-foot, 10-inch Karlovic's serve is a study of technique and rhythm, as well as a lesson in the physics of being almost a foot taller than most players are. His fastest serve was 138 mph, a speed Roddick reaches regularly, but Karlovic hits the ball at such severe angle that his serve oftentimes resembles an overhead smash struck from midcourt. During the match, the British fans playfully chanted, "Hen - man, Hen - man…" In turn, Croatian fans responded with chanting "Ivo - Ivo - Ivo."Karlovic provides the most intense tennis matches and is a very serious person. He only breaks into a wide smile when I ask about his girlfriend. It turns out, I was talking about his girlfriend from last year, the medical student from Zagreb. However, Karlovic tells me, he already moved on to a new girlfriend from Miami. He was happy that she joined him in New York. Coached by Goran Oresic, 25-year-old Karlovic began playing tennis at age six. His father Vlado works as a meteorologist and mother Gordana works in agriculture. Has one older sister, Ana, who used to play when she was younger. Ivo played for Croatia Davis Cup team since 2000. However, there is trouble in paradise. Captain Nikola Pilic does not treat him well and Karlovic vowed not to work with Pilic again. In general, every person talking with Ivo must have patience to carefully listen and understand his speech impediment, slurring his words. By the way, watching the match of Mario Ancic vs. Olivier Rochus was No. 2 player in the world Kim Clijsters from Belgium rooting for compatriot Rochus.There are more Croatian fans at US Open this year than ever before. It is even nicer when a total stranger takes an interest to Ivo Karlovic, Mario Ancic and Ivan Ljubicic. The loyal fan is Jeffrey Lesser from New York and he wants to move to the beautiful Croatia! Not to mention the super attractive Croatian players of Karolina Sprem, Jelena Kostanic and Silvija Talaja.   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 02 Sep 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7900/1/E-TALAJA-KOSTANIC--KARLOVIC.html  TALAJA, KOSTANIC, KARLOVIC, ANCIC & LJUBICICat US OPEN on 9/2/2004By Katarina TepeshANCIC & LJUBICIC IN MEN'S DOUBLES:At US Open 2004, Croatia is represented by six players. Usually, they all play at the same time on different courts. While I was covering Karlovic in the stadium, the "Slobodna Dalmacija" sports reporter Davor Burazin received an "exclusive" directly from Ljubicic how his injury is so severe it will take 10 days to heal. Since Ljubicic played only two sets in Singles and gave up due to injury, it made sense he will not be able to play in Doubles. What a difference a day makes! Ancic & Ljubicic did play in Men's Doubles and lost 6-4, 6-2 in the first round to Leander Paes & David Riki seeded 13. Why did Ljubicic play while injured with fractured rib? Money is the answer! Ljubicic & Ancic received $10,000 for an hour's "work"! Would you get up from the bed and play for $10,000? The Double's money is on top of Singles pay, which is $14,000 for each player, even if you do not complete the play! Nice work if you get it, right? Well, it turns out that ANCIC & KOSTANIC registered to play in MIXED DOUBLES but were not accepted because together, they do not have enough points to make them eligible. This year's US Open purse tops $17.75 million and will potentially exceed more than $19 million, which is distributed. Every player is paid, from the lowest qualifier to the top champion! SILVIJA TALAJA lives in Makarska. Born January 14, 1978 makes a tennis veteran. Talaja's Singles ranking is 112, and No. 67 in Doubles. In her 1st Round at 2004 US Open, Talaja played and lost to Eleni Daniilidio, No. 29. Talaja fought a good fight by winning first set, losing second and third was very close 3-6, 6-3, 7-5. Talaja moved on to play in Women's Doubles with tennis partner Caroline Dhenin from France and completed the match by winning 6-3, 6-1 against No. 11 best in the world Vento-Kabchi & Widjaja. Talaja's sparring partner and boyfriend travels with her. She no longer has a tennis coach. Talaja is a powerful, fast baseline player who prefers clay courts. Her father Vlado is a tennis club director and mother Bosiljka. Talaja has an older sister Slavica who is a former tennis coach. "One of my old-time greatest experiences was participating in the 2000 Olympics….I am sentimental, stubborn, open with people and like to be around happy people…I love to visit Australia, especially Melbourne."JELENA KOSTANIC: after beating Karolina Sprem in Singles, Kostanic moved on to win in the 2nd Round against 17-year-old Eugenia Linetskaya with 6-4, 6-3. Russian player was so inexperienced that she kept turning to her coach in the stands for instructions. "Davaj, davaj!" the coach told her but Croatian Kostanic won relatively easily in comparison with her match against Sprem. Kostanic also won in Women's Doubles 1st round with her tennis partner Claudine Schaul from Luxembourg with scores 7-5, 6-3 against Beltrame & Vinci from France and Italy respectively. IVO KARLOVIC: after losing in Singles to No. 5 Tim Henman, Karlovic moved on to play and win in Men's Doubles 1st round. With his tennis partner Tomas Berdych, from Czech Republic they defeated Ginepri & Merklein 7-5, 7-6(4). Exciting and spirited game attracted a huge crowd.  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 02 Sep 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7902/1/E-IDEMO-HRVATSKA-at-US-OPEN.html  KAROLINA SPREM vs. JELENA KOSTANICBy Katarina TepeshAt US OPEN on opening day, JELENA KOSTANIC, ranked 40th defeated KAROLINA SPREM, ranked 18th with 6-3, 2-6, 6-4 results. Despite heat and humidity, the two Croatian players produced a dramatic tennis match with many Croatians in the audience spurring them on with "Idemo Hrvatska!" or "Go Croatians!" Jelena Kostanic was born on July 6, 1981 in Split. According to Women's Tennis Association www.wtatour.com , Jelena's rank is 34th in Doubles and 40th in Singles. "Capturing the Junior Australian Open is my most memorable experience," says Kostanic. She plays left-handed like her idol Goran Ivanisevic, who comes from the same tennis club in Split. Jelena's coach is Petar Buljevic and her off-court trainer is Goran Zufar. Jelena's father works as an external bank auditor and her mother is a dental nurse. The Kostanic family has a private tennis court and Jelena has been competing since 1996. Her career prize money is close to a million dollars. "I enjoy comedies, movies with Tom Hanks, love to read Leo Tolstoy and admire Michael Jordan along with Ivanisevic as the greatest sportsman of all time." Like Ivanisevic, Kostanic is not beyond cursing during a heated match. She is all smiles when it comes to Olympics "I love it." Born on October 25, 1984 in Varazdin, Karolina Sprem started to play tennis at age nine. Karolina's best results so far were quarterfinals at Wimbledon 2004 and finals in Strasbourg and Vienna 2003. Officially, Karolina emerged among the "Most Improved Players" along with a couple of Russian players, who have surged up the rankings during 2004. From No. 66 Sprem moved to No. 18. Wearing her signature outfit, a pink blouse with a very low cut white skirt, Karolina's photo was prominently displayed in the official US Open program. Karolina was even considered as a serious contender for the US Open champion title along with a million dollar check. Nevertheless, she lost in the first round and arrived at the press conference with a big smile on her face, appearing casual and seemingly carefree. Peppered with questions from reporters, Karolina said "I don't mind that I lost….Sometimes I win and sometime I lose….I can't win all the time….I will continue to play other (much smaller) tennis tournaments for the rest of the year….I play every tournament as if it is Grand Slam!"When asked about very recent turbulent breakup with her longtime coach Sasa Hirszon, who coached her for the past five years, she adamantly repeated in English and Croatian, "I don't want to talk about it!"She turned professional in 2001. Her former coach Sasa Hirszon, used to be a tennis player himself. "I usually have four hours of training every day plus fitness," say Karolina. Her father Gabro sells artificial flowers at the market in Varazdin. Mother's name is Bozena. Her sister's name is Gordana and she was seating in the stands at US Open. "No one else plays tennis in the family, but we are very close. It is important to me to have a coach from Croatia, so that I can be with my family in Varazdin and train at the same time," says 19-year-old Karolina. Wearing her signature outfit, a pink blouse with a very low cut white skirt. Karolina bids adieu to US Open with a $14,000.00 check in her pocket for play less than 2 hours long. Qualifying Round:The bright future of tennis took center stage several days prior to US Open, as the schedule featured several players making transition from junior ranks and attempting to make the transition to big-time professional players. Unfortunately, the following Croatian players did not qualify to enter US Open: IVANA ABRAMOVIC, ranked 169; ROKO KARANUSIC ranked 190 and LANA POPADIC. Other listed Croatian players are SANDA MAMIC, ranked 147; ZELJKO KRAJAN ranked 191; SASA TUKSAR ranked 234; US OPEN PRIZE MONEY:This year's US Open purse tops $17.75 million and will potentially exceed more than $19 million - the highest purse in sports. For the 32nd consecutive year, the USTA is offering equal prize money to both men and women - a Grand Slam first and a US Open tradition dating back to 1973. All players also receive per diem payment to help with the cost of accommodations and other expenses.  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 31 Aug 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7904/1/E-Croatia-break-through-for-gold-on-final-day-of-Olympics.html  Croatia break through for handball gold on final day of OlympicsATHENS (AFP) - World champions Croatia claimed their country's first gold medal at the Athens Olympics with victory in the men's handball final. Croatia added the gold medal to the one they won at the 1996 Atlanta Games in downing Germany 26-24 in a charged final at Helliniko. Up to the last day of competition in Athens, Croatia had won two silver and two bronze medals. Croatia finished strongly in the final stages of the gold medal play-off pulling out to a 24-21 lead with two minutes left. The Germans had been up by three goals, 15-12 early in the second half, but the inspired Croats were too quick on the break and defended their goal area powerfully. Mirza Dzomba topscored with nine goals, the same as the Germans' most dangerous attacking player Stefan Kretzschmar. Germany were bidding for their second handball gold medal at the Olympics after winning in Berlin in 1936, although the former East Germany won the title in Moscow in 1980. Croatia raced to an early 2-0 lead in the charged full-house atmosphere generated by the two sets of opposing supporters with every physical exchange cheered. Germany took until the fifth minute to score through pivot Christian Schwarzer but gradually reeled Croatia in and hit the front 4-3 with a 12th-minute goal by classy left-winger Kretzschmar. Germany went on a run of four goals, two of them to Kretzschmar, to jump to a 8-5 lead on 17 minutes, but lost tall right-back Volker Zerbe to a two-minute suspension. The Germans lost right-back Christian Zeitz to another two-minute suspension as Croatia clawed back to level at 9-9 with left-winger Goran Sprem's third goal in the 25th minute. Left-back Daniel Stephan netted twice in three minutes to put the Germans out to a 12-10 advantage, but their third two-minute suspension, this time to left-back Frank von Behren gave Croatia the opportunity to pull one back in the final seconds before halftime to right-winger Dzomba. Germany led 15-12 after 36 minutes but Croatia gradually turned things around with Dzomba and Petar Metlicic among the goals. They lost centre-back Slavko Goluza twice for two-minute suspensions, but with the scores tied at 20-20 and five minutes left the Germans lost centre-back Markus Baur for knocking the arm of Dzomba as he broke away and bore down on the German goal. His two-minute suspension left the Germans with five men and Croatia took advantage storming out to 22-20 and building it to 24-21 with left-winger Niksa Kaleb's second goal in as many minutes. It was a margin that the Germans could not overhaul. http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/20040829/sp_wl_afp/oly_2004_handball_men_040829154644 letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 29 Aug 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7903/1/E-Croatia-Wins-Gold-defeating-Germany-26-24.html  Another Gold for CroatiaCroatia's Blazenko Lackovic raises his arms and shouts to celebrate after they won their men's handball finals match against Germany at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games (news - web sites) August 29, 2004. Croatia defeated Germany 26-24. REUTERS/Paul Hanna Croatia's Petar Metlicic celebrates as he waves his country's flag after they won their men's handball finals match against Germany at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games (news - web sites) August 29, 2004. Croatia defeated Germany 26-24. REUTERS/Wolfgang Rattay  Croatia win tight men's handball finalSunday, August 29 2004 4:50Croatia were crowned Olympic handball champions today, after fighting back from a 10-point half-time deficit to beat Germany in the men's final. Mirza Dzomba netted eight times for Croatia in their narrow 26-24 victory. The Croatian Prime Minister Ivo Sanader was one of the first to offer his congratulations to the team. "I am very happy because it is our first gold medal and our handball team are world champions and now Olympic champions so I am very proud," he said. "It is a result that will give great happiness to everyone in Croatia. The best thing was that they didn't play very well and they still won. And that goes to show the great strength of the team."Leading 21-11 (???) at half-time, the Germans held the initiative until the 55th minute when goals from Dzomba and Niksa Kaleb gave Croatia a two-goal advantage that they kept to the end.Russia took the bronze.Filed by James Boylanhttp://www.rte.ie/sport/2004/0829/handball1.html?OLYSTORY letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 29 Aug 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7909/1/EH-Croatia-wins-another-medal-in-handball.html  CROATIA 33 - 31 HUNGARY(18- 15) - (16- 15) Helliniko Indoor Arena - FRI 27 AUG 2004 - Start Time: 14:30 Referees: (13) ARNALDSSON Stefan / (14) VIDARSSON Johann gunnar (IHF) They will be playing in the finals for gold. Slijedeca utakmica je finale za zlato.HRVATSKI RUKOMETAŠI NA OI 2004.HRVATSKA U POLUFINALU NADIGRALA MAÐARE 27.08.2004 Hrvatska rukometna reprezentacija izborila je finale na Olimpijskim igrama u Ateni. Nakon pet pobjeda u skupini, pobjede u cetvrtfinalu protiv Grcke, hrvatski su rukometaši u polufinalu s 33:31 bili bolji od Madarske, te tako osigurali najmanje srebrnu medalju. Nakon što su osvojili olimpijsko zlato u Atlanti (1996.), a nisu izborili nastup u Sydneyu (2000.), hrvatski su rukometaši ponovno izborili priliku da se popnu na rukometni Olimp.Oprezan pocetakNe želeci podcijeniti protivnika, hrvatski su rukometaši opreznije ušli u susret, koncentrirajuci se na obranu, dok su u napadau najrazigraniji bili Ivano Balic i Mirza Džomba. Prvih desetak minuta padali su pogodak na pogodak, te naši rukometaši nisu uspjeli steci neku vecu prednost. Tada se polovicom prvoga dijela razbranio Venio Losert, a napad je uspio probiti cvrstu madarsku obranu, te su naši rukometaši prvi put poveli s tri pogotka razlike.Ta prednost dala je dodatna krila našim rukometašima, koji su poceli igrati sve bolje, te su u 28. minuti stigli prvi put na pet pogodak prednosti (18:13). Nakon toga, dogodio se mali pad i Madari su s tri uzastopna pogotka do kraja prvoga dijela uspjeli smanjiti na samo dva pogotka minusa (18:16).Šola zakljucao svoja vrataU drugome dijelu na naša vrata stao je Vlado Šola, te mu je trebalo samo nekoliko minuta pokaže zašto je jedan od najboljih svjetskih vratara. Kod rezultata 20:17 Šola je zakljucao svoja vrata i sljedecih šest minuta Madari nisu uspjeli postici pogodak. To su iskoristili naši rukometaši, koji su pogocima Igora Vorija, Blaženka Lackovica i Mirze Džombe stigli na šest pogodaka prednosti (23:17).Nakon toga naši su rukometaši vrlo suvereno kontrolirali igru, te nisu Madarima dopuštali da ugroze naš prolazak u finale. Madari su jedino pet minuta prije kraja stigli na samo tri pogotka manjka, te su imali i kontru za samo minus dva, ali tada je zicer skinuo Šola, te su naši s dva pogotka ponovno pobjegli na plus pet.Do kraja susreta naši su rukometaši težili atraktivnim potezima, te su Madari na kraju uspojeli ublažiti poraz na 33:31.Hrvatski su rukometaši tako nastavili niz nepobjedivosti u Ateni, a u finalu, koje na rasporedu u nedjelju u 15.45, ocekuju ih bolji iz susreta Njemacke i Rusije.HRTweb sport (vh)  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 27 Aug 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7905/1/E-ANCIC--LJUBICIC-TO-RECEIVE-HONORS-AT-US-OPEN.html  US OPEN SPECIAL CEREMONY TO HONOR OLYMPIC TENNIS MEDALISTS By Katarina TepeshA special ceremony on Monday evening, August 30, will honor medalists in the tennis competition at the 2004 Athens Olympic Games.MARIO ANCIC & IVAN LJUBICIC will represent Croatia for winning the bronze medal in Men's Doubles Tennis.The US Open Draw event was held at the United Nations in New York City on August 25, reinforcing the US Open's connection to New York City and the international scope of the Open which features players from more than 70 countries and is broadcast in more than 160 countries.Sport is about participation and inclusion. It is a way of bringing individuals and communities together, as players and audience, showcasing what we have in common and bridging differences. That is also what the United Nations seeks to do. Like the world of sports, the United Nations upholds the principles of tolerance, cooperation, understanding and respect. As the draw ceremony was done in front of hundreds of people, it is fair and square. By coincidence KAROLINA SPREM seeded 18 in US Open, will be playing in the first round against JELENA KOSTANIC ranked 40. Another revelation is the draw for IVO KARLOVIC ranked 54, playing in the first round against Tim Henman seeded number 5 player. The buzz at the UN draw ceremony when it came to Croatian players was all about KAROLINA SPREM. Captain of the U.S. Fed Cup Zina Garrison said, "The young Karolina Sprem is not afraid of older, more experienced tennis players.""Karolina Sprem is capable of surprising us and win the tournament" predicted Patrick McEnroe, the captain of the US Davis Cup. In celebration of opening night of the US Open, the Empire State Building will for the second straight year be lit in "tennis ball yellow" on August 30, 2004. Tennis tickets are on sale by phone through Ticketmaster at 1-866-OPEN-TIX, at the tennis stadium box office, at all Ticketmaster outlets and atwww.usopen.org  . For information, call the US Open ticket office at (718) 760-6200.   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 27 Aug 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7908/1/E-Natasa-Vezmar-into-the-quarterfinals.html  Natasa Vezmar into the quarterfinals Taekwondo draw completedATHENS, 25 August - The draw for Athens 2004 Olympic Games Taekwondo competition has been completed at the Faliro Sports Pavillion and has produced a highlight match to be conducted on Saturday, 28 August in the Men's -80kg category. Iraq's Raid RASHEED has been drawn against Steven LOPEZ (USA), the defending gold medal champion from the Sydney 2000 Olympics, in a bout that is sure to raise some interest. There are four women who will sleep a little easier tonight, as a result of their draw moving them directly into the quarterfinals with a first round bye.Yanelis Yuliet LABRADA DIAZ (CUB), Irina KAYDASHOVA (UZB), Ineabelle DIAZ (PUR) and Croatia's Natasa VEZMAR will have the opportunity to gauge their opponents' technique before meeting them in the last eight.The Taekwondo competition begins on Thursday, 26 August at 09:00, commencing with the Women's u49kg Preliminary Round of 16.    letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 23 Aug 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7907/1/E-MIKE-CELIZIC-REPORTING-FROM-THE-OLYMPICS.html   MIKE CELIZIC Reporting from the Olympics  By Katarina TepeshMike Celizic writes regularly for NBCSports.com and is a freelance writer based in New York. At the present time, Celizic is one of the most prominent commentators from Games of the XXVIII Olympiad: Athens, Greece.Mike's parents are longtime members of the Croatian Fraternal Union or CFU from Pittsburg. In his recent column, "Race has nothing to do with NBA's success - League needs heroes, compelling stories, no matter what color." Celizic included the late DRAZEN PETROVIC (1964-1993), legendary Croatian basketball player who was drafted by the Portland Trailblazers of the NBA in the third round of the 1986 draft and later played for the Nets. He tragically died in a car accident. Celizic agrees that 'Petro' fueled Europe's passion for NBA. Celizic attended Petrovic memorial in Croatian Center on 41st Street.In June, Celizic wrote about the Nets taking Croatian swing man ZORAN PLANINIC.Celizic can be easily recognized at the sporting events wearing a unique hat. In the old days, when Celizic wrote for a New Jersey newspaper, he used to wear what looked like a hat from Slavonia. Nowadays, he wears an expensive type, usually a classic fedora or Stetson, but still - always a hat!As recently as yesterday, concerning the gymnast controversy at the Olympics, Celizic wrote a widely quoted column "Hamm should give up gold - American has the opportunity to show he's true champion." A few days ago, Celizic wrote "At Games, it's a woman's world - why do women's sports rule the Olympics?" He wrote how within eight years, the IOC has promised, the gender split will be 50-50. Mike Celizic is the author of "Courage: American Role Models in Sports" and "The Biggest Game of Them All: Notre Dame, Michigan State & the Fall of '66" and co-author of six books.Celizic can be reached at Celizic@yahoo.com  .  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 23 Aug 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7906/1/E-Veljko-Rogosic-63-year-old-Croatian-swam-across-La-Mancha.html  Veljko Rogosic, 63 well-known Croatian marathon swimmer swam between 43 and 45 kilometers in 11 hours and 27 minutes.VjesnikDobrila Stella, Ivan Smircic, Aug 16, 2004translated by Hilda M. FoleyThe best known Croatian marathon swimmer, 63 year old Veljko Rogosic from Split, swam across the La Manche Channel Sunday night. He needed for this feat 11 hours and 27 minutes. In spite of very bad weather conditions the Croatian marathon swimmer succeeded at his second try to cross the sea passage which connects the Atlantic Ocean with the North Sea, while rain, driven by strong winds that raised high waves, accompanied him all the way to his goal, causing him quite some physical difficulties. Practically the same weather conditions occurred a year ago, when Rogosic tried crossing La Manche for the first time. In spite of his very good physical condition and excellent health, Rogosic was not able at that time to cross the sea passage between France and England, because it was judged that such a try would be too risky, in effect, life threatening for our marathon swimmer. A few months later Rogosic nevertheless succeeded this great undertaking, commenting about it with these words: "You cannot even imagine what it was like. Frightening. I thought my very soul would come into my mouth". Rogosic said that the unfavorable weather conditions exhausted him to such an extent, that the accomplishment of this undertaking was only thanks to the great physical but also psychic exertions in which he invested. "I am very happy, though it was difficult and indeed dangerous to enter a sea the strength of four bofors. Still it became the most difficult for me after four hours of swimming when I started vomiting in spite of the tablets, and I thought then that all is finished" said Rogosic, emphasizing that many have tried to talk him out of the attempt to swim across La Manche, telling him that such an undertaking very few could accomplish.Rogosic emphasized that four more marathon swimmers, including a woman, attempted the crossing, and all of them accept for himself and an American gave up in the middle of the Channel, where the sea strength reached seven bofors. "I crossed La Manche and I must say that this is one of my most difficult marathons, not because of the extreme cold, but because of the vomiting that caused me such difficulties that I thought I will suffocate. I am so physically exhausted that after this success I could not even drink a drop of liquid" said the overjoyed Rogosic, adding that the route he managed to swim is between 43 and 45 kilometers. Rogosic is the world's four-times first place winner in the swim marathon and winner on all Continents.The "King of cold waters" , as he is called by the press, is inducted in the International Hall of Sports Greats in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Rogosic was 142 times Yugoslavia's leader in various disciplines, and topped 52 times the country's record. He swam across the Nile, Michigan, Cook's Passage, Ontario, La Plata, Missouri and Mississippi and on the Adriatic alone he swam 22 marathons. Previously he was also twice first place leader in the Balkans, while, looking at the rank lists of the best time, he is listed as fourth in the world in the crawl style at 1500 meters. According to the official count of his swimming miles Rogocic circumvented the globe six times. The Croatian marathon swimmer was congratulated for his achievement by president Mesic this Sunday.   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 23 Aug 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7911/1/H-Greska-sudaca-se-priznaje-samo-za-odabrane.html  OI 2004.: SPORTSKI ARBITRAŽNI SUD ODUZEO ZLATO NIJEMCIMA, FIG PRIZNAO POGREŠKU SUDACA 21.08.2004 Sportski arbitražni sud u Lauseanni (CAS) odlucio je prihvatiti žalbu Francuske, Velike Britanije i SAD-a, te njemackoj reprezentaciji u konjickome sportu i njezinoj clanica Bettini Hoy oduzeti zlatne medalje osvojene u eventingu.CAS je pozitivno riješio žalbu Francuske, Velike Britanije i SAD-a koje su tražile da se njemackoj jahacici Bettini Hoy doda 12 kaznenih bodova zbog pogrešnog polaska u posljednju disciplinu, preskakanje prepona. Hoy je prerano krenula, pa se vratila, odnosno dva puta prešla preko startne linije i zbog toga su joj suci dodali 12 kaznenih bodova. Njemacka se na tu sudacku odluku žalila, Medunarodna konjicka federacija je tu žalbu prihvatila, ali potom su Francuzi, Britanci i Amerikanci citav slucaj predali CAS-u koji je presudio u njihovu korist.Nakon dodanih 12 bodova Bettini Hoy, zlato u ekipnome natjecanju pripalo je Francuskoj, srebro Velikoj Britaniji, a bronca SAD-u, dok su medalje u pojedinacnoj konkurenciji pripale Britanki Leslie Law (zlato), Amerikanki Kimberly Severson (srebro) i Britanki Philippi Funnell (bronca).Medunarodna gimnasticka federacija priznala pogrešku sudaca, ali ne mijenja konacan poredak višebojaMedunarodna gimnasticka federacija je nakon dodatne istrage priznala kako su suci tijekom olimpijskoga višeboja zakinuli korejskoga vježbaca Yang Tae Younga za jednu desetinku, ali bez obzira na ociglednu pogrešku sudaca Yang nece biti proglašen olimpijskim pobjednikom, vec ce zlatna medalja ostati u vlasništvu Amerikanca Paula Hamma.Yang je, naime, s 57,774 boda osvojio broncanu medalju, iza Hamma s 57,823 i sunarodnjaka Kim Dae Euna s 57,811. Kada bi mu se dodalo oduzetih 0,1 bodova, Yang bi skocio na prvo mjesto sa 57,874 bodova. Pogrešku su napravili suci na rucama koji su pogreškom kao pocetnu ocjenu za Yangovu vježbu uzeli 9,9 umjesto 10.Prema pravilima FIG-a ne postoji mogucnost pritužbi na sudacke ocjene. One bi trebale biti prihvacene kao konacne i nepromjenjive. Takoder, FIG izražava žaljenje zbog nastale situacije, piše u izjavi FIG-a.Hina/HRTweb sport (vh)  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 22 Aug 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7910/1/H-Rogosic-preplivao-La-Manche.html  Rogosic preplivao La Manche Veljko Rogosic, 63 year old man from Croatia, swam over La MancheOp-edIt would be nice if someone could translate this article.NB Vjesnik, Dobrila Stella, Ivan Smircic, 16. kolovoza 2004. Poznati splitski maratonac preplivao je izmedju 43 i 45 kilometara za 11 sati i 27 minutaSPLIT - Najpoznatiji hrvatski maratonac, sezdesettrogodisnji Splicanin Veljko Rogosic, preplivao je u noci na nedjelju kanal La Manche. Za taj podvig Rogosicu je trebalo 11 sati i 27 minuta. Unatoc vrlo losim vremenskim uvjetima, hrvatski je maratonac u drugom pokusaju uspio preplivati morski prolaz koji spaja Atlantski ocean sa Sjevernim morem, a cijelim putem do krajnjeg cilja pratila ga je kisa nosena jakim vjetrom, koji je podizao velike valove, sto je Rogosicu stvaralo nemale fizicke poteskoce. Gotovo istovjetne vremenske prilike bile su i prije godinu dana, kada je Rogosic prvi put pokusao preplivati La Manche. Iako u vrlo dobroj fizickoj kondiciji i s odlicnom zdravstvenom slikom, Rogosic tada nije uspio preplivati morski prolaz izmedju Francuske i Engleske, jer je procijenjeno da bi takav pokusaj bio preriskantan, odnosno, opasan po zivot naseg maratonca. Nekoliko mjeseci poslije, Rogosic je ipak uspio ostvariti veliki podvig koji je prokomentirao rijecima: "Ne mozete ni zamisliti kako je bilo. Prestrasno. Mislio sam da ce mi sama dusa izaci na usta". Rogosic je rekao da su ga nepovoljni vremenski uvjeti iscrpili do te mjere da je ovaj pothvat ostvaren zahvaljujuci golemim fizickim, ali i psihickim naporima koje je ulozio. "Presretan sam iako je bilo tesko pa i opasno uci u more jacine cetiri bofora. Ipak, najteze mi je bilo nakon cetiri sata plivanja kada sam, unatoc tabletama, poceo povracati i tada sam pomislio da je sve gotovo", kazao je Rogosic naglasivsi kako su ga mnogi odvracali od pokusaja da prepliva La Manche porucujuci da takav pothvat malo tko moze ostvariti.Rogosic je istaknuo da su u pokusaju preplivavanja La Mancha sudjelovala jos cetiri maratonca, medju kojima i jedna zena, ali da su svi, osim njega i jednog Amerikanca, odustali na sredini kanala, gdje je more bilo jacine sedam bofora. "Preplivao sam La Manche i mogu reci da je ovo jedan od mojih najtezih maratona, ali ne zbog velike hladnoce, nego zbog povracanja koje mi je stvaralo tolike poteskoce da sam imao osjecaj kako cu se ugusiti. Toliko sam fizicki iscrpljen da poslije ovog uspjeha nisam mogao popiti cak ni kap tekucine", kazao je presretni Rogosic dodajuci da je ruta koju je uspio preplivati duga izmedju 43 i 45 kilometara. Rogosic je cetverostruki prvak svijeta u plivackom maratonu te pobjednik svih kontinenata."Kralj hladnih voda", kako ga nazivaju novinari, uvrsten je i u Medjunarodnu dvoranu sportskih velikana u Fort Lauderdaleu na Floridi. Rogosic je 142 puta bio prvak Jugoslavije u raznim disciplinama, a 52 puta srusio je drzavni rekord. Preplivao je Nil, Michigen, Cookov prolaz, Ontario, La Platu, Missouri i Mississippi, a samo na Jadranu isplivao je 22 maratona. Svojedobno je bio i dvostruki prvak Balkana, dok je, gledajuci rang-liste najboljih vremena, zabiljezen kao cetvrti na svijetu stilom kraul na 1500 metara. Prema sluzbenom zbroju njegovih preplivanih milja, Rogosic je cak sest puta oplivao Zemlju. Hrvatskom plivackom maratoncu na ovom je podvigu u nedjelju cestitao predsjednik Stjepan Mesic.http://www.vjesnik.hr/   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 22 Aug 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7913/1/H-SINISA-I-NIKSA-SKELIN-SREBRNI-U-DVOJCU.html  HRVATSKI VESLACI NA OI 2004 SINIŠA I NIKŠA SKELIN SREBRNI Presretni Skelini21.08.2004 Hrvatski veslaci braca Siniša i Nikša Skelin osvojili su srebrnu medalju u dvojcu bez kormilara na Olimpijskim igrama u Ateni.Hrvatska posada je na svim prolazima, na 500, 1.000 i 1.500 metara, bila druga. Na prolazu na 500 metara najbliži pratitelji bili su im Nijemci, na polovici staze prijetila im je posada Srbije i Crne Gore, a nakon 1.500 metara bilo je jasno da ce o medaljama odlucivati vodeci Australci, te hrvatska i južnoafricka posada. Južnoafrikanci, koji su poznati po odlicnom finišu, vodili su sa Skelinima do kraja utrke veliku borbu za srebro. No, hrvatska je posada uspjela odbiti sve njihove napade. Na kraju zlato je pripalo svjetskim prvacima Australcima Ginnu i Tomkinsu. Braca Skelin osvojila su srebro, zaostavši za njima sekundu i 88 stotinki. Bronca odlazi u Južnoafricku Republiku, koja je za 76 stotinki bila sporija od hrvatske posade. Braci Skelin je ovo druga olimpijska medalja, nakon što su u Sydneyu bili clanovi broncanog osmerca. Hrvatska se, pak, nakon bronce Nikolaja Pešalova, srebra Duje Draganje i bronce Ancica i Ljubicica, domogla cetvrte medalje. Za ovo smo radili posljednje cetiri godine, rekao je Siniša i dodao: U startu smo izašli prvi, kao što smo i ocekivali, ali smo znali smo da ce nas Australci napasti i povesti. Mislili smo, ipak, da nam nece toliko pobjeci prije zadnjih 500 metara, kada smo dizali finiš. Nismo ih uspjeli stici, ali smo do kraja uspjeli kontrolirati Južnoafrikance, koji su bili iza nas.Nikša je napomenuo da su utrku uspjeli odveslati kao što su se dogovorili, ali da su ocekivali da ce Australci, kojima je pripalo zlato, barem malo pasti u finišu. Zadnjih 250 metara bilo mi je najteže u životu. Veslali smo kao što smo se dogovorili, nismo mijenjali taktiku. Ocekivali smo da ce Australci pasti barem malo u zadnjih 500 metara, no to se nije dogodilo. Znali smo da su Južnoafrikanci velika opasnost u zadnjih 500 metara, ali smo ih dobro kontrolirali. I do sada smo ih dobivali, tako da smo bili prilicno sigurni da nas nece iznenaditi u finišu.MUŠKARCI, DVOJAC BEZ, FINALE: 1. Drew Ginn/James Tomkins (Aus) 6:30.76 2. Siniša Skelin/Nikša Skelin (Hrv) 6:32.64 3. Donovan Cech/Ramon Di Clemente (JAR) 6:33.40 4. Nathan Twaddle/George Bridgewater (NZL) 6:34.24 5. Nikola Stojic/Mladen Stegic (SCG) 6:39.74 6. Tobias Kuehne/Jan Herzog (Nje) 6:46.50   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 21 Aug 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7912/1/E-Croatia-wins-4th-medal-with-rowing-silver-2004-Olympics.html  Croatia wins rowing silverAugust 21, 2004 - 5:14PMEmail to a friend Printer format Australian rowers Drew Ginn and James Tomkins won the men's pairs rowing gold medal at the Olympics. Both had been members of the Oarsome Foursome coxless four that won gold in Atlanta eight years ago.The Australians, renowned for their long, elegant style, beat Croatia' Skelin brothers - Sinisa and Niksa - by half a length. South Africans Donovan Cech and Ramon di Clement finished in the bronze medal place.G and T, as they are known, drew out a length lead by the 1,000 metres half-way mark and held on at the finish.For Tomkins, 39, it was his third rowing gold medal after victory in Barcelona in 1992 in the original Oarsome Foursome. Ginn, 29, joined that crew for the next Olympics.Tomkins also won bronze in Sydney 2000 in a scratch pairs crew after Ginn pulled out prior to the Games with a back injury.http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/08/21/1092972815151.html?oneclick=true   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 21 Aug 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7916/1/E-Croatia-defeating-Russia-in-Handball-on-2004-Olympics.html  Croatia : Russia  26-25Croatia's Denis Spoljaric and Drago Vukovic embrace team mates after defeating Russia during the pool A handball competition at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games (news - web sites) August 20, 2004. Croatia defeated Russia 26-25. REUTERS/Faleh Kheiber Men : Olympic champion in troubleATHENS, 20 August - The 2003 World champion, Croatia, achieved its fourth victory from four matches at the Olympic tournament, beating reigning Olympic champion, Russia, 26-25 (halftime 10-14). Croatia will now play Spain on 22 August and is seeking its fifth victory which would give it first place in Group A. Russia meets Iceland the same day facing elimination from the tournament if it loses. Russia pressed hard for victory today, but was let down by lack of physical strength in the dying moments and paid for its mistakes. Having managed to control the pace from the 10th minute of the match, Russia led until the 10th minute of the second half. From that point on Croatia took control, gained the lead and managed to achieve its fourth straight victory. Star players from both teams had a bad day. Alexey RASTVORTSEV (RUS) scored six goals out of 16 attempts, while Eduard KOKCHAROV (RUS) scored four goals out of nine attempts. Ivano BALIC (CRO) did a good job organizing the game, but offensively things were different. BALIC scored three goals out of eight attempts. Dmitri TORGOVANOV (RUS) was excellent from the pivot place scoring six goals in six attempts, while Blazenko LACKOVIC (CRO) scored nine goals out of 13 attempts.  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 20 Aug 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7915/1/E-Duje-Draganja-of-Croatia-celebrates-Silver-medal.html  Duje Draganja Croatian Olympic Silver 2004 Missed gold by one-hundredth of a second. Duje Draganja of Croatiacelebrates his second place in the 50 meter freestyle final at the Olympic Aquatics Center in Athens August 20, 2004 during the Athens 2004 Olympic Games (news - web sites) swimming competition. REUTERS/Yves Herman  Gold medallist Gary Hall (R) of the U.S. and silver medallist Duje Draganja of Croatia celebrate after the 50 metre freestyle final at the Olympic Aquatics Center in Athens August 20, 2004 during the Athens 2004 Olympic Games (news - web sites) swimming competition. REUTERS/Jeff J Mitchell  50-meter freestyle medalists from left; Bronze medalist Roland Mark Schoeman, of South Africa, gold-medalist Gary Hall, of the United States, and Silver-medalist Duje Draganja, of Croatia stand on the podium at the Olympic Aquatic Centre during the 2004 Olympic Games (news - web sites) in Athens, Friday, Aug. 20, 2004. (AP Photo/Mark Baker) It was an especially sweet victory for the irreverent Hall, who was upset about being left off a couple of U.S. relay teams. Swimming as though he had something to prove, he recovered from a slow start to touch in 21.93 - beating Croatia's Duje Draganja by one-hundredth of a second. Hall ripped off his cap, threw up his arms in a defiant pose and climbed out of the pool to take a bow. He plans to be back in 2008. "Why not?" he said, savoring the 10th medal of his career. "Defiance. It's fun."   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 20 Aug 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7914/1/E-Croatia-is-such-a-small-country-so-this-is-huge-Any-medal-is-huge.html  Croatians win marathon 16-14 third set for doubles bronze Aug. 20, 2004SportsLine.com wire reports "Croatia is such a small country, so this is huge. Any medal is huge," Ljubicic said.  Croatia's Mario Ancic and Ivan Ljubicic celebrate victory after their men's doubles finals bronze medal match against Indias Mahesh Bhupathi and Leander Paes at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games August 20, 2004. Croatia's Mario Ancic and Ivan Ljubicic won 7-5 4-6 14-13. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon Croatia's Mario Ancic and Ivan Ljubicic celebrate victory after their men's doubles finals bronze medal match against Indias Mahesh Bhupathi and Leander Paes at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games August 20, 2004. Croatia's Mario Ancic and Ivan Ljubicic won 7-5 4-6 14-13. REUTERS/Carlos Barria Mario Ancic (news) (R) and Ivan Ljubicic of Croatia celebrate with their country's flag after winning the bronze medal in the men's doubles tournament at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games August 20, 2004. Ancic and Ljubicic defeated Indian pair Mahesh Bhupathi and Leander Paes 7-6, 4-6, 16-14. REUTERS/Carlos Barria  ATHENS, Greece -- Excited about winning a bronze medal, Mario Ancic tried flinging his racket into the stands. It fell a few feet short, rattling on the court. Perfectly understandable: Croatia's Ancic and Ivan Ljubicic had just played four hours before finally pulling out a 7-6 (7-5), 4-6, 16-14 victory over India's Mahesh Bhupathi and Leander Paes in a match that started Friday night and ended the next day at 1:05 a.m. About 300 fans stuck it out on Court 1. While Ancic was preparing to serve at 14-14, one spectator shouted out: "Time to go home!" The Indian duo went ahead love-40 in that game, but Ancic kept his team in it by winning five straight points with an ace, three volleys and a service winner. "If we had broken there," Paes said, "that's all she wrote." In the next game, the Croatians converted their fourth match point -- an hour after their first two arrived while leading 8-7. They had another match point when Paes served in the 26th game of the third set. The marathon match ended when Ancic smacked a forehand that Paes volleyed into the net, allowing the Croatians to break Paes' serve. The match was this tight: Each team won 164 points. Ancic leaped into Ljubicic's arms for a hug, then they took off their shirts and threw them to a group of Croatian fans who stayed right to the end, chanting, clapping and banging their feet on the metal bleachers. The cheering was a bit overzealous for Paes' taste. Serving at 13-12, he hit a backhand near the line and a voice from that section of the stands yelled, "Out!" Play continued, and Paes dumped a volley into the net. He pointed in the direction of the Croatian group and yelled, "Shut up!" Bhupathi went over to complain to chair umpire Javier Moreno, who intoned: "Please, for both teams, be quiet." It's the third Olympic tennis medal in Croatia's history, all bronzes, and second medal of these games. "Croatia is such a small country, so this is huge. Any medal is huge," Ljubicic said. He and Ancic, a singles semifinalist at Wimbledon last month, were playing just their fourth tournament together. Bhupathi and Paes have been on-and-off doubles partners for years, winning three Grand Slam titles: the French Open in 1999 and 2000, and Wimbledon in 1999. They split for good, it appeared, in May 2002, but recently teamed up again in hopes of winning an Olympic medal. "With all the work we've done in the past month, going back empty-handed - it's mind-boggling," Paes said. "I don't think we've had this much disappointment in a long time." Shortly after the match ended, Ljubicic received a text message on his cell phone from 2001 Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic. "He said he lost 100 years of his life watching this," Ljubicic said. It wasn't the longest final set in an Olympic men's doubles match, though. Todd Woodbridge and Mark Woodforde of Australia beat Jacco Eltingh and Paul Haarhuis of the Netherlands 18-16 in the third set of a semifinal at the 1996 Atlanta Games. In Saturday's gold medal match, Fernando Gonzalez and Nicolas Massu of Chile will play Nicolas Kiefer and Rainer Schuettler of Germany. http://www.sportsline.com/olympics/story/7598399/1    letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 20 Aug 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7924/1/H-Zanimljivosti-iz-Atene.html Zanimljivosti iz AteneHRVATSKI OLIMPIJCI NA OI 2004.: PEPE PUCH U KONKURENCIJI 73 KONJANIKA U konjickoj disciplini eventing na Olimpijskim igrama u Ateni nastupit ce 73 jahacka para iz 23 zemlje, a cak 14 reprezentacija ima ekipe sastavljene od tri, cetiri ili pet jahaca, koji ce nastupiti u ekipnome dijelu. Hrvatska ce imati predstavnika u pojedinacnoj konkurenciji, a boje Hrvatske branit ce Austrijanac Josef Pepo Puch. Opširnije... OI 2004.: OTVORENA HRVATSKA KUCA U ATENI Prigodnom ceremonijom danas je u Ateni i službeno otvorena Hrvatska kuca, mjesto na kojem ce se za vrijeme Olimpijskih igara susretati sportaši, novinari, sponzori i brojni gosti. Kompleks u atenskome predgradu Maroussi HOO-u je na korištenje ustupio hrvatski gospodarstvenik Slavko Šimunovic. On je na simbolican nacin ustupio kljuc Hrvatske kuce ministru obrazovanja, znanosti i sporta Draganu Primorcu, koji je zatim kljuc urucio predsjedniku HOO-a Zlatku Mateši. Opširnije... HRVATSKI BOKSACI NA OI 2004.: ŠIVOLIJA SUTRA PROTIV VENEZUELANCA MUNOZA MATE Naš boksac u kategoriji do 81 kilograma Mario Šivolija sutra ce u prvom kolu snage odmjeriti s predstavnikom Venezuele Edgarom Ramonom Munozom Matom u 21.15 h. U slucaju pobjede dalje bi boksao protiv boljega iz meca Bjelorusa Magomeda Aripgadžijeva i Meksikanca Ramira Gobena Reducinda Radille. Optimist sam i vjerujem kako bi Mario mogao cak do medalje, izjavio je izbornik boksacke reprezentacije Pero Tadic. Opširnije... OI 2004., UOCI SVECANOG OTVORENJA: DUBRAVKO ŠIMENC VECERAS NOSI ZASTAVU U svecanom mimohodu na otvorenju XXVIII. olimpijskih igara modernog doba medu 10.500 sportaša iz 202 zemlje bit ce i vecina od 81. hrvatskog olimpijaca, koje ce predvoditi stjegonoša vaterpolista Dubravko Šimenc. Svecana ceremonija otvorenja Igara jedan je od najvecih medijskih dogadaja u svijetu jer ce ga, uz 75 000 gledatelja na olimpijskom stadionu, preko TV ekrana pratiti više milijuna gledatelja diljem svijeta. Opširnije... OI 2004.: OZLIJEÐENI KENTERIS I THANOU U PONEDJELJAK NA SASLUŠANJU Nakon što se jucer olimpijski pobjednik iz Sydneya na 200 m Grk Costas Kenteris i njegova sunarodnjakinja Katerina Thanou nisu pojavili na dogovorenoj dopinškoj kontroli, dvoje atleticara doživjelo je sinoc prometnu nesrecu. Buduci da su trenutacno u bolnici, pred nadležnom Komisijom za doping MOO-a pojavit ce se u ponedjeljak. Americka sprinterica Marion Jones ipak ce biti u sastavu štafete 4x100. Opširnije... 12.08.2004, cetvrtak OI 2004. - STOLNOTENISKI TURNIR: VAIDA S AUSTRALKOM LAY Stolnotenisacica Cornelia Vaida igrat ce u prvome kolu Olimpijskog turnira s Australkom Jiang Feng Lay, dok su Tamara Boroš i Zoran Primorac slobodni u prvim kolima. Boroš je kao nositeljica slobodna u prva dva kola, a u trecem ce 17. kolovoza igrati ili s Rumunjkom Otiliom Badescu ili s Izraelkom Kravcenko. Primorac je kao nositelj slobodan u prvome kolu, a u drugome ide na pobjednika dvoboja Milicevica iz BiH i Australca Lavalea. Opširnije... OI 2004. - NOGOMETNI TURNIR: REMI ITALIJE I GANE, PORTUGAL IZGUBIO OD IRAKA Nogometaši Iraka priredili su veliko iznenadenje drugog dana olimpijskog nogometnog turnira. U dvoboju prvoga kola skupine D pobijedili su europske viceprvake, Portugal, s 4:2. Dodajmo tomu da je Portugal od 51. minute igrao bez iskljucenog Luisa Boa Morte. Još jedna europska momcad loše je otvorila nogometni turnir. Talijani su remizirali s Ganom s 2:2 u dvoboju skupine B. U istoj je skupini Paragvaj s 4:3 svladao Japan. Opširnije... OI 2004.: PAPINA PORUKA ZA OLIMPIJSKE IGRE Papa Ivan Pavao II. u poruci koju je danas uputio grckom predsjedniku republike, Costantinosu Stephanopuolosu, poželio je da Olimpijske igre koje pocinju 13. kolovoza budu oznacene bratstvom medu narodima. Olimpijada u Ateni neka bude prilika za bratstvo medu narodima i kulturama, porucio je Papa u poruci šefu grcke države, a time i cijeloj olimpijskoj zajednici. Opširnije... HRVATSKI JEDRILICARI NA OI 2004.: PRVI TRENING U ISTOCNOSARONSKOM ZALJEVU Hrvatska jedrilicarska reprezentacija uspješno je obavila prve treninge na regatnom polju Istocnosaronskog zaljeva, gdje ce 14. kolovoza, prvoga dana Igara prvi nastupiti Karlo Kuret u klasi Finn i posada u klasi 470 Tomislav Bašic-Petar Cupac, a dan kasnije svoj nastup zapocinje i Mate Arapov u Laseru.Opširnije... HRVATSKI OLIMPIJCI NA OI 2004.: RUKOMETAŠI NERVOZNI, 86 HRVATA NA SVECANOM OTVARANJU U Hrvatskoj kuci u Maroussiu održana je prva konferencija za novinare na kojoj su nazocili hrvatski sportaši. Gosti izvanrednog zdanja kojeg je vlasnik Slavko Šimunovic ustupio Hrvatskom olimpijskom odboru bili su rukometni izbornik Lino Cervar, vaterpolist Dubravko Šimenc, te plivaci Sanja Jovanovic i Gordan Kožulj.Opširnije... OI 2004.: KOREJKE NA TRENINGU POSTAVILE DVA SVJETSKA REKORDA U STRELICARSTVU Južnokorejske strelicarke danas su na treningu pred olimpijska natjecanja u Ateni postavile dva nova svjetska rekorda. Park Sung Hyun je sa 682 boda iz 72 strelice postavila novi svjetski rekord u pojedinacnoj konkurenciji, popravivši stari rekord Talijanke Natalije Valeeve za tri boda, a zajedno s reprezentativnim kolegicama Lee Sung Jin i Yun Mi Jin postavila je i novi svjetski ekipni rekord, s 2030 bodova iz 216 strelica. Opširnije... OI 2004. - TENISKI TURNIR: ANCIC NA HAASA, PA NA RODDICKA Hrvatski tenisaci i tenisacice danas su saznali imena svojih protivnika u prvome kolu olimpijskog turnira, koji zapocinje u nedjelju. Mario Ancic igrat ce protiv Nijemca Tommyja Haasa, Ivan Ljubicic za protivnika je dobio Armenca Sargisa Sargsiana, a Ivo Karlovic odmjerit ce snage s 13. nositeljem, Rumunjem Andrejem Pavelom. U ženskoj konkurenciji Hrvatsku ce predstavljati Karolina Šprem, koja ce u prvome kolu igrati protiv Argentinke Gisele Dulko, te Jelena Kostanic, koja je za protivnicu u prvome kolu dobila Portorikanku Kristinu Brandi. Opširnije... OI 2004.: SVI HRVATSKI SPORTAŠI ZDRAVI I SPREMNI ZA NASTUP Prvi dani hrvatskih olimpijaca u Olimpijskom selu Parnitha proticu iznimno mirno, a osim manjih tehnickih problema izuzetno smo zadovoljni smještajem, izjavio je šef Misije HOO-a u Ateni Damir Šegota. Cijela hrvatska repezentacija nalazi se u paviljonu GA 12, u samome središtu sela. Dva dana prije pocetka Igara u Selu je trenutacno 98 Hrvata, a nedostaju visašica Blanka Vlašic, te tekvandoašice Sandra Šaric i Nataša Vezmar, koje u Atenu stižu 24. kolovoza. Opširnije... 11.08.2004, srijeda OI 2004. - NOGOMETNI TURNIR: UVJERLJIVE NJEMICE I ARGENTINCI Iako ce tek u petak Olimpijske igre biti službeno otvorene prigodnom ceremonijom, danas su pocela prva natjecanja. Na nogometnom turniru najuvjerljivije su kod žena bile Njemice, koje su u skupini F s 8:0 razbile Kinu. Junakinja utakmice bila je Birgit Prinz, koja je postigla cetiri pogotka (13, 21, 73, 88). U susretu prvog kola skupine G reprezentacija SAD-a pobijedila je domacina Grcku 3:0 (2:0). Na muškom turniru Argentina je sa 6:0 deklasirala Srbiju i Crnu Goru.Opširnije... OI 2004.: JAVLJANJEM U SREDIŠNJI DNEVNIK POCEO OLIMPIJSKI PROGRAM HTV-a Na Olimpijskim igrama u Ateni vec su pocela natjecanja na ženskom i muškom nogometnom turniru, koja vec tradicionalno pocinju prije službenog otvaranja Igara. Hrvatska televizija obilježila je neslužbeni pocetaka Igara prvim javljanjem iz improviziranog televizijskog centra u Ateni, koji je zapravo cjelovita mala televizija. Bit ce to dosad najkompletnije i najopširnije pracenje OI u povijesti Hrvatske televizije, a sva izvješca bit ce emitirana iz atenskog studija. Opširnije... ATLETIKA: TORRI EDWARDS SUSPENDIRANA Svjetska atletska prvakinja na 100 metara Amerikanka Torri Edwards (27) suspendirana je na dvije godine zbog uzimanje nedozvoljenog stimulansa nikethamidea. Torri Edwards je najavila žalbu Arbitražnom sudu u Lausannei, braneci se kako je za njezin pozitivan dopinški nalaz kriv lijecnik. Opširnije... OI 2004.: OTKAZALA I SERENA, JENSENU MILIJUN ZA POBJEDU NAD HACKETTOM Nakon što je jucer objavljeno da je americka tenisacica Jennifer Capriati odustala od nastupa u Ateni, nedolazak na Igre potvrdila je i njezina sunarodnjakinja Serena Williams, koja je prije cetiri godine na Olimpijskim igrama u Sydneyu sa sestrom Venus osvojila zlatnu medalju u paru. Americki plivacki savez (USAS) nagradit ce Larsena Jensena s milijun dolara ako u olimpijskoj utrci na 1.500 metara pobijedi Australca Granta Hacketta i pritom postavi novi svjetski rekord. Opširnije... OI 2004.: HRVATSKI SE SPORTAŠI SMJESTILI U REKORDNOM ROKU Skupina od 110 hrvatskih sportaša, trenera i medicinskog osoblja koja je kasno sinoc posebnim carter-letom iz Zagreba doputovala u Atenu, smjestila se u iznimno kratkom roku u Olimpijsko selo Parnitha. Prema rijecima glavnog tajnika Hrvatskoga olimpijskog odbora Ivice Stošica Miocica, dvosatni let protekao je u najboljem redu, a akreditacijski proces u samoj zracnoj luci Elefteros Venizelos obavljen je u rekordnom roku. Opširnije... http://sport.hrt.hr/htvsport/olympics04/index.asp   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 18 Aug 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7922/1/E-Israel-vs-Croatia-in-World-Cup-warmup-tonight.html  Israel vs. Croatia in WC warm-up tonight By Haarets Sports Staff Israel takes on Croatia tonight (live broadcast on Channel 10 at 9.15 P.M.) in its final warm-up game ahead of its 2006 World Cup qualifying campaign which kicks off on September 4 against France. Since the end of its failed Euro 2004 campaign, Israel has been unbeaten in four friendly matches, winning three and tying the other. Coach Avraham Grant has yet to announce who will captain Israeli in tonight's game. http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/466021.html   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 18 Aug 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7921/1/E-Tamara-Boros-of-Croatia-winning-in-Athens.html  Tamara Boros of Croatia, winning in AthensKravchenko run loses steamBy FRANKIE SACHSIn table tennis, Marina Kravchenko's brave run came to an end when she was defeated 11-8, 11-6, 11-5, 11-7, by the world No. 6 Tamara Boros of Croatia, the top non-Asian player on the circuit.Marina Kravchenko lost her third-round match against Tamara Boros of Croatia on Tuesday after shocking the European champion in the previous round.After four days of competition during which half of Israel's 36 athletes have already taken part, only four have distinguished themselves so far. Although weather conditions have cancelled several races in the men's Mistral windsailing, Gal Friedman is doing his part to remain in medal contention. In men's tennis doubles, Andy Ram and Yoni Erlich reached the quarterfinals, and table tennis player Marina Kravchenko, a virtual unknown last week, became Israel's sweetheart with two wins in the opening rounds of the competition before bowing out Tuesday. On the other hand, shooter Alex Danilov has failed to meet expectations for the second Olympics in a row, while the other five sailors Lee Korsitz in women's Mistral and 470 class windsurfing pairs Udi Gal & Gidi Kliger and Vered Bouskila & Nike Kornecki are on their way to joining him in the disappointment category.Kravchenko went out in straight sets to Croatia's Tamara Boros, but nevertheless will be remembered for an impressive and exciting Olympic run. The classic underdog, Kravchenko swept aside local favorite Archontoula Volakaki in the first round and eliminated reigning European champion Otilia Bodescu of Romania in the second before falling to the fifth seed 11-8, 11-6, 11-5, 11-7. "I m quite pleased with my result," Kravchenko told Channel 1 afterwards. "I got the most of my abilities here." The 30-year-old kept it close in the opening set and even tied the score at 8-8, but Boros won the next three points to win the set and never looked back. http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1092712291797&p=1006953079949 letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 18 Aug 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7920/1/E-Croatia-beat-Korea-29-26---Handball-Olympics-2004.html  Croatia beat Korea 29-26Croatia's Igor Vori (R) celebrates victory with his team mates after the men's preliminary round, pool A handball match against South Korea (news - web sites) at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games (news - web sites), August 18, 2004. Croatia won the match 29-26. REUTERS/Grigory Dukor In the preliminary round of men's handball on Wednesday, Croatia beat Korea 29-26.   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 18 Aug 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7919/1/E-Orlando-Magic-sign-Croatian-Mario-Kasun.html  Magic sign Mario KasunOrlando Magic News / Aug 16, 2004 The Orlando Magic have signed center Mario Kasun (pronounced "kah-SOON"), General Manager John Weisbrod announced. Per team policy, terms of the deal are not disclosed. Kasun (7’1”, 260, 4/5/80) was originally selected in the second round (42nd overall) of the 2002 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Clippers. His draft rights were traded to Orlando in exchange for future considerations on June 26, 2002. Kasun spent the 2003-04 season with the Opel Skyliners in Frankfurt, Germany. He averaged 9.3 ppg., 7.1 rpg. and 2.3 blkpg. in 27 games. Kasun has been a member of the Magic’s summer league teams during the last three summers. He played in five games during the 2004 Pepsi Pro Summer League in Orlando, averaging 8.8 ppg., 5.4 rpg., 1.0 apg. and 1.00 blkpg. in 21.8 minpg., while shooting .556 from the field. During five games at the 2004 Reebok Vegas Summer League, Kasun averaged 10.6 ppg., 7.6 rpg., 2.8 apg. and 1.00 blkpg. in 27.8 minpg., while shooting .575 from the floor. Kasun has spent the last two seasons in Frankfurt, Germany with the Opel Skyliners. In 2002-03, he averaged 10.3 ppg., 5.5 rpg. and 1.00 blkpg. He also played two seasons with KK Zagreb in Croatia. Kasun played for the Croatian Junior National Team in 1998-99 and was a member of the Croatian Under-21 National Team in 2000. http://www.insidehoops.com/mario-kasun-081604.shtml   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 18 Aug 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7918/1/E-Tamara-BOROS-heads-European-hopes.html  BOROS heads European hopes   Ken Muhr Photo by: Kazuyuki TakahashiTamara BOROS, (Croatia), 26, Europe’s highest world ranked women player – she is currently no.7 and no.5 Olympic seed, made her first and successful women’s singles appearance today, comfortably beating Marina KRACHENKO of Israel, 11-8, 11-6, 11-5, 11-7.Playing in red, BOROS had too much topspin power on both forehands and backhands for the Israeli attacker. The Croatian is the European the Asians fear most, though her length of stroke can make her a fraction slow at the very highest level. BOROS top European In the same series of matches, world no.1 and top seed ZHANG Yining (China), aged 21, put out 42 year old New Zealander LI Chunli, 11-8, 12-10, 11-5, 11-7. It was a clash between the new generation of Chinese international represented by the two wing top-spinning ZHANG, and the fast short pimples, pen-hold hitting style of LI, who was a former member of the Chinese team in the 1980’s. Ultimately, although she is fantastically fit and determined, LI Chunli is too old to win at the very highest level. About playing ZHANG she said, “It is very difficult to confront the No.1 in the world. If I had taken the 2nd game perhaps I could have played with more confidence. I am very pleased with my participation in the Athens Olympics.” ZHANG was happy with her performance. “I played well, better than yesterday and I felt very calm. At the Olympic Games all the games are very difficult but I was very well prepared.” http://www.ittf.com/Protour_new/Stories_detail.asp?ID=6136&PT_Title=&Year1=&   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 18 Aug 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7917/1/E-First-medal-for-Croatia-at-the-2004-Olympic-Games.html  FirstCroatian medal at the 2004 OlympicsNikolay Pechalov takes a bronze.  1 ZHANG Guozheng 1974 A 68.74 152.5 157.5 160.0 160.0 187.5 192.5 192.5 187.5 347.5 2 LEE Bae Young 1979 A 68.43 147.5 152.5 152.5 152.5 185.0 190.0 195.0 190.0 342.5 3 PECHALOV Nikolay 1970 A 68.07 150.0 150.0 155.0 150.0 182.5 187.5 192.5 187.5 337.5 If you want to know what all of these numbers mean click on:http://www.athens2004.com/en/WeightliftingMen/results?rsc=WLM069B01&frag=WLM069000_C73   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 18 Aug 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7923/1/E-CROATIA-34-ICELAND-30-in-Handball---Olympics-2004.html  Men : CROATIA 34-ICELAND 30 14 Aug. 2004 ATHENS, 14 August - World champions Croatia defeated Iceland in their opening game in the Olympic tournament 34-30 (halftime 16-12).Croatia was superior to Iceland throughout the greater part of the match but for the first 20 minutes of the game both teams were very close. Croatia started to widen the gap using their strong defence, good offensive combinations and taking advantage of any mistakes that Iceland would make.Igor VORI (CRO) played an exceptional game today, offering critical help to his team by scoring 6 goals and playing hard defence.Croatian line player Ivano BALIC organized the offence and made the play for his team.Iceland showed that it has a strong team, pushing Croatia all the way. The best player of the match, Olaf STEFANSSON, caused many problems to the Croatian defence, forcing the Croatian coach to change his zone defence and to play him man-to-man.At the 34 minute mark HALLGRIMSSON Asgeir Om was expelled from the game due to hard play.ATHENS, 14 August - Comments from the coaches, Lino CERVAR (CRO) and Gudmundur GUDMUNDSSON (ISL).Lino CERVAR (CRO) – CoachOn the match:"My team played well and at certain times I think we played exciting handball. On the other hand there were some points where we faced difficulties with our offence."On his team's defence:"I believe we executed the 3-2-1 defence really well. By using this kind of defence we found our rhythm and we won a game against a tough team, who I want to congratulate."Gudmundur GUDMUNDSSON (ISL) – CoachOn the game against Croatia:"We played against one of the best teams in the whole world. I’m satisfied with the way we played. Our defence stood up to their strong offence. Eventually we made a lot of critical mistakes and we could not take our chances."On the problem concerning the two minute suspensions:"In this game we had to play a lot times with 4 against 6 or 5 against 6. This was the point where we could not keep up our offence and as a result the Croatians scored too many goals on fast breaks. They had 14 fast breaks and this is a number that we cannot overcome."http://www.athens2004.com/en/resultsHandball/results?oid=fd19b3de0ee5ef00VgnVCM4000002b130c0aRCRD&dcpnews=1&rsc=HB0000000   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 14 Aug 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7926/1/E-Irish-Mum-fights-flying-fear-for-Olympian-son-that-practice-in-Croatia.html  Irish Mum fights flying fear for Olympian Gearóid13/08/2004 - 2:54:26 PMOne Irish mother has conquered her greatest fear today so she could see her son battle it out for an Olympic gold medal in Athens. Carmel Towey, from Kilworth, Co Cork, mother of rower Gearóid, is terrified of flying but was determined not to miss out on seeing her son take part in his third Olympic Games. She overcame her flying phobia today when she jetted out to the ancient city, along with her husband Jerry, her son David and his wife, Niamh, her sister-in-law Annette O'Connor and members of Fermoy Rowing Club. Her other son, Martin, and daughter Janette will stay at home. This is the first time she will be there to watch her son compete in the Olympics. Gearóid's father Jerry was in Sydney in 2000 when he flew the flag for Ireland in the rowing event. Carmel chose to stay at home, due to her fear of flying, and had to settle for watching her son compete on TV. This time around she wanted to be closer to the action. "This has always been his big dream. My husband was there with him in Sydney but I watched on TV. I hate flying. But it will be nice to be there this time. He can only do his best and please God they will do well." The reunion will be a special one as the family have not seen Gearóid in a while."I last saw him in early June. He has been training in Sweden and then Croatia. We are in constant contact though, texting is great. We got a message from him today wishing us a safe trip." Gearóid and his rowing partner Sam Lynch from Limerick will take to the waters against a team from the US on Sunday morning at 7.30am. Locals in Fermoy have pasted posters of good luck for the Cork athlete all over Kilworth and Fermoy. Over the next 16 days, Gearóid, will be among more than 10,500 athletes from more than 200 countries who will be battling it out for gold medals in 28 different sports at 35 venues across Athens. The sporting event was due to get underway today, amid the highest security level ever for an Olympic Games. A 70,000 strong security force, including soldiers carrying machine guns and armed police with dogs, were on stand by. The opening event was due to get underway at 6.30pm and run until 10pm. It will be televised on Network 2. More than 77,000 spectators will be in the stadium to witness the event first-hand, having paid up to €1,500 for the privilege. A further four billion TV viewers are also expected to tune in. RTÉ's Bill O'Herlihy will present live coverage of the Opening Ceremony from Athens on Network 2 from 6.30pm. The ceremony will be of particular interest to Ireland, as Cork man Dr Martin Barrett has played a huge role in the preparations for the event. He is the Envisaging Director of the Olympic Games, which means he is responsible for creating the vision behind the opening and closing ceremonies.As Sam and Gearóid take to the waters, Monkstown man Billy Twomey will be taking to the sky. Billy, who will act as a reserve for the Irish Equestrian Team, flies out to the Games on Sunday. Meanwhile, Munster athletes Robert Heffernan from Togher who will take part in the 20km walk and Cobh woman Sonia O'Sullivan who will participate in the 5,000m race, will come under the spotlight next Friday, August 20. On the same day, Cork's Mark Mansfield will take to his boat to show his sailing skills. The other Munster athletes, including Derval O'Rourke, Gillian O'Sullivan, Mark Carroll, Olive Loughnane and Maria Coleman, will all participate during the second week of the Games. http://www.eecho.ie/news/bstory.asp?j=93728580&p=937z9y6x&n=93729189   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 13 Aug 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7925/1/E-Blanka-Vlasic-jumps-203---personal-best.html  Blanka Vlasic jumps 2.03 - personal bestBlanka Vlasic (CROATIA) (Göran Lenz) Vlasic jumps 2.03 Wednesday 11 August 2004 Ljubljana, Slovenia - A 2.03 clearance by Blanka Vlasic of Croatia in the women's High Jump, a final pre-Olympic tune up by Ana Guevara, and double sprint wins by Athens-bound locals, highlighted the Ljubljana EAA permit meeting in Slovenia's capital.Vlasic - personal bestAfter early misses at 1.87 and 1.96, Vlasic, the 19-year-old two-time World junior champion topped 2 metres and 2.03 on her first attempt."I'm surprised with these heights because sometimes they're really problematic for me," said Vlasic, who has now bettered 2 metres three times this season, including a previous PB of 2.02 from Bastad three-and-a-half weeks ago. "Two meters is still a barrier in my mind. I'm glad that I'm getting over it more easily now." While pleased with her efforts, her clearances, she said, weren't perfect jumps, and she doesn't want to read too much into what might be in store in Athens."I don't want to get too much confidence, because then it's not right. This jump only means that I have a new PB of 2.03; it doesn't mean that I'll finish in the top three in Athens." Choosing to relax and avoid the hustle and bustle of Athens, Vlasic won't be arriving in the Greek capital until August 24, and will compete once more in Freiburg on Friday.http://www.iaaf.org/OLY04/news/Kind=2/newsId=26575.html   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 12 Aug 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7930/1/E-2004-US-OPEN-CHAMPIONSHIPS.html  US Open 2004 The US Open is the highest attended annual sporting event in the world Come see the world's best tennis players and support your favorite Croatian tennis stars MARIO ANCIC ranked 16 and KAROLINA SPREM ranked 19 best in the world. Along with IVAN LJUBICIC, JELENA KOSTANIC, IVO KARLOVIC, ROKO KARANUSIC, MIRJANA LUCIC, ZELJKO KRAJAN, MAJA PALAVERSIC COOPERSMITH, LOVRO ZOVKO and others. Playing at US OPEN, Flushing Meadows, Queens, New York from August 30th - September 12th, 2004. Free admission Open Practice Day on Sunday, August 29, 2004 gates open at 11:00 amFree admission to US Open Qualifying Tournament starting Tuesday, August 24 - Friday, August 27. Gates open at 10:00 am. Come see tomorrow's Croatian stars at one of the largest tennis tournaments in the U.S. Admission to all US Open qualifying matches are FREE! To purchase tickets for 2004 US OPEN, go to Ticketmaster.com or call Ticketmaster at 1-866-OPEN-TIX The US Open is the highest attended annual sporting event in the worldwww.usopen.org  Transportation: Subway at Grand Central Station/Times Square take Flushing bound IRT number 7 train to Willets Point-Shea Stadium stop. Submitted by: Katarina Tepeshtepeshk@aol.com  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 09 Aug 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7928/1/E-Israel-travels-to-Croatia-Friday-for-its-final-training-camp.html  Grant to track national squad's fitnessIsrael national soccer coach Avraham Grant plans to employ a team of scouts to to track the fitness of players on the squad. The data will be analyzed regularly by statistical experts, with each player receiving a personalized training program based on the results. Grant also plans to ask for regular reports from the coaches of teams on which Israel's overseas-based players Tal Ben Haim, Yossi Benayoun, Omri Afek and Pini Balili play. Israel travels to Croatia Friday for its final training camp prior to its opening World Cup qualifying group match against France September 4. (Haaretz Sports Staff)http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/462050.html  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 08 Aug 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7929/1/E-Duje-Draganja-a-UC-Berkeley-senior-goes-to-Olympics.html  Duje Draganja, a UC Berkeley senior goes to OlympicsAt the Olympics, Cal swimmers become competitors, representing Croatia, Poland, Lithuania, Slovenia, Malaysia ...By Gretchen Kell, Media Relations | 9 August 2004At swimmers' training bases in Eastern Europe this summer, three UC Berkeley students, three alumni and an incoming freshman have been preparing together for the sports event of their lives – the 2004 Summer Olympic Games. But while each of these top-notch athletes is associated with the UC Berkeley men's swim team, when they arrive in Athens this week for the Aug. 13-29 games they will become opponents, representing the countries of their roots – Croatia, Poland, Lithuania, Slovenia and Malaysia."They will be competing against each other," said UC Berkeley men's co-head swim coach Mike Bottom, who has been with these seven swimmers since June, in a recent overseas phone interview. "Yet, they'd rather be competing against each other than against anyone else."The UC Berkeley men's swim team "is a great example of Cal diversity," said Duje Draganja, a UC Berkeley senior, via e-mail from Croatia. "We have almost the same number of foreigners as Americans, so it's really fun to train together and swim with people who have completely different opinions and are from different regimes."In addition to Draganja, the young men heading from Eastern Europe to Greece are Milorad Cavic, a junior on Serbia-Montenegro's team; alumnus Alex Lim, swimming for Malaysia; alumnus Bart Kizierowski, on Poland's team; sophomore Rolandas Gimbutis, swimming for Lithuania; Gordon Kozulj, an alumnus also on Croatia's team; and Godec Jernejgodec, an incoming freshman, on the Slovenian team.Bottom said Draganja and Cavic, both 6' 5" teammates and good friends, would race against each other in at least one Olympic event. Cavic, raised in Anaheim, has parents who hail from Serbia – known for its bitter past with Draganja's native country, Croatia."We've never once judged each other based on the opinions of the countries we swim for," e-mailed Cavic earlier this summer from Slovenia. He said Draganja saw the violence firsthand as a teenager."Our families have met before, and I have visited him in (Croatia) for leisure," said Cavic. "We try our best to keep politics out of sport.""They laugh, then they spar, then they tell each other jokes. It's like watching a couple of lion cubs wrestling around," said Bottom. "They support each other in everything they do … Swimming is the common denominator with all these guys."Also: Interview with Miguel MolinaIn addition to the swimmers who have been practicing in Eastern Europe, other Cal-affiliated male swimmers at the Olympics will include Ricky Barbosa, a junior, and alumnus Renato Gueraldi, both swimming for Brazil; Daniel Lysaught, a sophomore on Australia's team; junior Miguel Molina, swimming for the Philippines; alumnus Ratapong Sirisanont, swimming for Thailand; and sophomore Jonas Tilly, who will swim for Sweden.The fact that these student-athletes aren't swimming for the United States doesn't bother Coach Bottom at all. "When they have an opportunity to represent another country," he said, "I encourage them to get as much experience as they can."A coach on a missionBottom, one of the world's top sprint coaches, said he pushes his Cal swimmers to go for the gold in part because he was a 1980 Olympic swimmer who never got to compete. That was the year the United States Olympic Committee boycotted the Moscow Olympic Games."As a result, my passion is to get as many guys as I can to go," said Bottom, who coached the two American swimmers who tied for a gold medal in the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney – UC Berkeley alumnus Anthony Ervin and Gary Hall, Jr.Bottom added that he "interjects (striving to be an Olympian) into every swimmers' thought pattern because it's the ultimate."He said he enjoys being overseas with great UC Berkeley student-athletes because they help him recruit new swimmers. This summer in Slovenia and Croatia, he led a World Sprint Team that included the Cal swimmers."Whenever I'm with great Cal athletes, that's recruiting," said Bottom, who at UC Berkeley runs the men's swim team with head coach Nort Thornton. "Part of it is selfish– I want Cal to have great athletes in the future. The Eastern European guys are really interested in bettering themselves academically and athletically. They want a degree, they want to graduate, and then to go back to their countries to do something with it."Bottom also coaches swimmers off campus because he feels he has much to offer them as a specialty sprint coach, preparing them for races of 100 meters or less. Cavic called Bottom a "sprint guru.""I was the best in the world as a high school senior," said Bottom, "but I didn't swim my best until after college because of a coach that didn't know how to coach sprinters."Inspired by two fathersCavic, 20, who calls Bottom "a second father," was born in California just months after his parents arrived there from Serbia. They were seeking, he said, "the land of opportunity and a better life." At age 6, he learned to swim, but didn't join a swim team until he was 9. He initially thought competitive swimming took a lot of fun out of being in the pool.But his father, Dusko, wouldn't let him quit, especially after his son proved how skilled he was in the water."My father has watched some documentaries on other pro athletes and how they made it to the top," he said. "Most of them were similar in the way their fathers forced them to keep doing what they did well, which was exactly what happened for me."Bottom helped convince Cavic, years later as a high school senior, to further his swimming at UC Berkeley. By the time Cavic arrived in the East Bay, he had already participated in the 2000 Olympics in Sydney."The most important factor (in choosing UC Berkeley) was my feeling for the relationship I would have with my coach," said Cavic. "The second factor was the education and prestige. I knew that if I ever became injured and could not continue my career in swimming, I would have the opportunity to graduate with a strong diploma, which would help me feel more secure about my future."Although Cavic was raised in the United States, he said his parents have instilled in him a pride for his background and for Serbia, and he holds dual citizenship in both places.He's on the team for Serbia-Montenegro, in part, he said, to help "put it on the map for swimming."Bottom called Cavic "an incredibly talented athlete" who will qualify to swim the 100-meter long course butterfly and the 50-meter freestyle at the Olympics. "But they're both on the same day, half an hour apart," said Bottom, "and it's really difficult to try to swim them both. You can't do both, do well in both."Being on this summer's Olympic team has given Cavic, who broke the world record in the 100-meter butterfly in the European Short Course Swimming Championships last December representing Serbia-Montenegro, a "perk," he said. " I'm somewhat famous (in that country). People there recognize me everywhere I go, and it makes me feel good about what I'm doing."Cavic wears Cal gear when he's overseas, he said, particularly a Cal baseball cap. "I usually end up giving away most of what I brought with me from Cal because people just want it," he said. "It's always fun coming back to Serbia the next year and seeing people wearing those things."Few are as competitiveDraganja, 21, was born in the Croatian city of Split, one of the oldest cities on the Adriatic coast and a place with a long tradition in sports. Like Cavic, he began swimming at age 6 and also was recruited at age 17 by Bottom to attend UC Berkeley. He left his entire family behind in Croatia."I chose Berkeley because of the diversity and the academics," he said. "Berkeley is a well-known school in the world, and everybody advised me to go there."Bottom said Draganja brings a "great spirit" to UC Berkeley's men's swim team. "He's funny and always makes you laugh," he said. "He's always lighthearted, and yet he's so competitive. I don't know of many people as competitive as Duje."Earlier this year at the NCAA Championships, Draganja broke the world record in the short course 100-meter freestyle. But when he saw that American Ian Crocker also had broken the world record, but with a faster time, Draganja was dejected, Bottom said."When he touched the wall … I was there," said Bottom, "and I put my face in his face to tell him how great he was, how great he did, that I didn't want to see a look of dejection on someone who just broke a world record.""For him, it's not enough," he said, "He has to be number one."Draganja said he expects to swim in the Olympics in the 400-meter freestyle relay, the 100-meter butterfly, and the 50- and 100-meter freestyle. " My best event," he said, "is the 100 freestyle."He knows he may swim against his pal, Cavic, in a race or two, and added, "He is a great swimmer, and I enjoy training and competing against him."If Draganja has his way, he'll wear his Cal swim cap in Athens. "I always wear my Cal cap whenever I want, but the Olympics is a special case. But I will try."As they readied to travel to Greece, both Cavic and Draganja said they felt a bit nervous, but prepared to compete.Like Cavic, Draganja has participated in the Olympics before – at the 2000 games in Sydney - "so there's no reason to panic," he said. "I consider the Olympics just another meet, and that way I don't put pressure on myself. After all, I'm pretty young and can go on to another Olympics if I want."But Cavic simply glows when looking ahead to Athens."This is the summer we've dreamed would come again after four years, and now, finally, it's here," he said. "It's time to put our abilities to the ultimate test."For information on Cal Olympians in Athens – when they'll compete, in which events, and how well they do – go to CalBears.com and click on 2004 Cal Olympians. Information is not currently available on each Cal Olympian, especially those competing for countries other than the United States. Also check NBC Olympics.com for TV listings, schedules for each sport, and more.UC Berkeley | NewsCenter | Comments? E-mail newscenter@pa.urel.berkeley.eduCopyright UC Regents  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 07 Aug 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7927/1/E-US-men-with-Croatian-coach-edge-Croatia-to-advance-to-final.html  U.S. men edge Croatia to advance to finalNBCOlympics.com staff reportPOSTED: Saturday, August 7, 9:32 a.m.The U.S. men's water polo team defeated Croatia 12-11 on Friday, advancing to the final of the Belgrade Trophy tournament in Serbia and Montenegro.Tied 6-6 after regulation, the Americans edged out the tough Croatian squad in a sudden-death shootout at Tasmajdan Pool."What is important is that we were prepared, we had a game plan," U.S. coach Ratko Rudic said. "The players realized what we needed to do. It was a great disciplined game."American Tony Azevedo scored late in the fourth quarter to put the U.S. up by a goal, but Croatia scored with two minutes remaining to send the match into a shootout. Azevedo and Ryan Bailey each scored three goals for the U.S., while three Croatian players put in three apiece.In the other semifinal, Serbia and Montenegro defeated Russia 12-11, also in a penalty shootout. The U.S. plays Serbia and Montenegro in the championship match on Saturday."The victory against Croatia is really important because it shows we can train hard and still beat one of the best teams in the world," Rudic said. "We're one of the teams that everybody must take into consideration."The U.S. team will face Croatia again in its opening Olympic match in Athens on Aug. 15.http://www.nbcolympics.com/waterpolo/5029815/detail.html   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 07 Aug 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7931/1/E-Petra-Banovic---Croatia-Swimming-Olympic-Games-2004.html  Petra Banovic - Croatia, Swimming @ Olympic Games 2004Sun Devils strive for Olympic glory16 past and present ASU coaches, athletes to compete in Athensby Christopher DrexelASU junior-to-be diver Joona Puhakka practices dives at the Mona Plummer Aquatic Center. Puhakka, a two-time NCAA champion, will represent Finland in the Athens Olympics. Swimmer Agnes Kovacs of HungaryJunior-to-be sprinter Lewis Banda of Zimbabwe.The 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, will certainly have maroon and gold undertones to it.ASU athletics will be well represented when the Olympics' opening ceremonies commence on Aug. 13. On that night, 16 current and former Sun Devils will march into Olympic Stadium, ready to compete or coach on the international stage over the following 16 days. However, much of the maroon and gold at the Games will not translate into red, white and blue. Of ASU's 16 representatives, only three will be there in an attempt to bring home gold for the United States. The other 13 will represent nine other nations. There will be 441 athletes total at the Games. Of the 16 Sun Devil representatives, seven are current ASU athletes, four are former ASU athletes, three are current ASU coaches and one is a former ASU athlete-turned coach. No doubt the Sun Devils will look to add to an already healthy Olympic tradition at the school. Over the years Sun Devil athletes have brought home 53 Olympic medals, including 23 gold, 10 silver and 20 bronze. Two current Sun Devils and one former ASU competitor will return for their second Olympics, while two Sun Devil coaches are former Olympians themselves.Seven athletes and two coaches from ASU will have their competition in the water for various swimming and diving events. The nine aquatic Sun Devils will represent six nations. One current and two former ASU athletes representing three nations will compete on the track. And one coach and one former Sun Devil athlete will help to jumpstart the host nation on the softball diamond. Here are their stories:THE ASU ATHLETESLewis Banda -- Zimbabwe, SprintsAfter just two years as a member of the ASU track team, Banda is already one of the more accomplished athletes in the program's history. The 5-foot-6 native of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, has already logged five Top 8 finishes in NCAA meets, has been a five-time All-American and a four-time Pac-10 champion for the Sun Devils. Banda, an accounting major, has won the last two Pac-10 400m dash titles and finished fourth in the event at the at the NCAA Championships in June. Banda will be one of just 11 total athletes from his homeland to compete in Athens, and one of just five in track and field. He earned the invitation after competing in the African Championships held in Brazzaville, Congo, from July 14-18. Banda placed fourth in the 200m dash with a time of 21.08 and ran the second leg of a gold medal-winning 4x400m relay that clocked a time of 3:02.38.Petra Banovic -- Croatia, SwimmingThis senior middle distance swimmer enjoyed an impressive two years in Tempe after competing for San Jose State University as an underclassman. In 2003, the marketing major raked in four All-American honors and put her name in the Sun Devil record books in five individual events and three relays, including setting the school record in the 200m freestyle with a time of 1:47.59 at the NCAA preliminaries. She then placed 12th in the event at nationals. In 2004, Banovic -- a Zagreb, Croatia, native -- swam one leg of an 800m freestyle relay that set a school record with a time of 8:00.69 at NCAAs. She also recorded ASU's second fastest time ever (147.17) in the 200m freestyle while swimming the opening leg of the relay at the Pac-10 Championships.Ahmed Hussein -- Egypt, SwimmingThis backstroke and freestyle swimmer recently competed an impressive four-year collegiate career and will be competing in his second Olympiad after swimming for Egypt at the 2000 Games in Sydney, Australia. In 2002, the civil engineering major set an ASU record in the 100m backstroke by recording a time of 47.62 as part of the first leg of the Sun Devil medley relay team at the Pac-10 Invitational. In 2003, he repeated the feat at the Pac-10 Championships and took home honorable mention All-American honors in the 400m freestyle relay and the 800m freestyle relay.This season, he took fifth at the Pac-10s in the 100m backstroke (48.03) and seventh in the 200m backstroke (1:46.38). Hussein was born in Cairo, Egypt, but went to high school in Fullerton, Calif.David Kolozar -- Hungary, SwimmingKolozar, a young butterfly and freestyle swimmer, has already made plenty of noise after two years as a Sun Devil. As a freshman in 2003, the recreation tourism major earned honorable mention All-American honors in the 200m butterfly and 800m freestyle relay. He also clocked the second fastest 200m butterfly time in ASU history (145:16) at the NCAA Championships, placing 11th. This season, Kolozar took home a fourth place finish in the 200m butterfly with a time of 1:45.75 at the Pac-10 Championships, and made up one-fourth of an 800m freestyle relay team that placed 12th at the NCAA Championships.The Budapest, Hungary, native has competed extensively on the international level and was the 2003 Hungarian National Champion in the 200m butterfly. Agnes Kovacs -- Hungary, SwimmingAthens will be the second Olympiad for Kovacs, who won a gold medal at the 2000 Sydney, Australia, Games in the 200m breaststroke. In Tempe, Kovacs has competed as a Sun Devil for three years, and when it is all said and done, she may be considered the best female swimmer to ever don the maroon and gold.As a freshman in 2002, the supply chain management major set ASU records in the 200m breaststroke (2:07.64) and 200m individual medley (4:10.77). She also finished second at the NCAA Championships in the 200m breaststroke and was the Pac-10 champion in the same event. 2003 saw Kovacs earn four All-American honors including first-team acclaim in the 100m and 200m breaststroke. She also placed third nationally in the 200m breaststroke and fourth in the 100m breaststroke.In 2004, Kovacs had an uncharacteristic season, but was still successful by anyone's standards, as she finished sixth at the NCAA Championships in both the 100m breaststroke and 200 individual medley. Kovacs was born in Budapest, Hungary, and was named her nation's female athlete of the year from 1997 to 2000 and was a seven-time European Champion. Joona Puhakka -- Finland, DivingWithout a doubt, Puhakka can be called the Michael Jordan of male collegiate diving, but after the Olympics, he hopes to call himself the best diver in the world, period. After just two years as a Sun Devil, the business major already has two national championships under his belt. During his freshman season in 2003, Puhakka became the first NCAA men's diving champion from ASU in 35 years as he went undefeated all year in the 1-meter springboard. He also placed third nationally in the 3-meter and earned three All-American honors, including first team status on the 1-meter and 3-meter before being named the Pac-10 diver and newcomer of the year. This season saw Puhakka take home the national crown in the 3-meter and finish third in the 1-meter before being named the Pac-10's diver of the year for the second straight season. He was born in Helsinki, Finland, and won the bronze medal in the 2003 diving World Championships. Florencia Szigeti -- Argentina, SwimmingWhat quarterback Andrew Walter has been to the football team, Szigeti has been to the ASU women's swimming team. The supply chain management major may be set for her senior year, but has already established herself as one of the most dominant freestyle swimmers in the school's history. In 2003, Szigeti earned six All-American honors, including first-team in the 400m freestyle relay. She finished 15th at the NCAA Championships in the 200m freestyle. This season, Szigeti set a school record in the first leg of the 400m freestyle relay before finishing ninth in the 200m freestyle at the NCAAs with a school record time of 1:58.48. Szigeti was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and attended high school in Mendoza, Argentina. THE FORMER ASU ATHLETESMichael Campbell -- Jamaica, TrackThis former Sun Devil competed for two seasons with ASU but has competed for his country for much longer than that. During his time in Tempe, Campbell was a standout in the 400m, which he will continue to do in Athens this month, as he will run one leg of Jamaica's 4x400m relay. In the 2000 season, Campbell was the Pac-10 runner-up in the 400m with a time of 46.69.Prior to attending ASU, Campbell ran for Central Arizona Community College. He hails from Kingston, Jamaica. Stacey Farnworth -- Greece, SoftballWhile your average Greek cannot tell a softball from a grapefruit, the powers that picked Greece's first Olympic softball team have called upon a band of American players with Greek heritage to take to the diamond. Stacey Farnworth is no exception. A native of Upland, Calif., Farnworth was the lone senior on the 2001 Sun Devil softball team. She has stuck around Tempe since and served as both a graduate assistant and administrative assistant for ASU. Farnworth played third base during her junior year, batting .270. She then made the switch to catcher her senior year, starting all 58 of the team's games and finishing second in the Pac-10 with five pick offs. She played at Utah as an underclassmen. Farnworth will be reunited with her former ASU coach, Linda Wells, who will serve as the Greeks' skipper.Gavin Meadows, Great Britain, SwimmingA native of Leeds, England, Meadows hopes to make a splash in the pool for his tiny, but mighty island of a homeland. Meadows spent two seasons with the Sun Devils after the new millennium began. In 2001, he garnered first-team All-American honors with the 800m freestyle relay team, which finished fourth nationally with the second-best time in school history (6:26.27). Individually, he gained honorable mention All-American status in the 200m freestyle. He also qualified nationally in the 500m freestyle. Meadows has also swam internationally, winning a bronze medal in the 1998 World Games in the 800m freestyle relay. Dwight Phillips -- United States, Long JumpThis 2000 ASU graduate has gone on to become perhaps the most recognizable Sun Devil to compete in Athens, at least locally. But that is likely because he is the only ASU competitor to be donning the red, white and blue of the United States. Phillips had a solid collegiate career in Tempe, but the long jumper has recently gained many more accolades on the international level. In 2000, Phillips placed second at the U.S. Team Trials before finishing eighth in the long jump at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. He then won the 2003 U.S. Outdoor long jump title, the 2003 World Indoor title and the 2003 World Outdoor title. Phillips began his collegiate career at Kentucky where he set a number of school records. Then during his junior year with ASU in 1999, the Tucker, Ga., native placed fourth in the long jump and triple jump at the NCAA Championships. In 2000, Phillips finished as the national runner-up in the long jump and also earned All-America honors in the 4x100m relay. THE ASU COACHESMark Bradshaw -- Finland, DivingIn 2004, Bradshaw finished his eighth season at the helm of ASU's diving program, and with prized possession Joona Puhakka, has taken the team to new heights. Now, Bradshaw will get a chance to return the favor to Puhakka and guide the young Fin in the biggest competition of his life, as Bradshaw has been named Finland's diving coach for Athens. In his last two seasons at ASU, Bradshaw has gained about as much recognition as a coach can. In 2003, he was named the NCAA diving coach of the year and the men's Pac-10 diving coach of the year. This season he took home the top coaching honor in the conference for both the men and the women. He has generated five All-Americans at ASU. As a competitor himself, Bradshaw was a member of the U.S. National Diving Team for 16 years, winning seven national championships and competing for America in the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, Korea, where he placed fifth in the 3-meter springboard. He was also a four-time All-American at Ohio State. Mike Chasson -- Egypt, SwimmingMuch like his diving counterpart, Chasson will have a chance to coach one of his Sun Devil pupils in Athens when he guides Ahmed Hussein and the Egyptian swim team. Six years ago, Chasson became the first person to ever coach both the men's and women's swim teams at ASU, and the improvement his teams have shown has been evident. In 2003, Chasson led both teams to top-12 finishes in the NCAA Championships, something that hasn't occurred since 1987 and just the third time in school history. Prior to this season, his swimmers have established 36 school records and 189 All-American honors. Before coaching in Tempe, Chasson coached at Harvard and Stanford. His wife, Jill was an Olympian at the 1992 Games, competing in the 200m breaststroke. Zeke Jones -- United States, Men's Freestyle WrestlingA 1990 graduate of ASU, Jones left Tempe as one of the most decorated wrestlers in the program's history, and still is. Jones was a three-time All-American during his time as a Sun Devil and his 134 wins rank third on the school's all-time list. He won three Pac-10 championships in the 118-pound weight class and was runner-up at the 1990 NCAA Championships after an undefeated season. Jones then went on to be an assistant coach at ASU, helping the team to a 60-37 record, and is now assistant head coach at West Virginia University.Jones has already been to the Olympics as a competitor, as he won the silver medal at the 1992 Games in Barcelona, Spain, at 114.5 pounds. He also won the gold at the 1994 Goodwill Games in St. Petersburg, Russia. In December, Jones was named as an assistant to USA freestyle wrestling's coaching staff for Athens. Townsend Saunders -- United States, Women's Freestyle WrestlingThe former Sun Devil and U.S. Olympian recently finished his third season as an assistant coach for ASU wrestling under head coach Thom Ortiz. Now, he will put his grappling knowledge to the test as he guides the first women's freestyle wrestling team for the United States. Athens will be the first Olympics to feature women's wrestling. Saunders wrestled with Ortiz in the late '80s at ASU and compiled a 77-9 record -- including 40 wins in 1988-89 -- as a Sun Devil and is tied for fourth on the school's all-time list with a .895 winning percentage. He finished second at the NCAA Championships at 142 pounds in 1989 and third in 1990 at 150 pounds, while winning the Pac-10 crown both seasons. Saunders competed in both the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta where he won the silver medal. Linda Wells -- Greece, SoftballThe country of Greece is by and large not familiar with softball or baseball. In Athens, however, the country will get acquainted with both sports very quickly, as Greece will field its first national teams on the diamond, as the host nation gets an automatic berth in the tournament. But while the Greeks may be short on softball knowledge, they couldn't have found a coach with more experience in the sport than Wells, who has 884 career Division I victories on her resume. Like her players, Wells possesses some Greek blood, but is a native of the United States, specifically Pacific, Missouri. Wells is just the second coach in ASU's 37-year history, and she possesses a career record in Tempe of 533-389. Her Sun Devil teams have reached the College World Series on two occasions, including a third place finish in 2002. Wells is just four victories shy of becoming the school's all-time winningest coach, a feat she will accomplish before retiring as ASU's skipper at the end of the 2005 season. Reach the reporter at Christopher.Drexel@asu.edu. http://www.asuwebdevil.com/issues/2004/08/03/specialreports/680623 letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 06 Aug 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7933/1/E-Croatians-on-European-Blind-Goalball-Championship.html  Croatians on European Blind Goalball Championship Aug 01, '04 (IsraelNN.com) The European championship in goalball for the blind will be held for the first time in Israel starting today. As of Friday (July 30) athletic delegations began arriving in Israel from Europe - Italy, Holland, Norway, Belgium, Croatia and Ukraine. Goalball is an Olympic sport included in the Paralympic Games, and the Israeli team has even won in this sport in the past, in the 1990 world championship and the 1991 European championship. This year, for the first time, the International Blind Sports Federation has decided to hold the European championship games in Israel. Minister of Tourism Gideon Ezra welcomed the decision to hold the games in Israel, and will attend the finals to distribute the awards to the winning teams. Minister Ezra noted that the Ministry of Tourism considers that holding the games in Israel is of the greatest significance and will encourage disabled people to visit Israel as tourists. Representatives of the Ministry of Tourism welcomed the sporting delegations at the airport and presented them with a token gift. The ministry is also organizing a special tour of Jerusalem for the participants, visiting Christian holy sites and the Western Wall tunnels. The championship games will be held at the national sports stadium for the blind in the Jerusalem Institute for the Blind, and the Beit Halochem Stadium in Tel Aviv. The championships are being organized jointly by the Israel Disabled Sports Federation, the IDF Disabled Veterans Organization and the Jerusalem Institute for the Blind. The games are open to the general public free of charge.http://www.israelnn.com/news.php3?id=66625   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 03 Aug 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7932/1/E-Paul-Spoljaric-Still-Carrying-a-Torch-for-the-Major-Leagues.html  Paul Spoljaric Still Carrying a Torch for the Major LeaguesBy RICK WESTHEADCanada's Paul Spoljaric, pitching in an independent league in Ontario, last played in the majors in 2000. ORONTO, July 30 - Paul Spoljaric's fastball no longer pops a catcher's glove, and he has not sent major league scouts scribbling for at least several years.Spoljaric, 33, a left-hander whose tenure in the majors from 1994 to 2000 included stops in Toronto, Seattle, Philadelphia and Kansas City, has spent the past two years pitching once a week for about $6 in gasoline and meal money in Ontario's Inter-County Baseball League.Although it has helped keep him in shape, the stint in the independent league - a former home to pitchers like Ferguson Jenkins and Denny McLain - will not get Spoljaric back in the big leagues. For that, he will have to play in Athens."He's facing an uphill battle," said Jon LaLonde, the Toronto Blue Jays' director of scouting. "But with the state of left-handed pitching being what it is, if he goes out and gets hitters out, you never know."For Spoljaric, the Olympic tournament represents more than a "way to cap my career." It is also a last-chance audition.Teams are always on the lookout for talent, and most major league clubs will send scouts to the Olympics, especially to scrutinize the Cuban team, said Craig Shipley, director of international scouting for the Boston Red Sox.Canada enters the Olympics as a medal contender thanks partly to the unlikely absence of the United States, which lost out to Canada and Mexico in a qualifying tournament last year.Spoljaric will be handed the ball in almost any situation against the high-scoring Cuban and Japanese teams, said Greg Hamilton, the Canadian team's general manager."The only thing he won't do is close," Hamilton said, "but he brings an awful lot of flexibility and experience."The son of an immigrant construction worker from Croatia, Spoljaric began playing baseball at 13 when a friend's team was short a player. He said his father soon agreed to build a pitching mound on an empty lot next to his family's home in Kelowna, British Columbia, complemented by a makeshift strike zone built with two-by-fours.In 1989, Spoljaric signed as a free agent with the Blue Jays for $35,000, and after seven years in the minors, he became a major league regular. In 1997, he was traded to Seattle. Two years later, after trades to Philadelphia and back to Toronto, he was traded again, this time to the St. Louis Cardinals. They released him before the start of the 2000 season after he injured his back while bending to tie his shoes.In 195 games and 277 1/3 innings, Spoljaric posted an 8-17 record with a 5.52 earned run average. "Paul left the game out of frustration and didn't read the sports section for at least a year," said Lisa, his wife. "Baseball just wasn't talked about."Instead, Spoljaric began working in a Toronto suburb as a project supervisor for a construction company. Playing in the Inter-County League started as a way to help re-establish ties to the sport, Spoljaric said."Playing here has helped me get past the 'Woe is me, I don't belong here, I'm better than this' mentality," said Spoljaric, who made as much as $450,000 a year in the major leagues.Last year, pitching against mostly former United States college players and those with low-level professional experience, Spoljaric was the Inter-County League's most valuable player with an 11-0 record and a 1.61 E.R.A."The stigma he faces is why he hasn't been in pro ball recently," LaLonde said. Another concern could be Spoljaric's arm strength. His fastball averages 85 miles an hour, about four miles an hour slower than when he was last in the major leagues.Spoljaric will not necessarily be playing with Canada's best. Hamilton will not have access to all his country's top talent because the tournament runs Aug. 15-25, at a time when major league teams may be poised for a pennant race.Among the players absent from the Canadian lineup are the Baltimore Orioles pitching prospect Adam Loewen, the fourth pick in the 2002 draft, who signed a $4 million contract, and Minnesota Twins first baseman Justin Morneau, who was recently recalled to the majors."I'm not trying to snuggle up to anyone, and I'd tell you if I thought teams were giving us a hard time, but they've been very accommodating," Hamilton said. "If you look at Morneau, the Twins are fighting for the playoffs and he's batting near .300. How can you argue with that call-up?"The Colorado Rockies have not said whether they plan to allow the left-handed pitcher Jeff Francis, the ninth pick over all in 2002 and now in Class AAA, to participate in Athens, Hamilton said.Spoljaric, meanwhile, said the Olympics was just the high-profile event he needed to bolster his comeback attempt."I can pitch and go out there and do the job," he said. "I may not throw as hard as I once did, but I'm a better pitcher today than I was when I broke into the majors. I just need to have a few teams see what I can do."http://www.nytimes.com/2004/07/31/sports/olympics/31canada.html letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 02 Aug 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7934/1/E-Croatians-and-Olympics-1890-1980s.html  CROATIA AT THE OLYMPICS, 1890's-1980'sBy Adam S. EterovichGreat honor has come to Croatia in Utah. The Battleship USS Utah was sunk at the Japanese attack of Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Chief Petty Officer Peter Tomich, Croatian American, gave his life saving his fellow sailors and was awarded America's highest honor and awarded the Medal of Honor for bravery beyond the call of duty. No next of kin could not be found and this Medal of Honor lays unclaimed; it is on display in Salt Lake City, Utah as he has been adopted by the State of Utah.Now, a young Croatian girl, Janica Kostelic, was honored with a Medal of Gold at the Olympic Games in Utah.Croatian Olympic Champions Credited to Italy, Austria and EnglandCroatians participated in all Olympic Games since the start of the modern games in the 1890's. Credit was always given those that ruled her. Milan Neralic was awarded a Bronze medal in Fencing for Austria in 1900. He was a Croatian. Croatia was a part of Austria. Petar Ivanov, Ante, Frano, Simun Katalinic, Viktor Ljubic and Bruno Soric were awarded Bronze medals in Rowing for Italy in 1924. They were from Zadar; Zadar was then part of Italy. Paolo Radmilovich from Dubrovnik was awarded a Gold medal in swimming for England in 1908, and a Gold medal for waterpolo in 1908, 1912, 1924 and 1928.Many Croatians won Olympic medals while controlled by Yugoslavia. Croatia and Croatians should not allow Austria, Italy or Yugoslavia to any longer take credit for something that is not theirs. These are spoils of war and national heritage theft.From the beginning of the Olympic Games to the 1980's, Croatia won approximately 170 Olympic medals including 51 Gold medals. Croatian Olympic Gold winners included:Name Year SportCOSIC, KRESIMIR 1980 BASKETBALLJERKOV, ZELJKO 1980 BASKETBALLKNEGO, ANDRO 1980 BASKETBALLKRSTULOVIC, DUJE 1980 BASKETBALLNAKIC, MIHOVIL 1980 BASKETBALLSKROCE, BRANKO 1980 BASKETBALLPARLOV, MATE 1972 BOXINGBASIC, MIRKO 1984 HANDBALLHORVAT, HRVOJE 1972 HANDBALLJURINA, PAVAO 1984 HANDBALLMILJAK, ZDRAVKO 1972 HANDBALLOGNJENOVIC, MIRJAN 1984 HANDBALLPRIBANIC, MIROSLAV 1972 HANDBALLPTUJEC, JASNA 1984 HANDBALLVIDOVIC, ALBIN 1972 HANDBALLVISNJIC, BISERKA 1984 HANDBALLZORKO, ZDENKO 1972 HANDBALLZOVKO, ZDRAVKO 1984 HANDBALLLJUBEK, MATIJA 1976 KAYAKLJUBEK, MATIJA 1984 KAYAKBONACIC, DUJE 1952 ROWINGSEGOVIC, PETAR 1952 ROWINGTROJANOVIC, MATE 1952 ROWINGVALENTA, VELIMIR 1952 ROWINGANKOVICH, ANTE 1960 SOCCERBEGO, ZVONKO 1960 SOCCERMATUS, ZELJKO 1960 SOCCERPERUSIC, ZALJKO 1960 SOCCERZANETIC, ANTE 1960 SOCCERBJEDOV, DURDICA 1968 SWIMMINGBEBIC, MILIVOJ 1984 WATERPOLOBEZMALINOVIC, MISLA 1988 WATERPOLOBONACICH, OZREN 1964 WATERPOLOBUKIC, PERICA 1984 WATERPOLODUHO, VESELIN 1988 WATERPOLOHEBEL, ZDRAVKO 1968 WATERPOLOLOPATNY, RONALD 1968 WATERPOLOLUSIC, DENI 1984 WATERPOLOLUSIC, DENI 1988 WATERPOLOPASKVALIN, TOMISLAV 1984 WATERPOLOPASKVALIN, TOMISLAV 1988 WATERPOLOPOLJAK, MIROSLAV 1968 WATERPOLOPOSINKOVIC, RENCO 1988 WATERPOLOROJE, ZORAN 1984 WATERPOLOSIMENC, DUBRAVKO 1988 WATERPOLOSTIPANIC, KARLO 1968 WATERPOLOSUKNO, GORAN 1984 WATERPOLOTRUMBIC, IVO 1968 WATERPOLOVULETIC, BOZO 1984 WATERPOLOLISJAK, VLADO 1984 WRESTLINGAmerican Croatian Olympic ContributionsFormer National Amateur Athletic Union and World's Diving Champion, Helen Crlenkovich is about to make a perfect entry into the water after a dive from the highboard. Known popularly as "Clenkie", Crlenkovich was National Outdoor Springboard Champion in 1939, 1941, and 1945; National Platform Champion in 1941 and 1945, and the National Indoor Three Meter titleholder from 1939 to 1942. She won the Olympic Gold Medal in Diving in 1932. The former University of California student and native of San Francisco, California died of cancer in 1955 only one week after learning that she had been named to the Helms Foundation Diving Hall of Fame. Helen Crlenkovich is a Croatian American.Sacramento's George Stanich was John Wooden's first All-American at University of California at Los Angeles. Stanich played guard for the Bruins and earned his honors in 1950. An all-around athlete, he captured a Bronze Medal in the high jump at the 14th Olympic Games in London and later pitched for Oakland of the Pacific Coast Baseball League. Stanich coached basketball at El Camino College in Los Angeles for 15 years and in 1971 coached Yugoplastika of Split to the national basketball championship. He was Professor of Physical Education at El Camino College in Los Angeles. George Stanich is a Croatian American.The "Miracle on Ice" still ranks among the nation's greatest sporting moments and, in many ways, Mark Pavelich was symbolic of the American team. The conversation quickly moves to that night in Lake Placid, N.Y., against the Soviet Union, more than 20 years ago, when he collected the puck along the boards and slid it in front of the net. That puck ended up on the stick of teammate Mike Eruzione, who scored to give the U.S. squad an upset over the USSR on the way to a Gold Medal at the 1980 Winter Olympics. Pavelich was small for the game, never growing taller than 5 feet 8, but all those childhood days on outdoor rinks molded him into a clever skater and stickhandler. "A throwback player who could control the puck like he had it on a string," says Baker, who grew up nearby in Grand Rapids. He was born in nearby Eveleth, in rugged country known as the Iron Range, where boys learn to hunt and fish from an early age. The town claims to have the world's largest hockey stick at 107 feet long, so they also learn to play. In the late 1970s, those skills made Pavelich one of the greatest players in the history of the University of Minnesota Duluth. They subsequently earned him a spot on the Olympic team. He earned respect with his work ethic and a knack for passing the puck. Former goaltender Jim Craig recalls him as "an honest man, just a wonderful guy to be around." Little was expected of the Americans that winter, their coach reportedly telling them before the Olympics it would take some luck to win a bronze. But after an opening tie against Sweden, they rolled to four consecutive victories against the likes of Norway and Romania to reach the medal round against the powerhouse Soviets. Pavelich played an essential, supporting role that night, assisting on two of the four goals. Two days later, the U.S. defeated Finland to win the gold medal, and Pavelich wound up with six assists in the seven Lake Placid games. The players became overnight heroes, appearing on television, visiting the White House, attending promotional events across the nation.Robert Minerich was asked by the United States Olympic Committee, to become Director of Olympic Village and Public Facilities for the VIII Winter Olympics to be held at Squaw Valley, California in 1960. Bob, Minerich was in charge of designing and directing the housing and feeding arrangements for the athletes, National and International Olympic Committee Members and heads of the many corporations involved in the Olympics. After the Olympics, as a management consultant, he helped plan, organize and staff a new ski facility, Alpine Meadows in the Squaw Valley, California area. In 1979-80, when the United States Olympic Committee again called upon his expertise. He took a three month leave of absence to become the liaison of the USA Olympic Committee and International Olympic Committee to help solve the problems confronting the Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, New York. Bob Minerich received a football scholarship from Northwestern University of Evanston, Illinois. Bob Minerich is a Croatian American. Sandra Bezic, a 1972 Olympian and former Canadian pairs champion, joined NBC Sports in 1990 as an analyst for its figure skating coverage. Sandra skated competitively with her brother, Val, from 1967 through the mid-1970s. She and her brother won the Canadian pairs novice title in 1967 and the Canadian senior competition four straight times from 1970-1973. Sandra has served as the analyst on numerous NBC Sports' figure skating events, including four World Figure Skating Championships 1991-1993 and 1995 and the World Professional Figure Skating Championships from 1990-1995. She has designed programs for many top skaters, including Brian Boitano, Katarina Witt, Kristi Yamaguchi and Kurt Browning. Sandra Bezic has choreographed and/or produced more than 25 television specials in Canada and the United States, including the Emmy Award-wining "Carmen on Ice." She won Gemini awards for producing Browning's "You Must Remember This" and Brian Orser's "Night Moves." Bezic also produced the North American Tour of "Stars on Ice" and is the author of "Passion to Skate: An Intimate View of Figure Skating." Sandra and her brother Val are Canadian Croatians.Croatian Contributions Goran Ivanisevic was born on September 13, 1971 in Split, Croatia. He played tennis for the Croatian National Davis Cup teams; he was awarded an Olympic Bronze Medal in 1992, individually and in pair with G. Prpic. He is Wimbledon Champion in 2001 and was Wimbledon finalist 1992); Wimbledon semi-finalist (1990); best placing on ATP list: fourth place, 1992. He was awarded Best Sportsman of Croatia in 1992. Drazen Petrovic led the Croatian team to the Olympic Final against the American Dream Team and won the Silver Medal in Barcelona. In 1988 Drazen joined "Real", a club from Madrid and after three years of successful playing he accomplished the dream of the dreams of all basketball players, when he scored his first goal for the colors of the best World League-the American NBA. At first he played for Portland Trail Blazers and from 1991 to his death he was wearing the colors of New Jersey Nets. During the nine years of his brilliant carrier he was the number one player on all basketball levels, in Spain, even in the USA where he was scorer number one of the NETS and the scorer number eleven of the NBA League. Toni Kukoc is a professional basketball player. Born September 18, 1969 in Split, Dalmatia, Croatia. married with one child. Olympic Silver Medal 1988, Olympic Silver Medal 1992. Played professional basketball in Chicago for the Chicago Bulls. letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 30 Jul 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7936/1/E-Croatia-awards-Spains-Moya-medal-of-honour.html  Croatia awards Spain’s Moya medal of honourZAGREB (Croatia): Spanish tennis star Carlos Moya was awarded a top state honour on Wednesday for helping promote Croatia abroad. Moya, who has won the Croatia Open four times and is making his 10th appearance at the tournament in the northern Adriatic resort of Umag, received a medal of honour from President Stipe Mesic. “Moya kept returning to Umag even in the years when many evaded the country out of fears from the perils of war, proving that he is a true friend of sport and Croatia,” Mesic said as he presented the medal. The tournament in Umag has been part of the ATP Tour for 15 years but many players skipped it from 1991-95, when Croatia fought an intermittent war with minority Serbs, who opposed the country’s independence from Yugoslavia. Moya, who won his first-round match against Roko Karanusic on Tuesday, has won 17 ATP tournaments, including the French Open. “I have been coming here for 10 years and hope to come back for 10 more,” Moya, the world number four, said. – AP http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2004/7/23/sports/8502470&sec=sports  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 28 Jul 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7935/1/E-Croatia-Moves-Into-First-Place-Tie-With-Win.html  Croatia Moves Into First Place Tie With Win Gamecock sophomores propel their native country to victory July 25, 2004 Bretagne, France - South Carolina women's basketball players Iva Sliskovic and Lea Fabbri teamed to lift Croatia to an 81-73 win over Belgium in first round action at the FIBA European Championships for Under-20 Women on Sunday. Gamecock signee Ilona Burgrova was also in action at the tournament, as her Czech Republic squad was upset by Hungary, 66-57. Sliskovic again led the Croatian team, scoring 16 points and hauling in seven rebounds. She added a blocked shot and a steal as well. For the second consecutive game, Fabbri played all 40 minutes in the backcourt, scoring 10 points and dishing out a game-high six assists. Burgrova scored nine points and brought in eight rebounds in defeat for the Czech Republic, as she had difficulty with Belgium's defense inside, converting on only 4-of-11 shots from the field. The Czechs' loss, coupled with the Croatians' win, moved the two teams into a four-way tie for first place in their group at 2-1 with Poland and Hungary. All teams still have two games yet to play in the first round, with the top two teams advancing to the semifinals. The Czech Republic faces Belgium (1-2) on Tuesday before locking horns with Poland (2-1) on Wednesday. Croatia can control its own destiny if it can knock off Poland Tuesday and concludes preliminary round action with Spain (0-3) on Wednesday. http://uscsports.collegesports.com/sports/w-baskbl/spec-rel/072504aaa.html  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 28 Jul 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7938/1/E-Croatia-takes-silver-on-Global-Games.html  Croatia Takes Silver at the Global Games GLOBAL GAMES NOTESPosted on Sun, Jul. 04, 2004 Scouts keep it in familyBy John MillerStar-Telegram Staff WriterDALLAS - For the first time since 2000, NBA Director of Scouting Marty Blake did not attend the Global Games.But the tournament got the next best thing with his son, Ryan Blake, there to represent the NBA.Blake followed his father's footsteps into basketball scouting, and, as the NBA's assistant director of scouting, he spent most of the week scouting the young talent at the Global Games."It's a lot of work, but it's been great," Ryan said. "I knew exactly what I was getting into. Being around [Marty Blake] is a learning experience. He's just a wealth of information and you learn by example."Blake grew up traveling the country with his father, who was one of the pioneers of basketball scouting and has been nicknamed "Super Scout." The younger Blake started scouting games when he was 16 and took it up full time in 1995 after a stint as a professional tennis player.The father-son duo advises teams on players to watch and not to watch, puts together profiles of players and makes a database with scouting reports.Twenty-eight of the 30 NBA teams sent representatives to the Global Games.Hard knock victoryWith 9:12 left in the fourth quarter of the fifth-place game against Puerto Rico, former Dunbar player Jeremis Smith fell and hit his head, rendering him unconscious for a brief period of time."I didn't know I was on the ground until I saw everybody standing above me and looking at me," Smith said.Smith was helped off the court and sat behind the Team USA bench as he recovered.He returned with 5:21 to play in regulation and connected on a key three-point play in the final minute before fouling out in overtime in Team USA's 108-107 victory."Mainly, I wanted to help my team," Smith said. "I didn't want to quit on my team. I got the three-point play and made the free throw like I was supposed to and then my team finished it up from there."Smith and teammate Anthony Morrow, a fellow Georgia Tech signee, were both named to the All-Global Games Team.Ukraine wins goldOleksiy Pecherov led all scorers with 31 points as Ukraine claimed the gold medal with an 84-79 win over Croatia.Ukraine was down by as many as seven points late in the third quarter, but Pecherov hit two free throws to tie the game at 63 midway through the fourth. After Croatia pulled to within three points with a minute left, Pecherov hit a field goal and two free throws.Pecherov and Croatia's Marko Banic, who scored 26 points Saturday, were named co-MVPs of the Global Games.In the bronze-medal game, Leonardo Mainoldi scored 39 points and had eight rebounds to lead Argentina to a 94-88 win over Lithuania, which had three players score 20 or more points.Staff Writer Mercedes Mayer contributed to this report.http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/sports/9078884.htm?1c   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 07 Jul 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7937/1/E-Hibs-knocked-out-of-Intertoto-after-loss-in-Croatia.html  Hibs knocked out of Intertoto after loss inCroatiaby Paul Cachia, di-ve sport Slaven Belupo - Hibernians 3-0Saturday, June 27 2004 NK Slaven Belupo ended Hibernians' Intertoto Cup hopes in the first round with a fine win in the second leg in Croatia. A 2-1 win in the first leg last week gave the Maltese side hope but VRUNICA's goal after 15 minutes started the slide. VISKOVIC doubled the lead after 76 minutes, converting a penalty kick. MIJATOVIC wrapped things up with one minute from time. Hibernians had hoped to progress into the second round of the Intertoto Cup. But they were left to rue the fact they failed to make the most of their chances in the first leg as their Croatian hosts stamped their authority in the return at the Koprivnica Stadium. http://www.di-ve.com/dive/portal/portal.jhtml?id=141091&pid=32 letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 07 Jul 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7940/1/E-BOROS-took-second-place-in-Chicago-at-the-US-Open.html  BOROS took second place in Chicago at the US Open US OpenSingapore's LI Jia Wei won her first ever Women's Singles title on the ITTF Pro Tour when she beat Tamara BOROS of Croatia in the final in Chicago on Saturday 3 July 2004; her previous best being in Wels, Austria when on Sunday 27 January 2002 when she had finished runner up to the Chinese penholder, LI Nan.The final was a match between the topspin player with the gravity defying high toss serve, Tamara BOROS, and the close to the table attacker who serves continually with the backhand, LI Jia Wei, a player renowned for her fast backhand topspin before the ball has reached the peak of the bounce. LI Jia Wei, won her first Women's Singles title on the ITTF Pro Tour in ChicagoThe girl from Singapore started in the fast lane, she won the first three games 11-6, 11-6, 11-4 and in the fourth went 4-1 ahead but then something happened. `I wanted to win and became timid, I played too softly,' said LI Jia Wei after the match; from that stage what appeared to be one way traffic became a duel.BOROS won the next nine points to lead 10-4, eventually winning 11-8. In the fifth she led throughout, winning again 11-8 and in the sixth BOROS made a splendid start, she went ahead 4-1 but then lost five points in a row! It seemed the tide had turned back in favour of LI Jia Wei, who serving, went ahead 7-5; the next seven points were all won by the server and at 10-9 LI Jia Wei had her first match point. She served, played a backhand topspin, BOROS returned with a brave forehand topspin, won the point and then the next two, to level proceedings. Throughout the seventh game BOROS was the aggressor but she had to plan the strategy herself, at 2-2 in the sixth game her coach, Neven CEGNAR, having been warned earlier was red carded and had to leave his courtside seat. However, BOROS made errors; the watershed came at 5-4 with LI Jia Wei leading. The Singapore girl played a weak topspin but BOROS missed the opportunity, her attacking stroke missing the end of the table; the very next point exactly the same thing happened but with one difference, the BOROS smash didn't miss. However, it seemed the earlier error had affected her confidence; she lost the next five points to trail 5-10. A desperate situation but BOROS kept fighting, she served and followed with a searing backhand topspin to save match point; then she won the next point, possibly the best of the match, hitting winner after winner before finally actually winning the point! However, it was to be the last point she would win, LI Jia Wei composed herself won the next point and the ITTF Pro Tour Killerspin US Open Women's Singles title, 11-6, 11-6, 11-4, 8-11, 8-11, 11-13, 11-7.`Relax, don't worry about the score, stay aggressive', was LI Jia Wei's relieved comment after the match and the key to her victory. `I played the wrong tactics. I was too far from the table and couldn't play strong backhands,' added BOROS. `I need to stay closer to the table against her.' BOROS further explained that she had experienced trouble concentrating the first three games and was obviously bothered by the backhand she'd missed at 5-4 in the seventh and on how it had affected her concentration; on such crucial points are championships won and lost. http://www.ittf.com/stories/Stories_detail.asp?Year=2004&General_Catigory=General&ID=6021&   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 04 Jul 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7939/1/E-New-world-game-series---Tour-to-Italy-and-Croatia.html  New world game series Tour to Italy and CroatiaAn area of exceptional beauty, natural attractions and uniqueness. A Mondial tour to romantic Italy and beautiful Croatia, a Lm50 Malta International Airport shopping voucher and a year's membership in the Scrabble Club await the lucky winner of the new word game series starting today. The tour will be made between August 24-31 and includes sightseeing in Rijeka and Trieste.There will be an optional full day city tour of Zagreb and the northern Croatian city of Varadzin, the administrative, economic, cultural and educational centre of the country on the right bank of the river Drava.Another optional excursion will be to Ljubljana, the capital of neighbouring Slovenia - a charming, inexpensive city with a relaxed pace, active café life and fondness for poets, referred to by visitors as "the Prague without tourists".Yet Ljubljana still has its own distinctive character with every nook and cranny filled with whimsical and delightful surprises.The tour offers an optional excursion to the beautiful national park of the Plitvice lakes, an area of exceptional beauty, natural attractions and uniqueness, declared by Unesco as a World's natural inheritance area. Rijeka, one of the most important port cities of Croatia and Trieste, a beautiful city in an idyllic setting backed by a white limestone plateau and facing the Adriatic are included in the tour. Other excursions will be to the unique city of Venice, to the most famous of all Italian resorts, Cortina d'Ampezzo, in the snow-covered Dolomite mountains and to Padua, the city of St Anthony.The winner of the word game which ended last Saturday is being drawn on Tuesday. The prize is a free place on Mondial's Mediterranean Cruise between July 16-23 and a year's membership in the Scrabble Club. The six nine-letter words for the series were undertone, nefarious, pervasive, sentiment, harlequin and undercoat.http://www.timesofmalta.com/core/article.php?id=156240    letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 04 Jul 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7945/1/E-Ancic-rises-from-a-ball-boy-to-becoming-the-next-Ivanisevic.html  Ancic rises from a ball-boy to becoming the next Ivanisevic Today's result: Second seeded American Andy Roddick beat Croatia's Mario Ancic 6-4, 4-6, 7-5, 7-5FROM starry-eyed ball boy to Wimbledon quarter-finalist, Croatia's Mario Ancic has been asked for years whether he is the next Goran Ivanisevic. Just days after his adored countryman bowed out of the All England club and tennis, the likeable 20-year-old is bidding to emulate Ivanisevic's 2001 triumph here as he prepares to take on Britain's Tim Henman in the last eight. And, rather than tiring of people drawing parallels between himself and Ivanisevic, for whom he used to be a ball boy, Ancic has just gotten used to it.Croatia's Mario Ancic returns to Belgium's Xavier Malisse during their fourth round match at Wimbledon on Monday. Maslisse later retired from the match injured. -- APpic "I was answering the questions, 'are you the next Goran,' since I was 13," said Ancic, who advanced after Belgian Xavier Malisse retired injured with the Croatian leading 7-5, 3-1. "I'll be happy if I can just progress like he did. It was great for Croatian tennis, especially at a time when it was war and he was playing so good and waving a Croatian flag. "It was great for all Croatians so I think not only me but (Ivo) Karlovic and (Ivan) Ljubicic and everybody can try to do the same." Ljubicic was knocked out in the first round by South African Wayne Ferreira this year. But Karlovic, who upset defending champion Lleyton Hewitt in the opening round of 2003, made it through to the fourth round before bowing out to Roger Federer 6-3, 7-6 (7-3), 7-6 (7-5) on Monday. It was the first time two Croatians had reached the round of 16 at a grand slam in the Open Era. Ancic's place in the quarter-finals represents his best grand slam performance after he reached the round of 16 at last year's Australian Open. And unseeded Ancic will be looking to build on his strong record against seeded players at Wimbledon. On his Grand Slam debut, as a qualifier in 2002 at Wimbledon, he upset No7 seed Federer in the opening round. This year, he beat number 33 seed Luis Horna and 25th seed Dominik Hrbaty in first and third rounds respectively. - AFP http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2004/6/30/sports/8329846&sec=sports   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 03 Jul 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7943/1/E-Lanka-Zimbabwe-Croatia-win-global-youth-hockey-marathon.html  Lanka, Zimbabwe, Croatia win global youth hockey marathon New Delhi, July 3. (PTI): Sri Lanka in Asia along with Zimbabwe (Africa) and Croatia (Europe) have been selected as winners of the global youth hockey marathon held in May this year. According to the International Hockey Federation, the three countries were declared winners yesterday by a jury comprising members of the FIH Working Group Youth and the FIH Youth Panel. Fortyfive countries took part in the May 15-16 marathon, designed to stimulate interest in all aspects of the game, an FIH release said here today. http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/holnus/007200407031860.htm   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 03 Jul 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7942/1/E-Tamara-BOROS-beat-LEE-Hyang-Mi-of-Korea-at-the-US-Open.html  Tamara BOROS beat LEE Hyang Mi of Korea at the US OpenThe top four seeds in the Women's Singles event at the ITTF Pro Tour Killerspin Open in Chicago, KIM Kyung Ah of Korea, Tamara BOROS of Croatia, LIU Jia of Austria and LIA Jia Wei of Singapore all came through the second round unscathed on Friday 2 July 2004 and furthermore, they all won in impressive style, non of the quartet dropping a single game. Tamara BOROS, the runner up in Brazil, safely through to the quarter-finals in Chicago Top seed KIM Kyung Ah, ranked number six in the world proved too strong for Romania'a Adriana ZAMFIR. `What surprised me was how good her serve was,' said ZAMFIR. `You don't usually expect that from a backspin player.' KIM Kyung Ah won 11-7, 11-3, 11-9. 11-6. `I'd push, push, push, then topspin, then either smash or push again, what made it difficult is that she has a very good quick hit.'Meanwhile, second seeded Tamarao BOROS beat LEE Hyang Mi of Korea 11-7, 11-6, 11-3, 11-3; third seeded LIU Jia defeated KWOK Fong Fong, from Hong Kong but now resident in Korea, 11-7, 11-8, 11-5, 11-4, whilst fourth seeded LI Jia Wei overcame Sayaka HIRANO of Japan, 11-2, 12-10, 11-6, 12-10. Also safely through is Ruta BUDIENE-GARKAUSKAITE of Lithuania; a player who has developed a habit of beating higher ranked opposition on the ITTF Pro Tour this year; at the Greek Open she beat non other than the player currently ranked number three in the World, NIU Jianfeng of China. In Chicago she once again beat higher ranked opposition; this time in the guise of Japan's Ai FUJINUMA, she won 12-10, 11-8, 2-11, 5-11, 8-11, 12-10, 11-8. `I played her at the Greek Pro Tour, and won four-nil', said BUDIENE-GARKAUSKAITE. `This time I didn't feel as good and made many simple mistakes, because she's left-handed, I played my backhand to her forehand effectively, and attacked her middle. I started most rallies with short balls, then attacked deep.'The quarterfinal matches see KIM Kyung Ah versus Ruta BUDIENE-GARKAUSKAITE whilst Cornelia VAIDA plays LI Jia Wei; LIU Jia is in opposition to Viktoria PAVLOVICH and An KONISHI confronts Tamara BOROS.http://www.ittf.com/stories/Stories_detail.asp?Year=2004&General_Catigory=General&ID=6009&   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 03 Jul 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7941/1/E-Croatia-produced-top-talents-having-a-population-of-just-45-million.html  Magical Mario - the latest Croatian star Croatia has produced several top talents despite having a population of just 4.5 million. And this despite Croatian sport having no structure for nurturing talent early Friday, 02 July , 2004, 19:17 London: Wimbledon semi-finalist Mario Ancic is the latest in a long line of sportsmen from the tiny Balkan republic of Croatia to make an impact on the world stage. Since declaring independence from Yugoslavia in 1992, Croatia has produced several top talents despite having a population of just 4.5 million. For Croatia to produce tennis stars like Goran Ivanisevic, Iva Majoli, Ivo Karlovic and Karolina Sprem would be achievement enough. But the republic's football team reached the quarter-finals of the European Championships in 1996 and earned a third place at the 1998 World Cup with players such as Davor Suker, Slaven Bilic and Zvonimir Boban. Croatia are the world champions at handball while skier Janica Kostelic pulled off the unprecedented feat of winning three gold medals at the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City. Her brother, Ivica, is the world slalom champion. Meanwhile, basketballers such as Toni Kukoc, with the Chicago Bulls, and the late Drazan Petrovic, who made his name at the New Jersey Nets, distingushed themselves in America's NBA. And this despite Croatian sport having no structure for nurturing talent early."No system is the best system," jokes Neven Berticevic, a journalist with Croatian sports daily Sportske Novosti. "The truth is that we really do not have a sports system in our country. There is no system in schools or universities, everything is based on clubs in all the sports." Success in individual persuits has dramatically risen since independence. Team sports were very strong in the old Yugoslavia, with competitive leagues in football, handball and basketball. Sport funding was distributed centrally, whereas today the emphasis is on individuals finding the money themselves. Stars must make themselves in Croatia. So it helps to have the family on their side. Ivanisevic senior sold the family home when his son was fourteen in order to invest in Goran's talent. When Ivanisevic junior made it as a professional, capping his career with the 2001 Wimbledon title, the family got their house back. "They are not going to have any contracts or any money until they get to the top level of their sports, but it's not big money," said Berticevic. "That's one of the reasons that of the Croatian team at Euro 2004, only one plays in the domestic league. "If you want to succeed at a higher level and make big bucks, then you have to go abroad. A lot more people leave now." But despite the flight of talent from Croatia once it has reached international level, the fight to have made it stays with their players. "He represented Croatia in so many ways," Ancic said of his mentor Ivanisevic. "You saw here great Croatian performances. I think it's great for a small country that it is going to start developing even more. I think that's good."http://sify.com/sports/tennis/fullstory.php?id=13512392   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 03 Jul 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7944/1/E-Favourites-forever---The-tennis-world-will-miss-Goran.html Favourites foreverThis year's Wimbledon will occupy a special place in the hearts of tennis fans. The legendary Martina Navratilova returned to singles after 10 long years and the flamboyant Goran Ivanisevic bade goodbye to the game in his inimitable style, writes Rubinder Gill.Martina Navratilova waves after winning her first-round match at Wimbledon. Goran Ivanisevic, wearing a Croatian football shirt, makes his last stand on Centre Court. - AFP/ Reuters photos The Wimbledon Championship this year will primarily be remembered for two reasons. The return of 47-year-old Martina Navratilova to singles at her beloved championship after 10 years and crowd favourite Goran Ivanisevic bidding goodbye to his favourite tournament in his trademark style.Navratilova, after her French Open first round exit, showed all that she still had traces of the talent and style that netted her nine singles titles here. Nearing the half-century mark, she still served and volleyed with aplomb. Competing with players less than half her age made no difference to the legend.She may not have been able to go beyond the second round but she has set precedents which will be tough to follow for others. Navratilova made her debut at Wimbledon in 1973. That she was still competing at the top level after 31 years is beyond comparison.The maverick Croat Ivanisevic endured pain to come back to the tournament where he has experienced intense ecstasy and agony. The agony years were 1992, 1994 and 1998. He invariably came off second best to Americans Andre Agassi (1992) and Pete Sampras (1994, 98).Ecstasy came in 2001. After famously having made a pact with God (that if he won the title he would not mind if he never played again), he triumphed in a five-setter against Pat Rafter. That he was able to take the centre stage was due to the benevolence of the organisers, who gave him a wild card. After a magical two weeks, he wrote his name on the prized trophy, the first wild card in the history of the championship to do so. In the process, the fans and the champion came across the third Goran. After the good Goran and the bad Goran came the level-headed Goran who would try to keep peace between the two warring Gorans. The split personality from the town of Split in Croatia later said God had heard him too well. Ivanisevic could not return to defend his title, injuries took over. It was time for him to keep his side of the pact. The popular champion returned this year, courtesy the organisers, who gave him a wild card again. He did not disappoint the faithful. He recreated the magic initially again, stealing the limelight from the defending champion Roger Federer. He bid goodbye on his favourite Centre Court, bowing out to a younger and fitter Lleyton Hewitt.The Croat went out in his own style as he knew his time was up. He donned a Croatian football shirt, waving to all corners of the court. He had fulfilled his wish of returning to the Centre Court once again. The tennis world will miss the entertainer, who once broke so many rackets during a match that he had to forfeit the tie. He will be remembered as much for his booming serve and sublime skills as his antics on the court, his scowl and the ready smile.http://www.tribuneindia.com/2004/20040703/spr-trib.htm   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 02 Jul 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7948/1/E-Majoli-retires-at-26.html Majoli retires at 26Tue 29 June, 2004 15:51 ZAGREB, June 29 (Reuters) - Croatia's Iva Majoli, the 1997 French Open champion, announced her retirement from competitive tennis on Tuesday saying she lacked motivation."There may be some exhibition matches or doubles, but my career is over," the 26-year-old Majoli told sports gazette Sportske Novosti."I have fallen too low," she said. "I am practically back at the beginning and would have to work like a maniac to get back to the top. I realised I was not ready for that."Majoli, who beat Swiss Martina Hingis in the 1997 Roland Garros final, was once rated as high as number four but has seen her world ranking plummet to 294.The winner of eight career WTA Tour titles, including the French Open, Majoli was not at Wimbledon this year having slipped too far in the rankings and she did not try to qualify.Majoli has played only five matches since Wimbledon 2003 and lost four of them.http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsArticle.jhtml?type=tennisNews&storyID=5543075&section=news letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 30 Jun 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7947/1/E-Henman-warned-about-Ancic.html Henman warned about Ancic Jun 29 2004Tim Henman launches his bid to reach the Wimbledon semi-final for the fifth time on Wednesday with the support of two of the game's legends.But both John McEnroe and Boris Becker warned the British number one not to underestimate unseeded Mario Ancic of Croatia.Henman and his 20-year-old opponent have never played each other before but 6ft 5ins Ancic, a tennis disciple of Goran Ivanisevic, is recognised as one of the most dangerous floaters in the draw on a surface which suits his big-serving game.He has the scalp of reigning champion Roger Federer, who he beat in the first round two years ago, to prove it."Tim is playing much better when he's not supposed to win easily," said Becker. "He does not have the game to blow away opponents so he has to find a way to win the points but he has proved in the past that he has the ability to beat Federer and Roddick."Yes, he has the weapons. His problem is to get to the semi-final without losing too much energy. He always struggles when he is supposed to win easily."McEnroe also added his warning, not that it will lower the expectations of a Centre Court crowd who are beginning to believe that this really could be the year when Henman ends the 68-year wait for a British men's singles champion following his thrilling fourth-round triumph against Mark Philippoussis."In his first three matches he did not play up to his capabilities," said McEnroe, speaking at an event launching the Stanford Financial Champions Tour Rankings."I think he did against Philippoussis. It would have been nicer to win it easier but then it would not be Tim Henman. It always seems to be a rollercoaster."Henman could be a programmer for the BBC. The ratings must be very good. But Ancic is very dangerous. He beat Federer here two years ago. I would pick Tim to win but he's got to be ready. Ancic is dangerous."http://icteesside.icnetwork.co.uk/0200sport/sportlatest/tm_objectid=14377638&method=full&siteid=50081&headline=henman-warned-about-ancic-name_page.html letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 30 Jun 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7946/1/E-Croatian-Super-Mario-beats-Henman-for-semifinals.html  "Croatian Super Mario"  Tim Henman has crashed out of Wimbledon, losing in the quarter-finals to Mario Ancic in straight sets. The 20-year-old Croat won 7-6 (7-5), 6-4, 6-2. Full report soon. LONDON (Reuters) - Croatia's Mario Ancic has won against Tim Henman in their quarter-final match at Wimbledon. Ancic won the sets 7-6 6-4 6-2 in front of a packed Centre Court on Wednesday.   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Wed, 30 Jun 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7949/1/E-Defeat-fails-to-deflate-Croatians.html Defeat fails to deflate CroatiansBy Tom Geoghegan BBC News Online in Chelsea At the final whistle, the 120 Croatia fans leapt upand celebrated as if they had won the match. Crammed into the top room in The Cadogan Arms,Chelsea, they launched into what one bystanderexplained was a favourite national song. Jubilation greeted the goals She said: "It roughly means 'Tonight is our party andwe're going to drink and dance'." They had cheered on their team with a fierce intensitythat never threatened to change to bitterness whenEngland's 4-2 victory was confirmed. Underlining this positive attitude, Anita Stulic, 27,said: "Of course we're going to celebrate. I wishCroatia had won but I'm going to party anyway. It wasa great game." Maia Palecek said: "We won in our hearts. We had agreat day and that's the most important thing. It'sonly a game. I don't feel sorry for the players, theyget paid more than surgeons who save lives." No hard feelings - Marina and boyfriend Geoff She said it was her first Croatian gathering sincemoving to London 12 years ago and she had loved it. The room was arranged by the president of the CroatiaStudents and Young Professionals Network, MarkoKrznaric, who asked the pub to show Croatia's Euro2004 games, as it did in the World Cup. Arriving at the pub before the match, it looked like ahaven for England fans, with St George's flagsfluttering and hundreds of England supporters at thebar preparing for the big game. Upstairs, the red and white colours remained but itwas chequered - except for one England shirt. One Welsh Geoff Noden, 27, was accompanying his Croatiangirlfriend Marina Pusic, 26, and they brought a flageach for their country. She joked: "I know he won't behave himself so I toldhim he had to go downstairs." CROAT TERRACE CHANTS Ma daj, sudac, jesi slijep? (Come on ref, are youblind?) A koji Wayne? (Wayne who?) Ne mozete proci Igora Tudora (You'll never beat IgorTudor) Sjecate li se Ivanisevica i Henmana? (RememberIvanisevic and Henman?) The crowd, which was mostly female, was drawn fromCroatian nationals and descendants, plus one Welshman.The cheers which followed the national anthem werereplaced by boos when Posh Spice loomed into view onthe big screen. But minutes into the match, Niko Kovac's goal sent thefans into delirium - as one girl remarked: "I'm indreamland." Reality set in before half-time with two Englandgoals, but optimism prevailed. For some it was too much to bear Iva Stanishic, 27, said: "Croatia will win 3-2. GoranIvanisevic won and we have to win too, it's our day.England has the Queen and the pound so you have togive us this." For Croatians, sport is a source of immense nationalpride, especially for a nation which declared itsindependence in 1991. Tommy Slavich, 33, explained: "Its about nationalpride for a relatively young country. "Football has put us on the map more than anythingelse. It show people we're here and we exist." We lost, but let's party anyway The tension remained throughout the second half, whenevery Croatian save, kick and intervention was greetedwith a roar. And the party showed no sign of flagging at the finalwhistle. Geoff consoled Marina with a hug and she saidshe'd cheer on England from now on. Others climbed on the tables and continued thecelebrations. "Look on the bright side, there's always the tennis,"said one. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/3827031.stm   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Tue, 22 Jun 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7950/1/E-Ante-Jazics-next-stop-may-be-in-Russia.html  Globe-trotting Croatian-Canadian soccer player from Halifax looks to club in RussiaNEIL DAVIDSON Canadian Press Wednesday, June 16, 2004KINGSTON, Ont. (CP) - After club stints in Croatia and Austria, it looks like Ante Jazic's next stop may be in Russia. The Halifax defender-midfielder has spent the last three years with Rapid Vienna. His contract just expired and the club's subsequent two-year offer called for a pay cut of almost 40 per cent. He turned it down, as did five or six of his teammates. "I'm 28 now, I have to go where I'm going to make a little more money and think about the future," Jazic said in an interview prior to Canada's World Cup qualifying game against Belize on Wednesday night. Russian club FC Kuban is interested. The team isn't doing well in the standings, has ambitions and the funds to match, and is looking to buy players. The club is located in the southern part of Russia on the Black Sea. "Climate-wise it's supposed to be the nicest place in Russia, if there is a good climate in Russia," Jazic said. "Apparently it's supposed to be really nice. "I'm taking it as an educational experience too. I went to Croatia and Austria, so why not Russia?' He is scheduled to fly o Europe on Saturday night and meet with the Russians."Hopefully something else will come up too so I have options. But I definitely won't be in Austria next season." That's a pity, in many ways. Jazic loved his time in Vienna, although his club has had financial troubles. "I had a beautiful set-up. I know wherever I go now, I'll never have those accommodations. I had a flat right downtown, I had a car, everything." Canadian millionaire businessman Frank Stronach, whose roots are Austrian, owns rival Austria Vienna. Jazic says Stronach's club is known as the paycheque team, the Chelsea of Austria. "He pumps so much money into Austrian football, it's ridiculous," Jazic said. "It's just too bad that money isn't going into Canadian soccer. He loves football." Stronach has even bought a second division Austrian team, where he wants to develop young local talent in advance of the 2008 European Championships in Austria. "Too had we didn't have a guy who was willing to do that in Canada," Jazic lamented. Jazic's time with the Canadian team has been limited, partly through untimely injuries and partly because of a poor relationship with the previous coach. He has just seven caps, spread over six years. But he is back in the fold and enjoying life under new coach Frank Yallop. "We've been together for three weeks and I know back at my club team when we go away for two weeks for a training camp, after 10 days guys are just having runs at each other. But this has been like a vacation. "When it's time to train, we're serious but off the pitch everyone's been getting along. I think a lot of team bonding has happened. We're all close and I think the future looks bright." Home for Jazic "will always be Halifax," where his family and friends are. He plans to settle there once his soccer career is over. He's single at the moment, which allows for the travel often needed from a pro soccer player. "I've always said I'd sort my own life out before I let anybody else in," he said. "Because I don't know where I'm going to finish up. I happened to stay at Rapid for 3½ years but there was a chance I could have went to Japan. If you have   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 21 Jun 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7951/1/E-Croatia-v-France-draw-2-2-Min-by-Min.html   Croatia - France 2:2 Croatia's Dado Prso, 2nd right, is mobbed by his teammates after scoring his sides second goal during the Euro 2004 Group B soccer match between France and Croatia at the Dr. Magalhaes Pessoa Stadium in Leiria, Portugal, Thursday June 17, 2004. The other teams in Group B are Switzerland and England. (AP Photo/Michael Sohn)   France's goalkeeper Fabien Barthez (C) fails to stop a penalty kick from Croatia's Milan Rapaic (C Rear) in their Euro 2004 Group B soccer match at the Magalhaes Pessoa stadium in Leiria, June 17, 2004. REUTERS/Jean-Paul Pelissier  Croatia's Dado Prso, right, cheers after scoring with teammate Dovani Rosso during the Euro 2004 Group B soccer match between France and Croatia at the Dr. Magalhaes Pessoa Stadium in Leiria, Portugal, Thursday June 17, 2004. The other teams in Group B are Switzerland and England. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic) Euro-Croatia hold champions France to 2-2 drawThu 17 June, 2004 21:36 LEIRIA, Portugal, June 17 (Reuters) - Champions France showed defensive frailty again before fighting back to earn a 2-2 draw with Croatia at Euro 2004 on Thursday.Croatia scored twice in four minutes early in the second half through a Milan Rapaic penalty and a lashed shot from Dado Prso to take a 2-1 advantage.France had taken a first half lead in the 22nd minute when a curling Zinedine Zidane free kick took a slight deflection off Croatian defender Igor Tudor, who was credited with an own goal. France, who won their first match 2-1 against England with two stoppage time goals after going a goal down and then conceding a penalty, saved by Fabien Barthez, equalised in the 64th after David Trezeguet took advantage of a poor back pass.France top Group B on four points and need just a draw from their final match with Switzerland to reach the quarter-finals. Croatia, who have two points, must beat England in their last game.http://www.reuters.co.uk/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldFootballNews&storyID=5451193&section=newsCROATIA v FRANCE MIN-BY-MIN Full-time: Croatia 2 France 2 90 min: Olic shows tremendous pace to brush past Sagnol and reach the bye-line but Mornar pounces on the cut-back and blasts over the bar from just five yards. 90 min: Pires tries to carve his way through the defence but goes down trying to squeeze through a minute gap and gets no penalty. 90 min: There will be three extra minutes. 90 min: Butina makes two superb saves firstly from Pires' angled drive and then from Henry's follow-up. 89 min: Pires is bundled over by Niko Kovac as he tries to start a quick counter. 88 min: Pires is body-checked by Simunic and his own free kick is belted clear by Mornar. 87 min: Croatia bring on Ivica Mornar for Rapaic. 86 min: Henry tries to turn and feed Pires but the rugged Croatia back-line block the move. 85 min: Sagnol makes a first foray forward but his ball aimed at Pires is cut out by Simunic. 84 min: Prso almost escapes again as France reorganise at the back but Thuram uses his pace to recover and snuff out the danger. 83 min: France make their last change with Willy Sagnol on for Gallas. 82 min: Simunic uses the long ball in search of Prso but the flag is up for offside. 81 min: Barthez drops the ball after colliding with a back-pedalling Thuram but Prso cannot profit from the loose ball. 80 min: Dacourt makes way for Benoit Pedretti. 79 min: Leko is yellow-carded for a body-check as Henry tries to burst clear.78 min: Prso shakes off Gallas and surges into the area but his shot is blocked and Olic screws the rebound wide. 77 min: Zidane almost slaloms his way through the Croatian defence but slips over as he reaches the penalty area and loses possession. 76 min: Clever work by Gallas tricks Olic near the corner flag but Tudor beats Trezeguet to his cross. 75 min: A huge punt forward by Desailly almost bounces over Butina's head in goal but he recovers his ground to avoid the embarrassment. 74 min: Zidane sends Pires scampering down the right but his cross is too close to the keeper. 73 min: Croatia replace Sokota with Ivica Olic who started the first match against Switzerland. 72 min: Henry nods down Zidane's chip and Trezeguet blasts the bouncing ball high and wide. 71 min: Croatia are defending deeper and deeper but Leko makes a rare foray forward but Desailly holds him off to win the ball. 70 min: France bring on Robert Pires for Wiltord. 69 min: France attack again with Gallas down the right but Simunic blocks his run at the expense of a throw. 68 min: Henry's corner is headed out to Dacourt whose volley smacks into a crowd of Craotain bodies in the area. 67 min: Bjelica is replaced by Jerko Leko. 66 min: Gallas falls over when racing into the area and Croatia break quickly but Prso wastes the chance by trying to chip Barthez from 50 yards and the keeper gathers easily. 64 min: GOAL TREZEGUET. France are level in controversial fashion as Tudor's poor back-pass is too short for keeper Butina whose clearance hits Trezeguet on the arm and falls for the Juventus striker to tap into an empty net. 64 min: Gallas threads a ball into Trezeguet and his sharp lay-off to Henry ends with a snap-shot that Butina holds well. 63 min: Vieira and Henry work a one-two but the long leg of Robert Kovac foils them on the edge of the area. 62 min: Zidane's flag kick flies to the far post and straight to Wiltord and is miscontrolled when in a good shooting position. 61 min: Zidane's dead ball hits the wall but goes for a corner. 60 min: Vieira is tripped 30 yards from goal and Zidane stands over the ball.59 min: Poor clearance from Simunic falls to Dacourt but he loses possession and is then booked for dragging back Niko Kovac. 58 min: Croatia break quickly and it's two against two but Gallas does well to block Sokota's shot. 57 min: France pour forward in search of the equaliser but Rosso blocks another cross from Silvestre. 56 min: Henry steps inside Tudor and drills a low shot that Butina scrambles across goal to save. 55 min: Zidane's flick falls to Henry but he is robbed by a robust tackle from Robert Kovac. 54 min: Vieira fires a ball into the area for Henry but it is too hot to control. 53 min: Wiltord cuts into the Croatia area and drills a low shot that Butina does well to parry away from Henry. 52 min: GOAL PRSO. Desailly fails to clear a simple bouncing ball and Prso rockets a left-foot shot into the roof of the net. 51 min: Rosso attacks down the right, feeds Prso and his lay-back goes to Nenad Bjelica who fires wide. 50 min: Vieria looks for Henry but Robert Kovac cuts out the through ball. 49 min: Suddenly France need to raise their game to assert their superiority.48 min: GOAL RAPAIC. Silvestre trips Rosso from behind and the Croatian makes a meal of it but the referee gives a penalty. Rapaic steps up and drills the penalty into the bottom corner giving Barthez no chance. 47 min: Wiltord's low cross only just eludes an unmarked Henry in the middle. 46 min: The second half gets under way with no changes to either side. Half-time: Croatia 0 France 1 45 min: There will be one extra minute. 44 min:Niko Kovac at last forces Barthez into a decent save down to his left with a 30-yard shot. 43 min: Henry takes a short corner to Zidane standing just inside the area and his extravagant overhead back-heel finds Gallas arriving at the far post but the Chelsea defender heads wide from five yards. 42 min: Croatia are offering little threat now and France are dominating possession with Henry winning a corner after a searing run. 41 min: Zidane looks long for the lurking Henry but Robert Kovac is across to snuff out the danger. 40 min Tudor is booked for a late tackle on Vieira. 39 min: Simic's far-post cross is easy pickings again for Barthez. 38 min: Zidane and Wiltord combine well to set Trezeguet free but his tame shot gets a lucky deflection to win a corner. 37 min: Zidane tricks Niko Kovac with a cute back-heel but when he feeds it to Silvestre, the cross is headed away by the obdurate Robert Kovac. 36 min: Eventually they come back and take the free kick but waste possession easily. 35 min: Dacourt is now penalised for a foul on Nico Kovac even though Croatia carry on playing regardless. 34 min: Prso's persistence forces Silvestre into a hurried clearance but Zidane's silky touch rescues possession. 33 min: Vieira is booked for a late tackle on Rapaic. 32 min: Sokota gets on the end of Nico Kovac's long ball but he brings it down only for Thuram to nip and rob him. 31 min: Henry's corner causes panic in the box as Desailly tries to lay it back to Vieira but Sokota steps in to clear. 30 min: A terrific one-two between Trezeguet and Wiltord ends with Robert Kovac stopping the Arsenal winger at the expense of a corner. 29 min: Niko Kovac makes good progress down the right but his abysmal cross is straight into Barthez's hands. 28 min: Prso attacks down the right but Silvestre and Desailly combine to foil him. 27 min: Rapaic swings a better cross in to the French area but Desailly repels it with a powerful clearing header. 26 min: Dario Simic cuts out Vieira's cross as Trezeguet is waiting just behind.25 min: Rosso tries another long-range shot and though it's better than his previous effort, it still flies over the bar. 24 min: Zidane tries to trick the keeper by curling it towards the near post with everyone waiting further over but it hits the side-netting though the keeper had it covered. 23 min: Croatai concede another free kick just outside the left corner of the area when Wiltord is felled. 22 min: GOAL TUDOR OG. Zidane's free kick is bent viciously into the area and goes off the back of Tudor's leg and nestles in the corner with keeper Tomislav Butina a spectator. 22 min: Zidane teases the right flank again and is stopped illegally five yards from the area. 21 min: Prso finds space in the box and works a crossing position but Thuram is able to chest a poor centre down and clear. 20 min: A spell of French keep-ball ends with Henry beaten to the ball by Tudor.19 min: Rapaic slips a good inside pass to Niko Kovac but his threaded pass to Prso is well intercepted by Desailly. 18 min: A decent attack from Croatia ends with a wasted cross from Rosso in a good position. 17 min: Wiltord's through ball sees Henry flagged offside but TV replays suggest the decision is wrong. 16 min: Desailly heads Rapaic's cross only out to Giovanni Rosso whose snap-shot scuttles along the ground to Fabien Barthez. 15 min: Zidane is left alone and this time he hit the top of the wall and the rebound is switched across to Wiltord who slices horribly wide from the corner of the area. 14 min: Zidane is shoved over 30 yards from goal and a host of players are queueing up to have a crack. 13 min: Trezeguet is caught marginally offside as he chases Wiltord's through ball. 12 min: Prso refrains from shooting on the edge of the area and tries to find Rapaic out wide and the chance is lost as the centre is charged down. 11 min: Henry takes over flag kick duties but only finds a Croatian head in the area. 10 min: Henry almost gets a low cross into the path of David Trezeguet but an outstretched leg from Tudor concedes another corner. 9 min: Croatia have plenty behind the ball as Zidane tries to send Wiltord away down the right. 8 min: Henry swivels gracefully on Dacourt's pass and whips a shot two feet wide. 7 min: France win another corner and Zidane's second flag kick is headed away by Robert Kovac yet again. 6 min: Dado Prso leads a Croatian counter but Rapaic loses possession to Desailly. 5 min: France break quickly with Thierry Henry racing past two Croatian defenders before Tudor gets a foot in to halt his progress just outside the area. 4 min: Lilian Thuram is penalised for a foul on Tomo Sokota and Rapaic's free kick finds Sokota on the far post but his nod-down only falls to Patrick Vieira. 3 min: Zinedine Zidane takes France's first corner but Robert Kovac heads clear.2 min: France attack from the start with Wiltord trying to get down the right but being halted by Josip Simunic. 1 min: Referee Kim Milton Nielsen gets the match under way. Pre-match: France make two changes from the side that beat England 2-1 in their Group B opener. Robert Pires, Claude Makelele and Bixente Lizarazu are all rested with Sylvain Wiltord, Olivier Dacourt and Marcel Desailly brought in. Mikael Silvestre moves to left-back while Wiltord plays wide right and Dacourt slots into the heart of midfield. Croatia also make three changes with Igor Tudor restored after suspension while Milan Rapaic and Dovani Rosso came in for Ivica Mornar and Ivica Olic in midfield.http://www.sportinglife.com/football/euro2004/news/story_get.dor?STORY_NAME=soccer/04/06/17/manual_155454.html   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Thu, 17 Jun 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7952/1/E-Croatia-and-Switzerland-draw-0-0-Min-by-Min.html  Croatia and Switzerland draw 0-0 in Group B at Euro 2004 soccer championshipsEUGENE BRCIC Canadian Press Sunday, June 13, 2004LEIRIA, Portugal (AP) - Croatia missed three easy chances and squandered a man advantage for almost half the game as Switzerland survived for a 0-0 tie in their Euro 2004 Group B game on Sunday. Niko Kovac, Josip Simunic and Ivica Olic all missed easy headers with Swiss goalkeeper Joerg Stiel making an acrobatic one-handed save in the game. Olic hit the crossbar from barely three metres. The Swiss played the last 40 minutes with 10 men after the ejection of defender Johann Vogel for his second yellow card, but the Croatians failed to create any more dangers for Stiel. "We could have done better," Croatian coach Otto Baric said. "We had a couple of chances which we should have converted. The Swiss are a good team." Two Croatians, Dado Prso and Ivica Molnar, were cautioned for diving as little went right for Otto Baric's team, which is in the same group as defending champion France and England. They played later in Lisbon. The Swiss created the best chance of the opening 20 minutes when Alex Frei slipped free of Josip Simunic and fired a low shot from just inside the area. Croatian goalkeeper Tomislav Butina failed to hold it but a defender cleared as Stephane Chapuisat threatened to pounce on the rebound. The Swiss came close again in the 25th minute when Hakan Yakin curled an inswinging corner into the danger area and Bernd Haas launched himself through a crowded area but glanced his header wide off the far post. The Croatians should have gone ahead 10 minutes before halftime when Niko Kovac was left unmarked by the Swiss defence. He jumped to reach a corner only to head over the bar with Stiel well off his line. There was another blunder by the Swiss when Haas played five Croatians offside and a free kick should also have led to a goal. Simunic was allowed a free header but it was brilliantly blocked by Stiel. From the rebound, Olic also had a great chance to head home but he hit the crossbar. The Swiss were down to 10 men just five minutes into the second half when Vogel kicked Tomo Sokota from behind and was ejected for his second yellow card. Swiss coach Jakob Kuhn said that considering the Croatian advantage over most of the second half, the result is "satisfactory." "Now, we have to do well against France and England, and that won't be easy," Kuhn said. Mornar became the second Croatian to be cautioned for diving before he set up another chance for the Croatians. He broke clear down the right and his cross found Niko Kovac, but the Hertha Berlin midfielder completely misdirected his first time shot, which flew well wide from 16 metres. Stiel had to race back when a back pass dropped over his head 20 minutes from the end but he managed to stop the ball from crossing the line. The Swiss then almost snatched the lead 13 minutes from the end when Benjamin Huggel fired a 30-metre shot that Butina pushed around the post with an unorthodox two-handed push. Lineups Switzerland: Joerg Stiel; Christoph Spycher, Patrick Mueller, Murat Yakin, Bernt Haas; Raphael Wicky (sub: Stephane Henchoz 83rd minute), Hakan Yakin (Daniel Gygax 86th minute), Johann Vogel, Benjamin Huggel; Stephan Chapuisat (Fabio Celestini 54th minute), Alexander Frei. Croatia: Tomislav Butina; Dario Simic (Darijo Srna 61st minute), Robert Kovac, Josip Simunic, Boris Zivkovic; Ivica Mornar, Niko Kovac, Neven Bjelica (Giovanni Rosso 74th minute); Ivica Olic (Milan Rapaic 46th minute), Tomislav Sokota, Dado Prso. Referee: Lucilio Batista, Portugal. © Copyright 2004 The Canadian Press http://www.canada.com/sports/soccer/story.html?id=8EAF039C-89D5-4C36-8115-DB6BD84F43B7Croatia coach defiant after missed chance DAMIAN SPELLMAN CROATIA coach Otto Baric was in defiant mood as he contemplated a missed opportunity after his side's 0-0 draw with Switzerland in Leiria. The Croatians opened their Group B campaign with a point, but might have collected all three after playing the final 40 minutes of the game with a man extra following Swiss midfielder Johann Vogel's dismissal for a second bookable offence. Baric admitted that the heat had ultimately sapped the energy of his players as they attempted to make their numerical advantage count, but remained upbeat as he looked ahead to tough fixtures against reigning champions France on Thursday in Leiria and then England in Lisbon next Monday. "We have to remember we won a point and I would like to underline that," he said as an air of disappointment hung over the Croatia camp. "The Swiss team should not be underestimated, but also the other opponents in our group, the favourites, have to beat us and everything is still open. "It was really, really hot out there. I haven't seen the measurement, but it was around 38 degrees, maybe 40. We had to attack and that is much harder than to defend. My players were really making the effort, they were really trying and that's all you can ask. I'm not satisfied, but I can't complain about any of my players. They were playing, they were fighting, they had the will to win, but they haven't succeeded. "We had better possession, we had the ball at our feet and we had more chances in the first half, but we didn't play enough good passes. "And also we were playing against a very good team. I didn't under-estimate the Swiss team - maybe the media made us favourites, but we knew we were playing a good team." Croatia started the game brightly and after the Swiss rallied, had two glorious opportunities to force their way in front before the break. Switzerland keeper Jorg Stiel hesitated when coming to collect a Nenad Bjelica corner and would have paid the price had Niko Kovac not headed over the crossbar. But the 36-year-old made amends three minutes later after being left horribly exposed by a disastrously executed offside trap, pulling off a fine fingertip save from Josip Simunic's header with neither a flag nor a defender in sight. The reprieve looked likely to be temporary after Vogel kicked the ball away after a free-kick had been awarded - Swiss coach Jakob Kuhn insisted Vogel thought the decision had gone in his favour and was restarting he game quickly - but his side held firm to shut out their opponents and snatch a valuable point.The Swiss left Leiria to prepare for Thursday night's clash with England in Coimbra in high spirits, but knowing that they are unlikely to get away with those kinds of errors a second time. "I have to congratulate the team," said Kuhn. "I'm very proud. This was a good performance over 90 minutes even though we played the second half with only ten men. It was very hard. "I don't know what this result means yet until we see the other results, but I'm very happy with the performance of my team." Portuguese referee Lucilio Batista booked nine players in a game which did not really feature a bad challenge, and although he more than once punished players for diving, the card count seemed high. That the Swiss ultimately did not pay for Vogel's misdemeanours was down to a second-half display full of character and keeper Stiel added: "It was very important we played as a team and there was no one player who was more important than the rest." With both sides knowing the three points on offer were vital the stakes were high and there was little to choose between them in the opening 45 minutes. The invention of Hakan Yakin was Switzerland's major weapon and more than once he threatened to unlock the Croatian defence playing behind Stephane Chapuisat and Alexander Frei. However, Rangers new boy Dado Prso and Tomo Sokota, aided by the pace and power of Ivica Mornar down the right, made life difficult for the Swiss rearguard too.http://edinburghnews.scotsman.com/football.cfm?id=675192004SWITZERLAND v CROATIA MIN-BY-MIN By Reece KillworthResult: Switzerland 0 Croatia 0 90 min: Rapaic's corner, this one an inswinger, is bustled clear and the final whistle goes. It's been a disappointing game and France and England will be licking their lips at the prospect of facing these two sides. 90 min: Rapaic's outswinging corner is headed behind for another corner. 90 min: Haas concedes a corner as Srna sends a cross in from the left. One last chance for Croatia. 90 min: Mornar gets a yard of space from a long throw but his first touch is terrible and the ball is allowed to drift behind for a goal-kick. 90 min: There will be three minutes of added time. 90 min: Srna fouls Spycher just inside the Croatian half. Henchoz finds Gygax down the left and he knocks it back to Spycher. He curls the ball in but Frei can't control it at the back post. 89 min: Srna's free-kick is half-cleared and when the ball is worked back into the area, there are three men offside including Prso who went for the ball. 88 min: Celestini fouls Srna just outside the Swiss area. This is danger for the men in red. 88 min: Henchoz is sticking with Mornar for now, conceding a throw with a stern challenge. 87 min: Switzerland bring Daniel Gygax on for Hakan Yakin. 86 min: Rapaic is finally showing what he can do down the left. This time his cross falls to Srna's feet and he fires in a shot which Switzerland have to block bravely. 85 min: Rapaic does well to work himself a yard of space down the left but his cross is easily cleared by Murat Yakin at the front post. 84 min: Nico Kovac shoots from the halfway line with Stiel slightly out of position but the reason for that is soon clear - the Swiss keeper has spotted the offside flag up. 83 min: Switzerland bring Stephane Henchoz on for Wicky. The Liverpool man seems to have slotted in at left-back with Spycher in front of him. Mornar will look to get some joy out of a man who usually plays in the middle. 83 min: Switzerland work a short corner routine but it doesn't come off as Robert Kovac pumps the ball downfield at the back post. 82 min: Hakan Yakin latches on to a clearance over the top from brother Murat. His shot on the turn is turned behind by a desperate lunge from Robert Kovac.81 min: Rapaic tries to outpace Haas down the left but the defender does well to win a throw off his adversary. 80 min: Srna and Mornar work the ball well down the right but the latter falls over. He gets back to his feet and manages to keep the ball but when he plays it back, Srna crosses straight at Spycher. 79 min: Wicky tries to slide the ball down the left to Celestini but it drifts out for a goal-kick. The quality of this game continues to disappoint. 78 min: The ball is curled in from the left but Murat Yakin's header is off target. 77 min: Wicky and Frei work the ball nicely on the left before it comes inside to Huggel. He takes two paces forward and rifles in a shot which Butina pushes around the post. The keeper looked far from confident there as he shovelled it behind. 77 min: Sokota does well to initially shake off his marker but then three Swiss players get back on the edge of the area and clear the ball down their left flank. 76 min: Hakan Yakin takes the shot from distance but his effort is always sailing over the bar. 75 min: Rosso's first act is to concede a free-kick as Frei goes down 30 yards from the Croatia goal. Danger for the Croats. 74 min: Prso bursts into the right-hand side of the Swiss box but Spycher gets back and blocks the attempted cross. Stiel gathers and quickly pumps the ball downfield. 73 min: Croatia bring Giovani Rosso on for Bjelica. 72 min: Play switches from end to end quickly with a long ball from Butina. Stiel gathers and clears and the Swiss goalkeeper then berates the referee for ignoring a challenge on Spycher by Mornar as they both chased the ball back. There was no foul, and Stiel is booked for his protests. 71 min: Credit to Switzerland, they are certainly not sitting back and settling for a draw here. Unfortunately their final balls are letting them down as this time Wicky fails to find Frei. 70 min: Stiel is forced to backtrack quickly and dive on the ball inside the six-yard area but he manages to do that and even ends the move by heading the ball off his own goal-line when lying down. 70 min: Hakan Yakin drifts a free-kick into the Croatia area but it is scrambled clear despite the best efforts of Frei. 69 min: Hakan Yakin's corner drifts over those at the front post and is hacked clear from the left-hand side of the six-yard box by Zivkovic. 68 min: Huggel does well to win a corner with a powerful run down the right. The Swiss are going for it despite being down to 10 men. 67 min: Nico Kovac bursts into the final third and slides the ball in to Nico Kovac. He turns to face goal and cuts inside on his right foot but sends his shot over the top. 66 min: Haas and Wicky work the ball nicely down the right but the latter just loses control at the vital moment and the ball drifts out for a goal-kick. 65 min: Switzerland bring the ball forward despite their numerical disadvantage and win a free-kick around 30 yards out. Hakan Yakin steps up to curl the ball goalwards but it is a tame effort and Butina is able to gather easily to his left. 65 min: Prso picks himself up and gets on with it, breaking down the right and getting a decent cross in. The ball drops to Nico Kovac but his left-footed effort is always curling wide. 64 min: Prso goes down theatrically on the edge of the Swiss box with Murat Yakin in close attendance. The referee again waves play on although this time he opts not to book Prso. 63 min: Croatia knock the ball around from left to right but they are not making any progress despite having a man advantage. Otto Baric looks far from happy on the Croatia bench. 62 min: Croatia bring Darijo Srna on for Simic. 61 min: Mornar continues to look lively down the right but this time he just allows the ball to slip out of his range and behind for a goal-kick. 60 min: Frei goes bursting clear onto a long ball over the top, but he's offside. 59 min: Hakan Yakin goes down clutching his face after clashing with Robert Kovac in the corner. He was caught, but Yakin certainly made the most of it. Play resumes with a free-kick to Croatia as it was Yakin who fouled Kovac initially. 58 min: There is still no pattern to what has been thus far a disappointing game. 57 min: Simunic and Frei get in a tangle 30 yards from the Croatian goal and it's a free-kick to the Swiss. Hakan Yakin tries to find brother Murat out on the left but the ball sails out for a goal-kick. 57 min: Prso gets a yard of space on the edge of the Swiss box but he can't get the ball down quickly enough to get a decent shot in. His effort is gathered easily by Stiel. 56 min: Nico Kovac finds himself dumped on his backside by Celestini as tempers begin to fray a little in midfield. The Croatians are beginning to look frustrated. 55 min: Rapaic works himself a yard of space down the left and gets in a good cross which Stiel has to be alert to gather. He switches play in an instant and Frei gets clear down the inside left channel. Unfortunately for the Swiss, the ball just evades him with his third touch and slides out for a goal-kick. 54 min: Switzerland bring Fabio Celestini on for Chapuisat, who has worked hard without effect this evening. Celestini will slot in in midfield and Switzerland are now playing with Frei as a lone striker. 53 min: Play has become very scrappy again as Switzerland try to reorganise themselves into a recognisable formation. They are content to lump the ball long for now. 52 min: Spycher has been left isolated on the left flank as the Swiss reorganise and it is no surprise to see Mornar go right at him. He gets past Spycher but then tumbles to the ground. The referee is unconvinced and rightly books him.51 min: The corner comes to nothing and as it is half-cleared, Zivkovic goes into the book for pulling down Frei. The Croatian captain is booked. 51 min: Croatia move the ball forward and force a corner down the right. The sending-off has clearly lifted them. 50 min: SENT OFF - VOGEL. Free-kick to Croatia in midfield and Vogel reacts by kicking the ball downfield right in front of the referee. That's another idiotic act and the referee has no option but to show Vogel his second yellow card. 49 min: Switzerland work the ball to Frei from the free-kick but he is well challenged by Simic. Croatia spring on the counter attack and Rapaic's cross from the left is helped behind for a corner. Bjelic curls the ball in and Prso's header drifts off target. He appeals for a corner but the referee gives a goal-kick. 48 min: Haas tries to dink the ball into the inside right channel but Zivkovic is across quickly to clear the danger. Rapaic tries to get away with a sneaky handball by punching the ball forwards but he is spotted and goes into the book. Simply idiotic play from the substitute. 47 min: Croatia snap into their tackles in midfield and eventually Huggel is forced into a mistake. Bjelica picks the ball up but he is quickly dispossessed and Switzerland win a throw down their right. 46 min: Croatia knock the ball around at the back to give their defenders a touch in the second half but Simis's is a poor one and Switzerland are gifted a throw. 45 min: Croatia get the second half under way having brought Rapaic on for the impressive Olic. HT: Switzerland 0 Croatia 0. 45 min: A scrappy half is brought to a close. Croatia have been the better of the sides and look particularly dangerous down the flanks but there have been so many fouls from both teams the referee has had no option but to be one of the game's central figures. 45 min: Croatia work the ball to Nico Kovac who has enough room to shoot from distance. The ball is always drifting just over although Stiel backtracks furiously just to see it over. 45 min: A free-kick to Switzerland this time with Bjelica penalised for a foul on Hakan Yakin. The ball is swung out towards Haas on the right but it evades him and Croatia have a throw. 45 min: Croatia's free-kick comes to nothing as Nico Kovac chips it too high and it sails out of play for a goal-kick. 44 min: Another free-kick comes to Croatia as Vogel jumps into Bjelica. 43 min: Prso slides the ball in to Sokota on the edge of the Swiss area and he goes down under pressure from Muller. Nothing doing, according to the referee and Switzerland are able to bring it clear. Again they give possession away and Olic bursts into the box. He is shepherded away from danger but does earn a throw-in. 42 min: Free-kick to Croatia with Wicky penalised for leaving his boot in on Robert Kovac. 41 min: Hakan Yakin works himself out of a tight spot inside his own half and sets Switzerland on the break. Chapuisat picks it up on the edge of the Croatian box and dinks a lovely ball in towards Frei. The ball is half-cleared and Mornar is fouled as he tries to complete the clearance. 40 min: Huggel's frustration at losing possession gets the better of him and he pulls down Bjelica deep inside the Croatian half. Free-kick to Croatia and the Swiss is booked. 39 min: Bjelica curls the free-kick in and the Swiss defence race out almost en masse. Haas stays back for some reason and plays everyone onside. Simunic has the first unmarked header which Stiel does well to push away but Olic is there on the follow-up. Somehow he manages to hit the top of the bar with his header and Switzerland - and Haas in particular - get away with it. 38 min: Another free-kick for Croatia as this time Spycher blocks Mornar. He is causing a lot of problems down the right with his power and pace. 37 min: Switzerland work the ball nicely until the final third when Spycher ducks out of a challenge with Simic and Croatia are able to clear. Mornar goes down theatrically under pressure from Wicky and the referee obliges with the free-kick. 36 min: Stiel flaps at the corner as it sails over his head. Nico Kovac has a great chance to score at the back post with the keeper flailing around but his header is well off target. 35 min: Croatia chase the ball down superbly with Olic to the fore. He forces Vogel to lay the ball back to Stiel and then forces the keeper to slice it out for a throw. Olic's good work continues as he converts the throw into a corner.34 min: The Swiss fans are far from happy as Chapuisat is still down, but he pulls himself back to his feet and is reprimanded by the referee. At the other end, the corner comes in but Zivkovic's header has too little on it to unduly trouble Stiel. 33 min: Switzerland work a nice move down the right before it's knocked in towards Chapuisat. He goes down under minimal contact from Simunic and the referee rightly waves play on. Croatia break down the right and Mornar wins a corner off Spycher. 32 min: Croatia's free-kick comes to nothing but they are able to win back the ball as an ambitious ball from Haas drops to Simunic. Sokota can't hold it up, though, as a scrappy phase of the game continues. 31 min: The ball is worked to Murat Yakin from the free-kick but his powerful effort is blocked by the Croatia wall. It bounces out to Nico Kovac and he draws a foul from Huggel. 30 min: The yellow card comes out for the second time with Bjelica booked for a clumsy tackle on Hakan Yakin 30 or so yards from the Croatia goal. 29 min: Scrappy play in midfield as both teams give the ball away but when Wicky is penalised for a foul, Croatia are able to break. The ball is worked to Sokota who manages to hold off Huggel but can't find the target with a shot from distance. 28 min: Nico Kovac tries to drift the ball over the top to Mornar but it skips up off the turf and Stiel is able to gather it again. 27 min: The free-kick is launched towards Prso and he is able to divert the ball into Sokota's path. He manages to engineer a shot on the turn, but the ball is straight at Stiel and he is able to gather easily at his feet. 26 min: Mornar shows a decent turn of pace to get past Spycher down the right flank but as he tries to turn back inside Spycher is back to clear. He works the ball to Hakan Yakin out wide on the left but his ball infield is cleared and when Olic is brought down by Haas, it's a free-kick to Croatia on halfway. 25 min: The corner is flashed into the six-yard box where Haas meets it. He fails to get enough on the ball and it drifts past the far post and out for a goal-kick. 25 min: Switzerland force a corner down the right with Huggel causing Zivkovic to track across and knock the ball out. 24 min: Muller sportingly chips the ball into touch with Nico Kovac down. The referee stops play but Kovac is quickly back to his feet albeit clutching his lower back. Mornar returns the ball to Switzerland from the throw. 23 min: Croatia knock the ball from side to side probing for an opening but the Swiss are well organised defensively and see the danger off. 22 min: Free-kick to Croatia as Chapuisat is a little late on Simic just inside the Croatian box. The players shake hands as they climb back to their feet and the referee is content for play to continue without further action. 21 min: Murat Yakin switches play with a marvellous ball from right to left where Wicky tries to get a cross in. Simunic blocks it out at the expense of a throw. 20 min: Hakan Yakin gets a yard of space 30 yards from the Croatia goal but he overhits his attempted through-ball to Chapuisat and Butina is able to race off his line to gather the ball. 19 min: Mornar runs at Spycher but is well challenged and for a split second Spycher has a little space. Mornar does not neglect his defensive duties, though, and is quickly back to regain possession for Croatia. 18 min: Switzerland knock the ball around nicely without making any real progress until Haas miscontrols out wide on the right and the ball slides out of play. 17 min: Hakan Yakin tries to weave a little magic 30 yards or so from the Croatian goal but Bjelica snaps into the tackle and slides the ball clear. 16 min: Free-kick to Croatia 10 yards inside their own half as Frei catches Zivkovic with a high boot. They work the ball out to the right before coming back the other way. Josip Simunic eventually lofts the ball to Olic down the left but he fails to keep possession and Benjamin Huggel brings the ball clear for the Swiss. 16 min: The ball in from the right is a poor one and Butina is able to claim unchallenged. 15 min: A long clearance downfield is flicked on and Frei finds space down the inside right channel. His dipping shot is pushed away by Butina and the Croatian defence are back well to clear the ball away for a corner. 14 min: Stiel's clearance is a poor one and Prso has a shooting chance but he snatches his effort and pulls it wide of the left-hand post. 14 min: Prso and Olic play a lovely one-two down the left flank with the former bursting into the Swiss penalty area. He goes down under pressure from Haas but Lucilio Cardoso Cortez Batista waves away his appeal for a spot-kick and books the Rangers-bound striker for diving. 13 min: Prso and Spycher get in a tangle down the Croatia right and as the ball goes out both appeal for a throw. The decision goes the way of Switzerland to Prso's frustration. Muller has been told to leave the field for treatment as he is bleeding from a head wound. 12 min: The corner is again fired long but Mornar fails to direct the ball on target. 11 min: Both teams contest the drop-ball - a rare sight in today's football - and Croatia force a throw down the left through Olic. He is able to convert the throw into a corner as Croatia continue to look dangerous down both flanks. 10 min: Mornar powers into space down the right and sends a decent cross in which Olic just fails to control. The ball breaks back out to the halfway line and the referee blows his whistle as Christoph Spycher is down in the Croatia half. As soon as the referee approaches him, he clambers back to his feet and play continues with a drop-ball just inside the Swiss half. 9 min: Frei is left in a heap by Dario Simic out wide. He's been caught with an elbow but was actually off the field when the offence took place. The referee didn't get a clear view of it, but Switzerland have the free-kick anyway as Hakan Yakin was fouled infield. 9 min: The corner is drilled in towards the back post but Muller is there to head clear. Frei just can't keep it in play and Croatia have a throw down the right. Dado Prso picks it up and works it to Mornar but his cross in is headed clear by Murat Yakin. 8 min: Olic races down the left flank onto a lovely ball from Bjelica but his cut-back is hacked behind for a corner by Patrick Muller. 8 min: Vogel tries to find Haas marauding down the right but the ball skips out for a Croatia throw-in. 7 min: The outswinging corner finds Zivkovic at the back post but he is unable to get enough on the ball to really trouble Stiel in the Swiss goal. 6 min: The first corner of the game goes to Croatia as Mornar forces Murat Yakin to play the ball behind. 6 min: Chapuisat goes down holding his face after clashing with Zivkovic as they chase a through-ball but the referee waves play on and Croatia clears. Switzerland come again and Hakan Yakin forces Butina into his first real action of the game. 5 min: Boris Zivkovic is unable to control the ball from the free-kick and Bernt Haas is able to force a goal-kick off Olic. 4 min: As Croatia press forward down the right Vogel cynically hacks down Nico Kovac and is the first man into the book. 4 min: Switzerland try to work a move down the left from the free-kick but Wicky is dispossessed on the edge of the Croatian penalty area. Switzerland win the ball back, though, but again Wicky is well tackled and Croatia can bring the ball clear. 3 min: Switzerland probe down the left and win a free-kick as Ivica Mornar goes in a little too strongly on Raphael Wicky. 2 min: Nenad Bjelica steps up to take the free-kick but the effort is a poor one and Jorg Stiel is able to gather comfortably. 2 min: Croatia spread the ball well from right to left where Ivica Olic has to cut back on the inside. The ball is worked to Tomislav Sokoto and he is pulled down by Murat Yakin a couple of yards outside the Swiss box. A dangerous free-kick here for Croatia. 1 min: The first free-kick of the game goes the way of Croatia with Alexander Frei the man penalised for a heavy challenge. 0 min: Switzerland get the action under way. Pre-match: Croatia boss Otto Baric has thrown goalkeeper Tomislav Butina in at the deep end with first choice Stipe Pletikosa ruled out of the entire tournament with a ruptured thigh muscle. Midfielder Milan Rapaic also misses out. Switzerland's only real concern in the lead-up to the match, Johann Vogel, takes his place in a side which features veteran Stephane Chapuisat in his 102nd international game. http://www.sportinglife.com/football/euro2004/news/story_get.dor?STORY_NAME=soccer/04/06/13/manual_153012.html  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 14 Jun 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7953/1/E-Sunday---Croatia-vs-Switzerland-and-the-schedule-for-Euro-2004.html  Croatia vs. Switzerland and the schedule for Euro 2004 Final tournament 13.06.2004 v Switzerland 17:00 17.06.2004 v France 19:45 21.06.2004 v England 19:45 Match kick-offs are listed in local time (Portugal) www.euro2004.com  1 Stipe PLETIKOSA GK  (out)2 Mario TOKIC DF 3 Josip ŠIMUNIC DF 4 Stjepan TOMAS DF 5 Igor TUDOR DF 6 Boris ŽIVKOVIC DF 7 Milan RAPAIC FW 8 Darijo SRNA MD 9 Dado PRŠO FW 10 Niko KOVAC MD 11 Tomislav ŠOKOTA FW 12 Tomislav BUTINA GK 13 Dario ŠIMIC DF 14 Mato NERETLJAK DF 15 Jerko LEKO MD 16 Marko BABIC MD 17 Ivan KLASNIC FW 18 Ivica OLIC FW 19 Ivica MORNAR MD 20 Giovani ROSSO MD 21 Robert KOVAC DF 22 Nenad BJELICA MD 23 Joseph DIDULICA GK   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sat, 12 Jun 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7954/1/E-Swiss-Captain-Stephane-Chapuisat---Heart-for-Croatia.html  Swiss Captain Stephane Chapuisat - Heart forCroatia  It was summer of 1991 and things were bleak in Croatia. Thesigns of war were everywhere, homeland "Domovina" was underattack, and people were scared. I received a call from acouple of Croats in New York City's Astoria-Queens area whoinvited me to a meeting at Iva's Beauty s Salon. "Vedran,we want to raise money for the children of Croatia'sdefenders "Branitelji". We'll do all the work, we just wantyou to head the organization," they said. I looked aroundand saw people of same ideals, convictions and nationalaspirations as I and couldn't refuse. So we got organized,set up the by-laws and named the fund "Heart for Croatia -Srce za Hrvatsku". Over the next 4 years we raised over $85,000, helped 500 Croatian children (orphans whose fathersdied defending Croatia), found sponsors for additional 100children (sponsors probably gave over $ 100,000) and sentmoney to many regions of Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovinawith an all-volunteer force. We took no expenses, 100% ofmonies collected were distributed, and many hours onSundays at Sts. Cyril & Methodius Croatian Catholic Churchin Manhattan were spent collecting funds, selling t-shirtsand showing pictures of orphans to prospective sponsors.Our strategy meetings were held at the Croatian Radio ClubNY "Voice of Free Croatia - Glas Slobodne Hrvatske" studiobuilding. We had 2 successful banquets that were supportedby Croats who emigrated from all regions of Croatia andBosnia-Herzegovina. Several contributions came from Croatsthroughout the USA. Even more important Americans gave usmoney; our neighbors, friends, coworkers, customers andregistered USA charities. One occurrence will always staywith me. It was Sunday afternoon and my turn to be at thetable. As the crowd thinned out a father in his thirtiesapproached me holding his five or six-year-old son by handappearing very embarrassed. He hands me a five dollars andsays, "That's all I have". I almost chocked, tapping him onthe hand saying "It's OK". I still see him nowadays but heprobably forgot. I know of similar stories, men not havingenough for their mortgage or rent but giving money forhomeland. We received hundreds of thank you letters fromCroatia's children that were so moving and I often wonderhow are those children doing today. I had the privileged towork with some of the greatest Croats volunteers of "Heartfor Croatia - Srce za Hrvatsku"; folks whose names are notknown, who did not receive awards or plaques and are notinvited to fancy dinners or ceremonies. They must beremembered. That's why I'm still in the office; it's 10:30pm on a hot Wednesday night. There were hundreds of otherfundraises and organizations during Croatia's war ofIndependence "Domovinski Rat" active in the USA andthroughout the world. Yet there is one person that I wantto be especially remembered and recognized.He is Stephane Chapuisat, and he'll be 35 this June 28th. Stephane is a Captain of Swiss National Soccer (Football)Team. He played 101games for Switzerland, third on the all time list.http://www.euro2004.com/tournament/players/player=8473/index.html This Sunday, June 12, 2004 Switzerland plays Croatia inLeiria, Portugal in a European Championship Tournament. InFebruary of 1994 I received a letter from EuropayInternational and MasterCard, Waterloo Belgium. It stated,…"Your charity Heart for Croatia - Srce za Hrvatsku wasnominated by the winning Swiss footballing Master, StephaneChapuisat to receive $ 1500 contribution. MasterCard is anofficial sponsor of World Cup USA 1994 and is delighted tobe able to make a $ 1500 contribution as a result of a PRprogram, "Masters of the World Cup". We were all delightedand instantaneously became Stephane's fans. He encouragedus to continue fundraising after our daytime jobs and onweekends. We still wonder: Who is he? Does he have Croatianfriends? Did he ever visit Croatia? Maybe Croatiansportswriters in Portugal can find out more! When a stranger helps you it's even more meaningful. As Iwrite this I feel a sense of attachment to Chapuisat andhope he gets applause from all Croats as he is introducedon Sunday. Vedran Joseph Nazor, Heart for Croatia - President New York City June 9, 2004  letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Fri, 11 Jun 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7956/1/E-Ivanisevic-to-bury-his-racket-after-Wimbledon.html   Ivanisevic to bury his racket after Wimbledon    May 24 2004 Zagreb, Croatia - Former Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic plans to retire at the All England club where he won the only Grand Slam title of his 15 years on the circuit."I've been thinking about it for the last two years," the 32-year-old said in the daily Sportske Novosti on Monday. "It's not easy to admit, but time trickles by and one day you have to draw the line and say enough."Ivanisevic underwent shoulder surgery after he beat Australia's Pat Rafter in the 2001 Wimbledon final, and a series of injuries kept him from making a much-anticipated comeback to his favourite tournament."Wimbledon is something else. Two worlds, Wimbledon and the rest," he said. 'I'm always dangerous there' "It's the biggest for any player. There is no better way to bow out. Hopefully I'll play on centre court and win a few rounds."Although he has dropped below 400 in the rankings and his left shoulder continues to cause unbearable sporadic pain, Ivanisevic still believes in miracles, much like in 2001, when he was 125th in the world and used a wild-card entry at Wimbledon to stun sceptics and take the title."It won't be easy in Wimbledon, but it won't be easy for my opponents either," Ivanisevic said. "I'm always dangerous there. After all, I won when nobody would have put a cent on me."Ivanisevic, who has won 22 titles and is three short of 600 tournament victories, has already pulled out of the French Open and will warm up for Wimbledon only at the Queens tournament.The 1,93m crowd-pleaser, who will be remembered for his honest, humorous interviews and on-court-antics, would like to go out in a big way.'An ace. One more ace. The last one' Ivanisevic initially thought about going out on centre court, serving a trademark ace and then simply walking off into the annals of history."An ace. One more ace. The last one," he said."But no. I couldn't do that, not to Wimbledon. It is too big a tournament and I don't deserve to leave like that."Any regrets? "I've done everything, everything I could. Yes, I am at peace." - Sapa-AP http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?click_id=4&art_id=qw1085399461414B235&set_id=6   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 24 May 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7955/1/E-Jelena-Pandzic-is-Rookie-of-the-Year.html   Pandzic is top tennis rookieThe followng appeared in The Fresno Bee from California. John Peter Kraljic, Esq.**********************************************The Fresno Bee(Updated Monday, May 24, 2004, 6:32 AM)Fresno State's Jelena Pandzic was named the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's rookie player of the year Sunday. Pandzic was presented the award at the annual ITA awards banquet, held at the University of Georgia, site of the NCAA championships.The honor is the first national award received by a Fresno State women's tennis player. Pandzic, a native of Split, Croatia, previously was named an All-American in singles and the Western Athletic Conference player of the year. She also was first-team All-WAC in singles and doubles and the WAC freshman of the year.Pandzic, 24-1 in singles, opens play this morning in the NCAA singles tournament, in which she's seeded third. Her first opponent is Mississippi's Chloe Carlotti, a former two-time All-American at Fresno State who transferred at the end of the fall semester.Pandzic also is participating in the NCAA doubles tournament with partner Lucia Tallo. The duo, which is 20-2 and has won 15 in a row, plays Courtney Bergman and Susanna Lingman of Harvard in the first round Tuesday.In the team competition, which ended Sunday, Stanford completed an unbeaten season with a 4-1 victory over UCLA for the championship.   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 24 May 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7958/1/E-Hohnjec-Jepan-Grojic-paddle-down-the-Loisach-River.html       From left to right, Tomislav Hohnjec, Tomislav Jepan and Igor Grojic, from Croatia, paddle their canoes down the Loisach River near Garmisch-Partenkirchen, southern Germany, during the Wildwater World Championships on Sunday, May 23, 2004. The Croatian team won the men's C1 team event gold medal in front of the teams from France and Germany. (AP Photo/Jan Pitman)   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 23 May 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7957/1/E-Cycling-from-Trieste-Italy-to-Pula-Croatia.html   Cycling Through Croatia     The pack pedals during the 14th stage of the Tour of Italy cycling race, from Trieste, Italy, to Pula, Croatia, Sunday May 23, 2004. (AP Photo/Alex Trovati)   A pack of riders from the Giro d'Italia ride past the Roman amphitheatre during the 14th stage, in Pula, Croatia, Sunday May 23, 2004. For the first time Giro is extended to Croatian region of Istria. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic) AP   A pack of riders cycle through the coastal town of Porec, Croatia prior to the start of the 15th stage of the Giro d'Italia, Monday May 24, 2004. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)   Italy's Alessandro Petacchi celebrates after winning, for the seventh time in this edition, a stage of the Tour of Italy cycling race, from Trieste, Italy, to Pula, Croatia, Sunday May 23, 2004. (AP Photo/Marco Trovati)     letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Sun, 23 May 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7959/1/E-Aussies-win-yachting-world-title-in-Croatia.html  Aussies win yachting world title in CroatiaAustralia's Nathan Wilmot and Malcolm Page have won the men's title in the 470 class at the yachting World Championships in Croatia.The pair who are both from New South Wales, finished strongly in the final three races against the 100-boat fleet, to take out the title.Wilmot and Page will be making their Olympic debut in Athens and their world championship will act as the perfect build-up for the yachting program.Australia's yachting gold medallists from Sydney, Jenny Armstrong and Belinda Stowell, finished fourth overall in the womens' 470 class.http://www.abc.net.au/sport/content/s1109969.htm   letters@croatia.org (Nenad N. Bach) Mon, 17 May 2004 00:00:00 -0700 http://www.croatia.org/crown/articles/7961/1/E-Karolina-Sprem-from-Croatia.html