MORE PLAYERS QUALIFY FOR "TEAM AUSTRALIA:

A number of qualifiers and trials were held In Adelaide on Saturday 31st October 2009, as part of the process of selecting players to represent Australia, at the July 2010 Croatian World Games in Zadar.

At City Beach, two players qualified for Men’s Beach Volleyball, Simon Males (NSW) and Deion Matulic (SA), who with the grateful assistance from Volleyball SA, had the opportunity to play against a number of other men’s pairs. This was very beneficial for the players to get to know and train with each other.

Modern ETSA Park stadium was the venue for a friendly game between players representing the Croatian World Games (Australia) men’s handball team, and a men’s team from Team Handball Association of South Australia. The Croatian World Games team acquitted themselves well, considering it was the first time some of them played together. Players qualified so far for Team Australia men’s handball are Velibor Vujaklija (VIC), Ante Manenica (VIC), Boris Jovanovic (SA), Ilija Culic (SA), Goran Medjedovic (SA) and Sinisa Matulin (SA). Special thanks to everyone at Team Handball SA for their valued support in helping to develop a Croatian Australian team for the Croatian World Games.

The Croatian Club Adelaide was the venue for the men’s international rules bocce qualifiers, which comprised a singles games format. A strong representation from Western Australia saw remaining team positions filled. The Australian men’s bocce team now comprises Blazenko Kuscevic (WA), Juraj Sperka (WA), Velimir Matutinovic (WA), internationals Ivan Olic (NSW) and Bepo Moras (NSW), with first reserve Frank Pasalich and Michael Strehouski (SA) as second reserve. A friendly 4 vs 4 game followed between players representing WA and SA, which saw the men from the West defeat the local SA team. Special thanks also to Mirella Mancini, President of the SA Bocce Federation, who has in great measure supported the Croatian World Games bocce qualifying process, by supporting the Games organising committee and officiating during the qualifiers.

After the days activities, a fundraising dinner dance was held at the Croatian Club Adelaide, at which players socialised with members of the Adelaide Croatian community. The evening was in support of the increasing player membership of the “Team Australia” contingent, which currently comprises some sixty six players.
About fifteen members from the Lenek Folkloric Ensemble - three of which have qualified for the Croatian World Games women’s soccer team (Angelina Lovrinov, Dijana Dragic, Emily Skara) - provided a polished and entertaining dance performance. Natalie Lovrinov, who sang the Croatian national anthem at the opening ceremony of the inaugural 2006 Croatian World Games, addressed the audience on behalf of the Australian Croatian World Games organisers. She reflected on her experience at the Games in Zadar 2006, and how the Croatian World Games brings Croatians from around the world closer together.

Special thanks to all who contributed to the success of the days activities including local members of the Croatian World Games National Organising Committee, Bocce Federation of SA, Team Handball SA, Volleyball SA, The Croatian Club Adelaide. Similarly special thanks to the Croatian Sports Centre and the 25th Annual Australian & New Zealand Croatian Soccer Tournament Committee, earlier in October, for promotional and venue support.
Lastly, special thanks to all interstate players for making the effort to come to Adelaide, including swimmers, soccer and basketball players who came over earlier in October

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