Best Athletes in Split Awarded at Museum of Croatian Archaeological Monuments
March 6, 2020 - At the Museum of Croatian Archaeological Monuments, the Split Sports Federation officially proclaimed the winners of the Annual Award, this time for 2019, which is a long-standing tradition of this umbrella sports association in the city of Split.
Dalmacija Danas reports that in the presence of many people from the sports, cultural and social milieu of Split, the ceremony was opened by Neno Periš, President of the SSŠ, Mate Omazić, Mayor for Social Affairs of the City of Split and Envoy of Mayor Andro Krstulović-Opara and President of the City Council, Igor Stanišić.
It was followed by a song by Klapa Šufit and soprano Ivana Bosančić Lasić, accompanied by Zoran Velić on piano.
The selection of all the winners was made by the Executive Board of SSŠ at the proposal of the Awards Committee.
In the competition of eight nominated female athletes, Klara Kovač of the Taekwondo Club Marjan was selected as the Most Promising Female Split Athlete for 2019, after winning 2nd place at the European Championship for the younger seniors up to 21 years in the 53 kg category. In addition to the award, Klara received a laptop as a donation from the Faculty of Kinesiology in Split.
The most promising male Split athlete for 2019 was Franko Grgić from the Jadran Swimming Club, in the competition of five nominated athletes. Franko Grgić won 2 gold medals in the 1500 and 800 m freestyle at the World Junior Championships. He set the world junior record in 1500m freestyle. At the European Youth Olympic Games (EYOF) he won 2 gold medals in the 1500m and 400m freestyle. He sailed 2 Olympic standards for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games (1500 and 800 m freestyle). He placed 2nd in the selection for the International Piotr Nurowski Award for Best Young European Athlete in 2019 in the selection of the European Olympic Committees. He won 2 Drazen Petrovic awards from the Croatian Olympic Committee: for the greatest hope of Croatian sport and for the most successful young athlete in 2019. Franko Grgić also received a laptop as a gift from the Faculty of Kinesiology in Split.
In the competition of four nominated teams for the best Split women's team for 2019, the Split Women's Football Club was selected, who won the championship and the Croatian Cup.
For the best Split men's team for 2019, the Executive Board decided to select two teams out of four nominees. For the third time in a row, the Mertojak Bowling Club was selected as the best men's team, after winning the Europa Cup for the second consecutive time and reaching the quarter-finals of the Champions League (and again this year in the continuation of the competition and in the semi-finals, scheduled for March 28 in Apatin). They won the Croatian Cup and the 2nd place in the Croatian Championship. In addition to Mertojak, the water polo club Jadran, who placed 3rd place in the Croatian Championship and was the semi finalist of the Croatian Cup, was named the best men's team. They also placed 11th in the Champions League group stage.
For the best coach of the women's and men's categories in the competition of 10 (female) and 9 (male) nominated candidates, Toni Tomas, coach of Taekwondo Club Marjan, was named the winter.
The Executive Board of the Split Sports Association of Disabled Athletes selected Anđela Mužinić as the best female athlete, who is a member of the NEC Split table tennis club, which won 3rd place individually and was the 1st place team at the European Table Tennis Championship, while Dino Sinovčić was selected as the best male athlete and is a member of the Cipal Swimming Club. Dino won 1st place in the 100m backstroke.
At the end of this remarkable sporting event, the best athlete and athlete of the City of Split was declared for 2019.
In the competition of 11 nominated athletes, Matea Jelic of the Taekwondo Club Marjan was named the best female, after qualifying for the Olympic Games in Tokyo 2020. She won 3rd place in the European Championship in the category up to 67 kg and won 1st place in the final in China. She finished the year in 3rd place in the Olympic rankings and in 2nd place in the world rankings.
The best male comes from Marjan Taekwondo Club - Toni Kanaet. Toni qualified for the Tokyo Olympics in 2020. He won 2nd place in the European Championship in the 80 kg category. Only six of the top 2074 athletes in that category were placed in the Olympic Games category.
To read more about sport in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.
“No Stress - Being Fit Is Your Success”: Fifth Adria Business Network Held in Zagreb
March 6, 2020 - The fifth Adria Business Network was held at the FORUM Convention Center in Zagreb, organized by entrepreneurs Željka Barišić and Kristina Krstinić.
The event is aimed at business networking in Croatia and the region, creating business opportunities and encouraging continuing education. Through the event, everyone was offered the chance to find new clients and enter into lucrative deals.
Guest Lecturer Marko Loncar, New Generation Fitness Trainer and Owner of the BITI FIT brand educated everyone on how to eat healthily and keep fit in the business world.
A look at what the organizers and presenters said bout the event below:
“My dear friend Marko is always interesting and inspiring every time he teaches me something new, so this time I learned why professional sports are not for the human body, because our bodies are not designed for this level of effort. We also learned why none of the next five ranked athletes wanted to take Michael Joran's medals. An interesting fact was that in Croatia, 44% of children do not eat breakfast during the week, 76% do not eat enough fruits and vegetables, while only 30% of boys and 17% of girls are engaged in physical activity, and we are eighth in the EU with 18.7% obesity The guest lecturer also inspired us to motivate ourselves through three questions at the end of each day; what have we done today for ourselves to be happy, what have we done for others, and why are we a better person today than yesterday? The lecture enriched me not only with tips but also with the facts presented,” said Zeljka Barisic, owner of Forca Digital Agency and one of the founders of Adria Business Network.
Kristina Krstinić, owner of MIKRIS Project Management in Zagreb and founder of Adria Business Network, also added her thoughts on the event: “Today, stress is a fact of life that every single individual encounter. It is for this reason that it is important to know how they can alleviate and even avoid the negative effects of stress on the body and mind. Guest lecturer Marko Loncar said that by exercising and eating healthy, we could eliminate the negative effects of the environment, do something positive for ourselves, and set a good example for others. Keep in mind that a healthy spirit is in a healthy body, so it is up to us to make sure that it is.”
Sponsors of the event are Bagatin Clinic, FORUM Zagreb Convention Center and Creative info. The silver sponsor of the event is FINA.
Other sponsors include Vladimir Abicic Photography, InspireMe, Prtenjača Delicatessen, Aero Print, Kupinovo Wine - Kupilek and Valenta.
Media sponsors of the event are Poduzetnik, the magazine and portal Zaposlena, Netokracija, She.hr, Zagrebonline.hr, Story.hr, Rep.hr, Glas Istre, Flash.hr, Moja Domovina, Total Croatia News, Fama and ZgExpress.
The next Adria Business Network event will be held on April 2, 2020. at 6 pm at the FORUM Zagreb Convention Center, when the guest of the event is one of the most successful entrepreneurs in this region, the owner of Orbica, Mr. Branko Roglic.
You can learn more about Adria Business Network here.
To read more about business in Croatia, follow TCN's dedicated page.
Outlook Origins Unveils Final Names, Stage Programs and Barbarella’s After Parties
March 5, 2020 - The final names for Outlook Origins 2020 can now be revealed for the exciting new chapter which unfolds in the stunning Garden Resort in Tisno from July 30 to August 3, 2020.
Drum & bass icons Chase & Status and Children of Zeus are added to the opening concert, Novelist, Silkie, Coki, Goth Trad, Conducta and Sgt Pokes all line up at the main event, while 1xtra's Jamz Supernova joins the bill and Pinch's Tectonic and Rinse FM also get involved for their own impressive takeovers amongst many more big announcements.
Origins is all about curating cutting edge music for the real heads. It’s a more intimate version of the storied Outlook Festival, but at the same time, stays true to its roots with a big focus on sound system culture, beach parties, boat parties, after parties and more. Full news of the boat parties is to come with the final Early Bird ticket online, including the festival’s popular 5 for 4 group ticket offer (£96 per person).
Szijjarto Reiterates Hungary's Interest in LNG Terminal Project
ZAGREB, March 5, 2020 - Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto said on Thursday that Hungary wanted to participate in the LNG terminal project on the northern Adriatic island of Krk, expressing hope that Croatian Environment and Energy Minister Tomislav Ćorić would soon convene a working group on Croatia's part.
Asked by reporters if there had been any progress with regard to Hungary's participation in the LNG terminal project, Szijjarto said that Hungary considered its energy cooperation with Croatia as "a game changer in the region." He said that there had been a lot of talk about diversification of energy supply routes but that nothing had really happened in that regard in the entire region.
Hungary sees the LNG terminal on Krk island as a huge opportunity for Hungary, for Croatia and for the entire region, Szijjarto said after signing a statement of intent with Croatian Minister of the Sea, Transport and Infrastructure Oleg Butković to boost economic cooperation and transport ties between the two countries' border areas.
He said that Hungary had put forward a three-point proposal to Croatia.
First, to connect and combine the gas delivery networks of the two countries, which would eliminate the border crossing fees and make gas supply cheaper for both countries.
Second, to start together negotiations with external partners on gas deliveries to the terminal, primarily with Egypt, Qatar, Australia and the United States.
And third, Hungary is ready to buy a stake in the LNG terminal and Croatia should say what would be an acceptable size, because the terminal is Croatian.
"This is a comprehensive proposal from our side, for which we have a working group. I hope that Minister Ćorić will be ready to convene a working group on the Croatian side as well, as soon as possible," Szijjarto said.
Emphasising the importance of this project, he said that it has "a game-changing significance from our perspective because currently, when it comes to diversification of sources, this is the only viable solution for the upcoming years."
The value of the floating LNG terminal is estimated at €234 million. The European Commission has granted €101.4 million for the construction of the LNG terminal given that the project is included on the European Commission's list of projects of common interest.
Hungary made an offer to buy a 25% stake in the LNG terminal in 2018.
The Croatian government decided in early 2018 to allocate €100 million for the project, notably €50 million in 2019 and €50 million in 2020. The remaining €32.6 million would be provided by the founders of the LNG Croatia company - the electricity provider HEP and the natural gas supplier Plinacro.
More energy news can be found in the Business section.
EFJ Appeals to Croatian Authorities to Stop "Stifling" Journalists
ZAGREB, March 5, 2020 - The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) has sent an appeal to Croatian authorities expressing concern over a court dispute against the Croatian Journalists' Association (HND) that went on for more than 25 years, HND has reported.
EFJ notes that it is aware that a court case between the bankrupt UTT Europa 92 company and HND has been ongoing for more than 25 years and that the company sued HND in 1993 seeking damages for an investment in leased premises in the Journalists' House in Zagreb, which was already adjourned in the early phases of the trial.
HND lost the case in June 2018 and was ordered to pay an amount of HRK 2.5 million. HND underscored that the judgement is allegedly founded on forged documents, particularly with regard to invoices that were to prove UTT's alleged investments. Apart from that, the company's founder and bankruptcy creditor were convicted pending appeal for perjury, EFJ notes.
HND adds that that evidence, but also the repeated attempt to access HND's assets, leads to the assumption that the aim of the suits is to harass HND and to financially stifle it.
The situation is particularly concerning considering that the confiscation of HND's assets would result in the association being shut down, a press release said.
EFJ hence calls on Croatian authorities to invest every effort to stop the harassment of HND and to investigate the unscrupulous conduct behind this case.
We hope that HND will soon be able to do continue its important role in protecting journalism and media freedom without fearing for its existence, EFJ concluded in its appeal.
The appeal signed by EFJ secretary-general Ricardo Gutierrez was sent to Prime Minister Andrej Plenković, President Zoran Milanović, Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković, Justice Minister Dražen Bošnjaković, Minister of Culture Nina Obuljen Koržinek, the Supreme Court, the parliamentary Committee on Information, Computerisation and the Media, and the human rights ombudswoman.
More news about journalism in Croatia can be found in the Politics section.
Orienteering Course in Zagreb by OK Vihor Starts Next Week
March 5, 2020 - The Vihor orienteering club from Zagreb would like to invite you to join their orienteering course.
The introductory lesson of the course will take place on March the 12th, 2020, starting at 18:00 at the following address: Ribnjak 2 in central Zagreb.
One of the things Croatia can be proud of is that the nature here is mostly not ruined, that there are wonderful outdoor destinations, forests and mountains worth visiting and spending time in. A group of people who regularly get to enjoy the lesser-known parts of Croatia are the orienteers, who get together almost every weekend in different parts of Croatia for races.
Orienteering is a sport in which the contestants go around terrain they don't know well, using nothing more than a map (prepared by the organiser) and a compass, trying to find all the checkpoints which are drawn on the map. The sport is ideal for many groups of people: those who already run or jog, but want a change to their surroundings and a bit more green in their routine, those who love mountains and the woods but would like to try something new there, the families who want to find a sport which will welcome the entire family, and those who want to work out their bodies and their minds at the same time.
The OK Vihor orienteering course welcomes everybody interested, no matter their age and current physical abilities. Children under the age of fourteen need to have a parent attend the course with them. The course will consist of lectures on Thursdays during March and April, as well as guided workouts and training on weekends in and around Zagreb. Additionally, the participants will get to try what it's like to run the actual official races, along with the experienced members of the club.
Find out more about the course in Croatian on the club's website, and you can apply here.
Two other Zagreb-based orienteering clubs in Croatia, OK Kapela and OK Maksimir, have also organised courses for novices this year, so it promises to be a very interesting season for orienteering in Croatia this year, with many new-comers to the sport. If you want to be one of them, this is your opportunity!
Russia and Croatia to Connect - Russian Companies Introduce New Lines
Despite the fact that Croatia's neighbour to the south, Montenegro, allows Russian citizens visa-free access to holiday in their country, the need for Russian citizens to obtain a visa to enter Croatia hasn't watered down their desire to visit the country, and some brand new connections between Russia and Croatia are set to fly in 2020.
As Lucija Spiljak/Poslovni Dnevnik writes on the 5th of March, 2020, Russia and Croatia will be connected by Aeroflot airlines and TUI Russia, which are introducing a new charter flight to Croatia for the very first time this year.
Russian airline Utair will also introduce a new flight schedule as of June 2020 that will connect Moscow and the Dalmatian city of Split. The first flight is scheduled for June the 2nd, 2020, from Moscow's Vnukovo Airport, and it will operate twice per week - on Tuesdays and Wednesdays - until the end of September, with 168 seats on offer on a Boeing 737-800 aircraft.
"This is an excellent opportunity for Dalmatia, as well as for the entire Croatian tourism sector to further position themselves on the important Russian market," said Kristjan Stanicic, director of the Croatian National Tourist Board (HTZ).
It's worth mentioning that this is the third airline to connect these locations between Russia and Croatia, As mentioned, in addition to the regular Utair flight, Moscow and Split will be connected by the airlines Aeroflot and TUI Russia during 2020.
In addition to the above, this year, Moscow will boast connections with the Croatian capital of Zagreb and the popular Istrian city of Pula, and St. Petersburg will also be connected with the City of Zagreb.
For more on flights to Croatia and connections between Russia and Croatia, follow our dedicated travel page.
GLAS Urges Government to Regulate Electric Scooters
ZAGREB, March 5, 2020 - The leader of the opposition liberal party GLAS, Anka Mrak Taritaš, on Thursday again urged the government to regulate electric scooters so as to prevent possible road accidents.
"Amend the Road Safety Act as urgently as possible before something serious happens," Mrak Taritaš said at a press conference after the government rejected the amendments to that effect put forward by GLAS.
GLAS proposed that electric scooter drivers, who are still treated as pedestrians under the law, should be required to wear high-visibility vests and helmets and to have appropriate lights on their vehicles.
The parliamentary Committee on Maritime Affairs, Transport and Infrastructure today rejected our proposal by five votes against, although it includes concrete and well-balanced solutions for all road users concerned, GLAS MP Nada Turina Đurić said.
"It is intolerable that in a law-governed country in the 21st century the driving of thousands of electric scooters is not regulated, and risks are great," she said.
More politics news can be found in the dedicated section.
Climate Change Growing Threat and Challenge for Humanity
ZAGREB, March 5, 2020 - Climate change is a growing threat in the 21st century and a challenge for humanity, the Environment Protection and Energy Ministry's State Secretary Mile Horvat said in the Croatian parliament on Thursday while presenting the Strategy on Adaptation to Climate Change for the period until 2040 with a view to 2070.
Croatia is one of the three EU countries that have not adopted such a document yet, Horvat told the MPs.
All the lawmakers welcome such a strategy - the ruling party called it visionary, while the opposition questioned its feasibility, saying that key problems, such as waste management, have not been solved by the ministry.
Horvat said that there was a growing amount of evidence showing that Croatia was being affected by the climate change and that large sums of money were already being allocated for repairing the damage. He also said that eight key sectors most exposed to climate change had been identified and that agriculture was, according to some forecasts, the sector that would suffer the most damage.
Due to climate change, the yield of current crops in Croatia is expected to decline by three to eight percent by 2050, Horvat said.
The State Secretary also gave an estimate of the cost of implementing the strategy.
The annual cost is estimated at HRK 1.3 billion, or €183 million, which may seem a large amount, but only until compared to the annual economic damage caused by extreme climate events. It has so far amounted to €295 million a year, which is almost twice the cost of implementing the measures under the proposed strategy, Horvat said.
More environment news can be found in the Lifestyle section.
Epidemiological Situation with Coronavirus in Croatia Satisfactory
ZAGREB, March 5, 2020 - Health Minister Vili Beroš submitted a report on the epidemiological situation surrounding the coronavirus outbreak at a cabinet meeting on Thursday, saying that the situation in the country was satisfactory given that only ten people were infected.
*Follow this page for updates from Total Croatia News on the coronavirus in Croatia. Contact numbers for epidemiologists, travel advisories and measures for preventing the spread of the coronavirus can be found here.
"Of the 251 people tested to date, 10 are positive for now: three in Zagreb, five in Rijeka and two in Varaždin. This epidemiological picture is promising and satisfactory because there are only three hotspots. These are imported cases and their contacts were quickly detected and placed under supervision by epidemiological services," the minister said.
Beroš noted that the patients in Zagreb and Rijeka were infected by one imported patient, while in Varaždin there are two isolated cases of imported patients. The ratio of people who tested positive to the number of those tested is 3.98 percent, he added.
The minister said that the epidemiological situation was not that serious as to require closing schools, and that a number of other measures were ready for activation if necessary.
"If the situation escalates, we will respond," Beroš said, adding that alternative ways of conducting school classes were ensured.
Prime Minister Andrej Plenković stressed that no decision had been made to suspend school classes. "We are monitoring the situation and everything we have done so far is sober, rational, transparent and informative, and no other measures are in place. It is important that the public knows this," he added.
Beroš said that there were plans to conduct classes online but that this was just a theoretical possibility for now. "I hope this crisis lasts as briefly as possible and that warm weather will lead to the epidemic abating. There's no need to alarm the public," he said, urging caution at public events.
Beroš said there have been no plans for now to cancel events as part of the Croatian presidency of the European Union. He added that the authorities were implementing the planned epidemiological measures to contain the infection and called on everyone to follow the recommendations from the authorities and to exercise caution.
A total of 95,484 people worldwide have been infected with the coronavirus, of whom 15,054 outside China. The death toll has reached 3,286, including 271 outside China.
"In Europe, which has seen a noticeable rise in the number of cases, 4,370 people have been infected and 114 of them have died. The hardest-hit countries are Italy with 3,089 cases, France with 285, Germany with 262 and Spain with 228 cases," Beroš said.
He said that the national civil protection authority was meeting on a daily basis and that all government departments were involved.
All health institutions and private health workers have been advised to postpone providing health tourism services to people from areas affected by the coronavirus. All people who have visited those areas, namely China, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, Iran and northern Italy, are asked not to attend public gatherings in the interest of public health, Beroš said.
He announced that EU health ministers were meeting in Brussels on Friday to discuss the measures being implemented by member states and agree a strategy in countering the outbreak.
More coronavirus news can be found in the Lifestyle section.
*Follow this page for updates from Total Croatia News on the coronavirus in Croatia. Contact numbers for epidemiologists, travel advisories and measures for preventing the spread of the coronavirus can be found here.
