The journey that began a historic chapter
At the beginning, the list of potential travelers to Skopje included around twenty names. However, as the departure date approached, members of the club’s presidency who had planned to travel gradually withdrew. Even on the day of departure, October 9, it was still uncertain who would accompany the women’s bowling team.
In front of the Cultural Center, several parents and friends of the club gathered to wish the players a safe journey. In the end, this sports expedition consisted of 13 members – ten female bowlers, coach Laslo Makra, assistant coach Katalin Stojkov, and myself, as the team leader.
Into the yellow van belonging to the “Potisje” company – a vehicle that should have been retired several years earlier – we loaded packages of food and drinks for the journey. The atmosphere was cheerful and optimistic, the players were in good spirits, and no one could have imagined that inside this old yellow van the most beautiful pages in the history of Novi Bečej bowling were about to be written.
An unexpected breakdown near Belgrade
Shortly before entering Belgrade, still on the Banat side, near Padinska Skela, driver Tibor Balgo suddenly stopped the van by the roadside. We did not know what had happened. He got out several times, looked under the vehicle, tapped different parts, and tried to find the cause of the problem.
After about ten minutes, he gave us worrying news – the brake cylinder had broken, the oil had leaked out, and the brakes were no longer working.
The cheerful atmosphere instantly turned into silence. Concern appeared on the faces of the bowlers, and only one question was on everyone’s mind:
Was this the end of our journey?
Tibor went to a nearby repair shop to ask for help. While we waited, we briefly stepped out of the van, but the strong Košava wind soon forced us back inside. About twenty minutes later, he returned with oil and decided to try to repair the problem himself. He did not want to give up or leave us stranded on the road.
After his improvised repair, we continued our journey.
A journey without brakes
The cheerful face Tibor had shown only an hour earlier was now filled with worry. He held the steering wheel firmly and drove through Belgrade extremely carefully. Inside the van there was complete silence, especially after he told us that, because of the malfunction, he could not properly use the brakes.
The drive to the Main Railway Station seemed endless. Thanks to Tibor’s skill, experience, and courage, we finally arrived after almost four hours on the road. As soon as we stepped out of the vehicle, everyone’s faces showed visible relief. The tension had finally disappeared.
The night train to Skopje
After everything we had experienced, we eagerly waited for the train to Skopje to arrive at the platform and for us to take our places in the couchette cars. The time passed more quickly when the bowlers of Red Star Belgrade joined us, as they were also traveling to the European Cup.
A peaceful night journey followed, and in the early morning hours we arrived in Skopje. It was my first visit to this city.
The organizers welcomed us at the station and took us to the “Musandra” bowling alley, where the European Cup competition was to be held. After briefly visiting the modern eight-lane bowling facility, where final preparations for the opening ceremony were underway, we walked to the “Pelagonija” Hotel, only about fifteen minutes away.
After such a long and exciting journey, everyone was grateful for the opportunity to rest.
First impressions of the European Cup
Coach Laslo Makra and I attended the Technical Committee meeting, where we learned that 11 teams would compete in the women’s category. Among them were teams from Hungary, Romania, Germany, Slovenia, and Croatia – the very best of European bowling.
Although Makra had experience from major international competitions, I could see nervousness and excitement on his face.
“Look at the competition. I just hope we won’t disappoint. Let’s hope we don’t finish last,” he quietly said.
I tried to encourage him:
“For us, simply coming to Skopje and competing at such a major event is already a success. Everything will be fine!”
I comforted him, but even I could not imagine that in the days ahead I would witness and record the brightest pages in the history of Novi Bečej bowling.
Preparing for the competition
After returning to the “Pelagonija” Hotel, we informed the players about the competition schedule. We only had enough time left to find a restaurant where we would eat during our stay. We chose the nearby “Kum” restaurant, which was run by people from our region.
The official opening ceremony of the European Cup was originally planned to take place in the large hall of Universal Hall, but due to technical reasons it was moved to the “Musandra” bowling alley.
The players of Jedinstvo looked elegant in their new green uniforms, a gift from the Novi Bečej clothing factory Tisa–Kluz. Their appearance immediately attracted attention and created a strong impression.
After the opening ceremony, the first players to step onto the lanes were Jelena Majstorović, a bowler from Ruma who was registered for Jedinstvo for this occasion, and Erika Kolarević.
Reports from Skopje
Besides my role as team leader, I also worked as a special correspondent from Skopje, in agreement with Ninoslav Stanisavljević, director of Radio Novi Bečej.
Through the daily reports I sent to the radio station, listeners could follow how the bowlers of Jedinstvo were gradually making their way toward the very top of European bowling.
Photographs:
- The bowlers of Jedinstvo in front of the “Pelagonija” Hotel
- Laslo Makra and Stavan Davidović at the “Musandra” bowling alley
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