The Open Championship of Novi Bečej in swimming and water polo for 1935 was won by the team “Vojvodina,” which received the silver trophy donated by the club president, Zigler Maks. Second place went to “SAK,” which was awarded the trophy of the “Jedinstvo” club. With this victory, the swimmers and water polo players of “Vojvodina” once again confirmed their dominance in the Danube Banovina.
The competitions at this meeting showed that the Novi Bečej water polo players were still not on par with their opponents in terms of skill, technique, and physical readiness. However, they had mastered the basics of the game and helped make swimming and water polo increasingly popular in Novi Bečej. The same could be said for local swimmers, both men and women. About 100 spectators attended the first day of the competition, while on the second day, Sunday, over 200 were present.
In honor of the competitors, the organizers hosted a ball at the “Krka” restaurant, with the traditional raffle and the crowning of the king and queen of the ball. The atmosphere and reception in Novi Bečej left a strong impression on all attendees, especially the guests.
Name Change of the Club and Further Competitions
In 1936, the swimming club “Jedinstvo” changed its name to SC “Banat.” That same year, the club participated in two important competitions. The first was held on August 9 in Petrovgrad, at the “Abazija” swimming facility, anchored on the Begej Canal. The competition was sponsored by Đoka Brankovan, a local wealthy man and swimming enthusiast whose son was also active in the sport.
Participants included swimmers and water polo players from “Vojvodina” (Petrovgrad), “SAK” (Senta), and “Banat” (Novi Bečej). Notable results by Novi Bečej competitors:
- Vlahović – 3rd place in 400 m freestyle
- Hafner Bela – 3rd place in 50 m freestyle
- Stevan Kiurski – successful performance in the children’s category
In the water polo section, two matches were played: “Banat” defeated the B team of “Vojvodina” 4:0 (2:0) in the preliminary game, while in the main match “Vojvodina” defeated “SAK” 4:3 (4:1), winning the Đoka Brankovan trophy. However, this competition was not on the same level as other swimming and water polo events of the time in the Danube Banovina, as athletes from Novi Sad, Sombor, and Subotica were absent.
Championship in Senta, 1936
The traditional open championship of the City of Senta in swimming and water polo was held on August 23, 1936. Alongside the hosts, participants included “Vojvodina” (Petrovgrad), “Palić” (Subotica), and “Banat” (Novi Bečej).
Among the Novi Bečej competitors in the under-15 category, the most notable were:
- S. Kiurski – 2nd place
- Š. Krstić – 3rd place
The 4x50 m freestyle relay also took third place.
Since Sporting Club “Palić” did not have a water polo team, only two matches were played. Based on the combined results of the swimming and water polo events, the overall winner and recipient of the transitional silver trophy of Stevan Lederer was, for the second year in a row, SC “SAK.”
Decline of Club Activities
After the 1936 season, the swimmers and water polo players of Novi Bečej no longer organized competitions nor participated in them as a club. Only individuals continued to compete sporadically in Senta and Petrovgrad. The most active among them were Kelemen Imre, Kniezl Oto, and Bergl Herman.
Chronicler B. Kiselički described the reasons for the decline:
“For various reasons, both objective and subjective, the work of the swimming section ‘Banat’ ceased. Their first teachers and rivals, ‘Vojvodina’ and ‘SAK,’ as well as other Vojvodina clubs, turned to the Belgrade Swimming Sub-Federation and Belgrade clubs ‘BOB,’ ‘Brđanin,’ and ‘Sever’.”
In its first years, the club had more than twenty swimmers who competed in Novi Bečej, Senta, and Veliki Bečkerek until the beginning of the Second World War. Among them were: Flahbart Tihomir, Kelemen Karolj, Veljača Ivan, Hafner Bela, Sauer Pavle, Sauer Jovan, Senci Imre, Janković Bogdan, Kiurski Stevan, Krstić Šaca, Šafranj Ilona, Šafranj Roza, Malešev Smilja, Gulović Mandika, and others.
Revival of Swimming Before the War
In 1939, a new swimming talent from Novi Bečej initiated a swimming section within the Sports Society “Zvezda,” together with a group of students. Members included: R. Aćimov, A. Aćimčev, H. Bergl, Đ. Brikner, K. Vukov, A. Gulović, R. Ivanić, D. Ivanić, S. Kiurski, Š. Krstić, B. Kiselički, I. Farkaš, B. Hafner, and others.
In the autumn of 1940, with the support of senior sports workers, an independent swimming club “PSK Tisa” was founded. The club was officially registered, a statute and seal were made, and a year-long work program was drafted. S. Kiurski was sent to a coaching course, all under the determined leadership of the newly elected club president Rade Aćimov, nicknamed “Bakar.”
On August 18, 1940, a “Great Swimming Day” was organized. On the banks of the Tisa, near the bathing area, a 25-meter improvised pool was set up with lanes, stands, and a ticket booth. However, due to rainy and cold weather, the event was unsuccessful and ended in disappointment.
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