During the summer, when the Tisa River level dropped, a sandbank would appear across from the stone beach, stretching far into the river’s current. This was the favorite beach of Novi Bečej’s residents, popularly known as “Preko” (“Across”). People loved to swim there, but crossing the Tisa was not easy.
Boats were few, so those who could not swim across or did not have transportation remained on the scorching stone beach, envying those on the other side where it was cooler and more pleasant.
Evaluating the success of Novi Bečej’s swimmers and water polo players solely by their results is difficult, since their efforts cannot be measured only in terms of competition achievements. Their accomplishments should instead be viewed through the lens of the development of these sports under the given circumstances — and the progress was remarkable.
Above all, the initiative was taken to systematically organize swimming and water polo activities in Novi Bečej. Despite very modest material conditions, gatherings and regular training sessions were held every season. Teams traveled to official competitions and also organized local events. Two generations of athletes were formed — those of 1935 and 1939 — coaches were trained, and the achieved results were realistic and significant for the time.
From a social perspective, the results were excellent, as sport became an important part of community life. From a purely competitive perspective, however, Novi Bečej’s athletes did not reach the level of teams from larger towns. Still, their dedication, enthusiasm, and pioneering work left a lasting mark and laid the foundation for future development.
The most deserving enthusiasts and organizers of swimming and water polo in Novi Bečej were: Imre Kelemen, Oto Kinezl, Maks Vigler, Stevan Kiurski, Branislav Kiselički, Imre Farkaš, Aleksandar Aćimčev, Đerđ Brikner, Rada Aćimčev “Bakar,” and Vasa Nićin.
Among the most notable competitors were: Tihomir Flahbart, Oto Kinezl, Karolj Kelemen, Imre Kelemen, Ivan Veljača, Bela Hafner, Pavle Sauer, Jovan Sauer, Sendi ..., Bogdan Janković, Šaca Krstić, Herman Bergl, Aleksandar Bregl, Đerđ Brikner, K. Vukov, Aleksandar Gulović, Radomir Ivanić, Dušan Ivanić, Stevan Kiurski, Branislav Kiselički, Aleksandar Marčić, Vasa Nićin, Imre Farkaš, Bela Hafner, Ilina Šafranj, Roza Šafranj, Smilja Malešev, Mandika Gulović, and others.
The first coach was Imre Kelemen, followed by Herman Bergl, who completed an official coaching course in swimming and water polo. Their commitment and hard work played a crucial role in the progress that was achieved.
Thus ended the pre-war phase of swimming and water polo development in Novi Bečej — a period marked by passion, initiative, and love for sport that laid the foundations for generations to come.
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