Afternoon Swimming Competitions in Novi Bečej – First Post-War Races and Results

The afternoon session of the competition brought a series of exciting races that delighted the audience at the Novi Bečej pool. The greatest interest was sparked by the women’s events, where competitors showed remarkable determination and sporting spirit.

Exciting Women’s Races

For the home crowd, the most thrilling contests were two women’s races. In the first afternoon event, the 50-meter backstroke, three swimmers competed: Beba Krklec from Bob, Olivera Tolmačev, and Julkica Padežanin from the home team Zvezda.

Zvezda swimmer Olivera Tolmačev led for almost 40 meters and seemed close to victory, but in the final stretch Beba Krklec overtook her and secured the win. The second Zvezda representative, Julkica Padežanin, did not finish the race.

The women’s 3 × 50-meter relay was no less dramatic. A reporter from the Belgrade sports newspaper Sport, Vasa Mikić, described it as a true sporting drama. After a fierce battle between the Novi Bečej and Belgrade teams, two swimmers touched the finish almost simultaneously, and the judges declared the race a tie.

Water Polo Match Without a Winner

In the afternoon program, water polo teams also competed in altered lineups compared to the morning session. The “Whites” played with Vučo, Ivanić I, Marčić, Ćirić, Vuksanović, Panić, and Hicl, while the “Colors” fielded Terzić, Srećković, Ivanić II, Nikolić, Filipović, Kiurski, and Đukić. The match ended in a 3–3 draw (0–1).

Significance of the First Post-War Competitions

In his final remarks, reporter Vasa Mikić emphasized that this day marked an important event for national sport: the first post-war swimming competitions were held—not in Belgrade, as expected, but in Novi Bečej. The young and progressive local club Zvezda proved to be one of the most active swimming clubs of the time, achieving what Belgrade clubs had struggled to organize.

Results of the Afternoon Program

• 50 m freestyle (women):
  1. Beba Krklec (Bob) – 40.5
  2. Beba Nikolić (Zvezda) – 48.2
• 50 m freestyle (men):
  1. Severin Bjelić (Bob) – 31.2
  2. Petar Džigurski (Zvezda) – 33.5
  3. Jovo Filipović (Bob) – 33.5
  4. Vasa Nićin (Zvezda) – 34.3
• 3 × 50 m medley relay – children:
  1. Bob (Stojanović, Vuksanović, Radonjić) – 2:16.0
  2. Zvezda (Boberić, Nićin II, Cvejin) – 2:32.0
• 100 m breaststroke (men):
  1. Severin Bjelić (Bob) – 1:23
  2. Srećković (Bob) – 1:40
  3. Aleksandar Marčić (Zvezda) – 1:50
• 50 m backstroke (women):
  1. Beba Krklec (Bob) – 49.00
  2. Olivera Tolmačev (Zvezda) – 50.5
• 4 × 25 m freestyle relay – sub-juniors:
  1. Bob (Mihajlović, Stojanović, Bisanić, Plavšić) – 1:23
  2. Zvezda (Janković, Cvejin, Samolovčev, Ćirilov) – 1:29
• 3 × 50 m relay – women:
  1. Zvezda (Tolmačev, Padežanin, Nikolić) – 2:15
  2. Bob (Petrović, Belovuk, Krklec) – 2:15
• 4 × 50 m freestyle relay (men):
  1. Bob (Filipović, Radonjić, Nikolić, Bjelić) – 2:15
  2. Zvezda (Stevan Kiurski, Milorad Rackov, Vasa Nićin, Petar Džigurski) – 2:21

Conclusion

The afternoon competitions in Novi Bečej were remembered for thrilling races, enthusiastic spectators, and the strong sporting spirit that marked the first post-war swimming events. These competitions became an important milestone in the development of swimming and water polo in Novi Bečej and across Vojvodina.

 1. The Zvezda swimmers of 1943: Anđa Bukinac, Nada Aracki, Julkica Padežanin, Živana Boškov, Jelena Bukinac, and Beba Nikolić