Denis Galešić Secures Spot at World Championships in Brazil with Victory in Tugare
Member of BK Nada from Split won the thrilling qualification final in Tugare and secured a place in the Croatian national team for the World Bocce Championship.
Member of BK Nada from Split won the thrilling qualification final in Tugare and secured a place in the Croatian national team for the World Bocce Championship.
Croatian bocce player Denis Galešić, originally from Raštane, has earned a spot at the World Bocce Championship, which will be held in Brazil in mid-October this year. He secured his place at the world's premier bocce event by winning the qualification tournament held in Tugare near Omiš, where he outperformed eight of Croatia's top bocce players in the precision shooting discipline of Raffa.
Galešić, currently a member of the Split-based club BK Nada, finished the qualifiers with a total of 121 hits, laying the groundwork for his entry into the grand final. His opponent in the battle for first place was Duje Pirić, who reached the final showdown with 119 hits. The final fully lived up to expectations, delivering a true bocce drama.
In the direct clash for a spot at the World Championship, Galešić and Pirić engaged in a closely contested battle where every hit carried immense weight. After a tense finish, Galešić ultimately triumphed with a score of 17:14, thus securing his ticket to Brazil. The qualification tournament featured a lineup of well-known names in Croatian bocce: Mateo Lendić, Lovre Nasić, Duje Pavešković, Marko Skejo, Mateo Jurčević, Matijas Grančić, Siniša Stipić, and the two finalists.
"This is the greatest achievement and the crowning glory of my rich bocce career. I am extremely proud that I will represent my dear Homeland Croatia, Zadar County, and my birthplace Raštane in the best light at the gathering of the world's best bocce players in distant Brazil. I will do everything to achieve a great result in the fight for one of the medals," Galešić stated for 023.hr.
The Croatian bocce national team in the Raffa discipline at the World Championship in Brazil will be represented by a total of five bocce players, both male and female. Alongside Galešić, who will compete in the precision shooting discipline, the men's competition in the classic pairs event will see Matijas Grančić and Marko Skejo represent Croatia. The women's team will be defended by Ana Juginović and Nada Čorić.
Galešić already boasts notable results, including two Croatian national titles in precision volo bocce, a national title in Raffa bocce, and a Croatian Cup in volo bocce. The appearance in Brazil is an opportunity to try to enrich his already impressive trophy collection with a world medal.
