Jure Domazet Lošo Wins Nighttime Bara Competition
The first event of the 311th Sinj Alka festivities lasted until 9 PM, with the winner celebrating a total of 11 points.
The first event of the 311th Sinj Alka festivities lasted until 9 PM, with the winner celebrating a total of 11 points.
Alkar Jure Domazet Lošo is the winner of the Bara, the first competition of the 311th Sinj Alka festivities, held on Thursday evening in Sinj before more than four thousand spectators. The dramatic finale was decided only after the third tie-break, with the victor ultimately amassing 11 points.
Due to heavy rain that hit the town around 3:30 PM and continued unabated until just after 6 PM, the start of the competition was delayed by 45 minutes. The wet track further complicated the shooting, and the event stretched on so long that it concluded just before 9 PM, turning the Bara into a true nighttime contest.
After three rounds, three alkars-Jure Domazet Lošo, Andrija Hrgović, and Bože Mandac-each had six points. In the first tie-break, Domazet Lošo and Mandac hit "the two" (the second ring), while Hrgović managed only one point and dropped out of contention. The second tie-break brought renewed uncertainty: both hit "the one" (the first ring). In the third, decisive attempt in the dark, Domazet Lošo struck "the two," while Mandac missed entirely, securing victory for the 39-year-old alkar.
According to Dalmacija News, the alkars traversed the course 20 times before a hit on the smallest ring of the alka was seen again, which speaks volumes about the challenging conditions.
Jure Domazet Lošo is 39 years old and works for the Ministry of the Interior, in the special intervention police unit BATT Split. He made his debut as a banner bearer at the 292nd Sinj Alka, when his father Petar, a longtime alkar, bid farewell to the procession. He is a married father of two sons and already has victories in two Bara competitions and one Čoja. At the 309th Sinj Alka, he also carried the victory banner.
The Alka Duke Mario Šušnjara tied the prize to the winner's lance: according to Dalmacija News, it is 200 centimeters of green cloth, while Ferata mentions two meters of green fabric-the same measure, symbolizing the "alkarica" meadow in the Sinj field and the former right to mow it. Domazet Lošo and his alkar's aide Bože Poljak from Glavice, who made his debut appearance, also won the bronze plaque of the Alka.
Hosting in the ceremonial Alka lodge were: Stipe Jukić, president of the Knightly Alka Society; Miro Bulj, mayor of Sinj; and Fra Marinko Vukman, guardian of the Franciscan Monastery and administrator and rector of the Basilica of Our Lady of Sinj. Also present were the Minister of Demographics and Immigration, Ivan Šipić from Trilj, along with members of the VAD Management and Supervisory Boards, leaders of towns and municipalities in the Alka region, and Sinj city councilors.
The Alka festivities continue on Saturday with the competition for the Čoja. It is scheduled to start at 5:30 PM, and a live broadcast of the dress rehearsal before the Alka will be available on Hajduk Digital TV and the social media channels of Dalmacija News, with commentators Josip Grčić and Jakov Žižić. Hit radio will also provide coverage.
