21. Welcome to Dubrovnik - Turistička zajednica grada Dubrovnika

Sports TalesNapisaO/By TONČI VLAŠIĆfighting. Boxing had its rules and did notallow hitting below the belt.When one now talks about boxing inDubrovnik, the stories about it seemlike fairy tales. A witness to that time,Jurica says that „the story“ beganwith Ratko Zvrko. One of Croatia’sbest known writers and the author ofthe collection of poems entitled GrgaČvarak, which had the largest printingrun in the history of Croatian children’sliterature, was also an excellent boxer.At that time Ratko Zvrko was rankedsecond in the Croatian Championship,and later became a Croatian Champion.People still remember his match in 1943against Lodovico Giobbi, a former Italianchampion from Civitavecchia. The ringwas set up in the Marin Držić Theatreon 11 April 1943, while Dubrovnik wasunder the Italian occupation. Accordingto his biography, Zvrko defeated Giobbiand „the celebration of the victory wastoo enthusiastic“. The following day, theItalians put Dubrovnik’s best boxer intothe prison located at Fort Lovrjenac.One of the finest and most unforgettablematches took place in August, 1950in the Old City harbour, on a floatingThe Noble Art in the Marin DržićTheatre’s Ringplatform which swimmersused as a turning point andwhich served as a stage forCarlo Goldoni’s play FishermenQuarrels performed within theDubrovnik Summer Festival.The ring was set up on thefloating platform anchored inthe harbour, and the boxerswere taken there in little boats.It was a spectacle under thefloodlights, while the spectatorscrowded on the dock and thecity walls. The unforgettablematches of the Dubrovnik boxers includedthose in Croatia, Montenegro and Bosniaand Herzegovina.Boks mečevi su se održavali u staroj gradskoj luci.The boxing matches took place at the Old City harbour.The first generation of Dubrovnik boxerscomprised Ivo Gavranić, Pajo Mitrović,Mario Babarović, Pušo Kurbelašvili, RatkoZvrko, Marinko Jurica...- Those young men were all greatenthusiasts and lovers of boxing. We werepoor, and the award for winning a matchwas an extra meal. At the time followingBoks je 50-ih bio popularan među dubrovaćkim mladićima.In the 1950s boxing was popular among young men of Dubrovnik.World War II those who had food wereconsidered to be rich. As athletes, wehad that additional meal, which made usmore than happy. In spite of our poverty,we were rich in spirit, joyful and enjoyedboxing – says Jurica.He has preserved a large number ofarticles which testify to the „boxingdecade in Dubrovnik“.- In 1950 a boxing match in Dubrovnikhad more than two thousand spectators.In most cases, the number of spectatorsmatched the number of seats around thering. The auditorium was always full.Those were memorable days indeed. Afterthat, the younger boxers continued theirstudies outside Dubrovnik, while we, theolder ones, began to work. There wasno one to continue what we had started.What a pity! Nevertheless, the Dubrovniksports tale, the story of boxing whichwas beautiful indeed, lasted one decade -concluded Jurica.brovnik– Grad Boksathe Cityof BoxingSUMMER 2011WELCOME TO DUBROVNIK 59