Thousands of spectators visit Alka knights' games

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Thousands of people attended the traditional Alka knights' games in the southern Croatian town of Sinj yesterday.
They saw a young competitor achieve one of the best results in the 294-year history of the tournament.
Ante Zorica, 25, hit the centre of the hanging ring on all three of his attempts. His competitors failed to match his results.
"I'm so happy with the result," Zorica kept repeating.
The games held in memory of the heroic victory against Ottoman Empire invaders almost three centuries ago consist of a knight riding a horse at a high speed and attempting to put his spear through a three-part, handing ring. The central ring inside a bigger ring is only 3.51 centimetres wide.
Hitting the middle of the ring three consecutive times has been achieved only three times in the last 50 years.
Croatian President Stjepan Mesic and Prime Minister Jadranka Kosor attended the event along with thousands of other spectators.
Organizers, including Alka Duke Ivan Cikara, are keen to develop the games as a tourist attraction. They tried to attract more international attention this year since tourists may find the event very attractive due to its tradition, costumes and excitement.

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