BEAKOVIĆ, Dinko – Tajo (Rijeka, 19 Aug 1957)
Bocce player, bocce coach, and sports worker. Son of
Jakov and Maria Elida (née Licitar).
He graduated from the High School for Electrical Engineering in Rijeka and the
coaching school at the Croatian Olympic Academy in Zagreb in 2011. As a
volunteer of the Croatian Homeland War, he spent six months in 1991 and 1992 as
part of the Rijeka 111th Brigade of the Croatian Army on the Lika battlefield,
as the head of the intelligence service. He attained the rank of CA major. He
was awarded the Homeland War Memorial.
Beaković grew up in the city district of Rujevica. His
father was a laborer, a native of Istria. His mother was born in the south of
France in Tulle (Correze) and grew up near Metz, and was mostly a housewife in
Rijeka. His mother’s father was born in Krapinske Toplice, and his maternal
grandmother was from Drenova. Dinko, nicknamed Tajo, joined his father at the Bocce
Club Nafta in Čandekova Street as a boy. At a younger age, he played
with his father in the same clubs: Nafta, INA, and Luka.
He showed his talent for bocce early on, and in his desire to progress, he
transferred to Lovran in 1978, where he achieved his first successes in
the new environment, and was successful during the next six years. He then
played for Rikard Benčić from Rijeka (1984-1985), Pazinka from
Pazin (1985-1987), Drenova from Rijeka (1987-1989), and Balinček
from Ljubljana (1989-1991). At the Championship of Yugoslavia, he achieved a
series of excellent results. In fours, he was the runner-up with the Lovran
team in 1980 in Ljubljana and Zagreb. Then, in the Federal first bocce league,
he won the championship title in 1984 with the Rikard Benčić team and the
third place in 1988 and 1989 with the Drenova team. He became the
individual national champion four times in a row: in 1986 in Tivat, 1987 in
Split, 1988 in Mostar, and 1989 in Ljubljana, and the runner-up in 1990 in
Split. At the Championship of Yugoslavia, he was champion in pairs in 1984 in
Ljubljana (with →Vlad Obrić) and the runner-up in 1988 in Tivat (with →Čedo
Vukelić). In precision shooting, he was the state champion in 1987 and 1988
in Split and the runner-up in 1986 in Tivat. By the beginning of the 1990s and
the dissolution of the SFRY, he became the most successful bocce player,
winning 8 titles of the senior state champion.
He played 15 times for the A national team of the SFR
Yugoslavia in the period from 1982 to 1990. He participated in the World Junior
Tournament in Fours in 1978 in Cordignan and won a bronze medal. Then, as a
senior, he played at the World Championship in 1982 in Grenoble (silver in
fours), in 1984 in Split (4th place in fours), in 1986 in Monaco (6th place in
fours), in 1988 in Valparaiso (bronze in precision shooting and 5th place in
pairs). At the European Championship, he won team medals in 1984 in Cuneo
(bronze), 1986 in Ljubljana (bronze), 1987 in Saluzzo (silver), 1989 in Pazin
(bronze), and 1990 in Montpellier (bronze).
The international recognition of the Republic of
Croatia and the end of the war in 1992, he became a member of Zrinjevac
from Zagreb. He stayed at that club until 1999, when he returned to Rijeka and
played for Rikard Benčić for two seasons. From 2001 to 2004 he was a
member of Istra from Poreč, and then from 2004 to 2006 he played for Trio
from Buzet. He returned to Benčić Vargon in 2006 and then to Trio
in 2008. He played for the fourth time for Benčić in 2010, and then from
2011 for the team Marinići from Viškovo. In the last part of his
competitive career, he was again a member of Istra from Poreč and Marinići.
From 2015 to 2017, he played for Pula and from 2017 to 2019 for Zabiče
from the Municipality of Ilirska Bistrica in Slovenia. In his farewell season
2019/20, he played for Benčić Vargon for the fifth time, and, at the age
of 63, he concluded his half a century-long career.
He won the title of the winner of the Croatian First Bocce
League with the teams Zrinjevac (1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, and
1998), Rikard Benčić (1999), Istra (2002 and 2003), and with Trio,
both as a player and coach (2005, 2008, 2009, and 2010). He won the Croatian
Cup with Zrinjevac (1992, 1993, 1994 and 1997), Rikard Benčić
(2000), Istra (2003), and with Trio, both as a player and coach
(2005, 2007, 2008, and 2010). At the Croatian Championship, he won numerous
championship titles in all disciplines, except for the progressive throw:
individual-classic (in 2001 and 2004 in Poreč and Pazin, in 2005 in Rijeka, and
in 2010 in Šibenik), in doubles (in 1994 in Zagreb 1995 in Poreč, in 1997 in
Rijeka, in 1998, 1999, and 2000 in Zagreb, in 2001 in Rijeka, in 2002 in Poreč
and Pazin, and in 2003 in Rijeka), in precision shooting (in 1994 in Rijeka, in
2003 in Komiža, and in 2004 in Metković) and in rolling and spocking relay (in 1997
in Metković and in 1999 in Poreč). As an extremely vital athlete, he performed
with the Zabiče team in the final of the Super League of Slovenia in
2019 at the age of 62, followed by the same success with Benčić Vargon in 2020 when
he played in the final of the Croatian First Bocce League. In the European
Champions Cup, he won the first place with Zrinjevac (in 1997 in
Yverdon-les-Bains) as a player and with Trio (2009) both as a player and
coach. In the club framework, he has been the most decorated Croatian bocce
player from 1992 to the present day, with a total of 32 senior state
championship titles (14 team and 18 in all disciplines) and 10 Cup winner
titles. In total, he became a national champion 40 times.
He played for the Croatian national team from 1991 to
1998. In August 1991, he was a member of the national bocce team, which was the
first to participate at the tournament in the French GAP, under the leadership
of coach Aleksandar Anzur, even before the international recognition of
Croatia. He took part in the WC in 1993 in Saluzzo (gold in precision throw and
bronze in pairs – team), in 1995 in Hamilton (7th month in precision throw and
silver in doubles – team) and in 1997 in Rijeka (gold in doubles – team), at
the European Championship in 1994 in Zagreb (gold in the precision throw and the
fifth place as a team), in 1996 in Saint-Vulbas (bronze as a team) and in 1998
in Saluzzo (seventh in rolling and spocking relay and fourth in doubles – team).
In a period of 20 years, during which he played for two
state national teams, he won a total of 14 medals (3 gold, 3 silver, and 8
bronze). He was the first in the world to break the dominance of French and
Italian bocce players and, as a player outside those circles, he managed to win
a gold medal at World and European championships. By winning the title of World
Champion in 1993, he became the first athlete who won an individual gold medal
in the senior competition at the WC after the international recognition of
Croatia. In 1999, he achieved the absolute world record in the precision throw
with 64 points. Due to his great contributions to sports, a postage stamp of
the Republic of Croatia was published with his image in 1994.
From 1992 to 1994, he managed Croatian junior and
youth national teams, and managed the Croatian senior national team from 2006
to 2011. Thirty-one medals were won under his leadership at world and European
championships. Based on the achieved senior results, he has been the most
successful Croatian coach since the country’s independence. As a coach, he also
won the first medal for Croatian bocce at the junior EP in 1992 in Stranbin. He
was the president of the Croatian Bocce Federation (2013-2014). At the World
Bocce Federation (FIB) Congress in Argentina in 2013, he was elected as a
member of the Executive Board of FIB, and retired from that position in 2014.
From 2020, he has been the sports director of BC Benčić Vargon, the club for
which he played the longest during his bocce career.
Beaković worked at the Brodokomerc company in Rijeka
until 1993, and then, in addition to his professional activities in sports, he
was also involved in entrepreneurship. He has been politically active since
1998 in the Alliance of Primorje-Gorski kotar (PGS). Since 2012 he has been a
member of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ). He was the president of PGS
Rijeka and is currently the secretary of the HDZ County Board. He was elected as
city councilor of Rijeka and county councilor of the Primorje-Gorski kotar
County. His son →Marko Beaković is also a successful bocce player.
According to his overall contribution, as a
competitor, coach, and sports worker, he is the most significant individual in
the history of Croatian, Primorje-Gorski kotar County, and Rijeka bocce. At the
same time, he is one of the most trophy-winning individuals from the City of
Rijeka and the Primorje-Gorski kotar County in sports history.
He was declared the best bocce player of Yugoslavia in
1986, 1987, and 1988 and was the winner of the Golden Bocce awarded by the
Bocce Union of Yugoslavia in 1986. He was then declared the best athlete of the
City of Zagreb in 1993 and 1994 in the selection of the Zagreb Sports
Association and the best bocce player of the Istrian County in 2001 with Istra
(2002 and 2003) and Trio (2009, 2010, and 2011) recognition for the best
men’s team of the Istrian County in the selection of the Sports Association of
the Istrian County. Based on the selection of the local newspaper Glas Istre,
he received awards for the best men''''''''''''''''s team in Istria: with Istra in 2002
and Trio in 2009. In 2007, he received the award for the best men’s team
of PGŽ with Benčić Vargon in the selection of SAPGŽ. In 1994, he
received the annual "Franjo Bučar State Award for Sport” issued by the Ministry
of Education, Culture and Sports of the Republic of Croatia for his results
achieved in sports. In 1995, the President of the Republic of Croatia awarded
him the Order of Danica Hrvatska with the image of Franjo Bučar. In 2001, he
received the Award of the Croatian Bocce Federation on the occasion of 50 years
of bocce in Croatia, followed by the Golden Plaque of the Bocce Association of
the City of Rijeka on the occasion of 50 years of the Bocce Association and organized
bocce in Rijeka in 2002. In 2018, he received the Award of the Istrian Bocce
Association on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of its existence.
His father, Jakov Beaković (Vižinada
near Poreč, 18 Aug 1927 – Rijeka, 27 June 2000), was also actively involved in
bocce. Son of Jakov and Karolina (née Šimonović) learned the trade of welder. He
was a participant in World War II on the side of the National Liberation Army.
After the war, he moved to Rijeka. He became the first trophy athlete in the
history of his sports family. As one of the pioneers of bocce in Rijeka, he
played for bocce clubs Nafta-INA and Luka. He was a multiple
champion of SFR Yugoslavia in fours: with Nafta in 1966 and 1971 and Luka
in 1976 and 1977. In his profession, he was employed at the 3. Maj Shipyard,
the Rikard Benčić Factory, and at the Port of Rijeka. He received a posthumous
Plaque of the Rijeka Bocce Association in 2002 on the occasion of 50 years of
the Bocce Association and organized bocce in Rijeka for his contribution to this
sport.
Source: Statements of Dinko Beaković from Rijeka.
References: "Grenoblski vrhunac jugoslavenskog boćanja” [Grenobl peak of Yugoslav
bocce], Novi list, no. 227, Rijeka, 28 Sept 1982.; Jakov Jakan Vidović, Sportsko
boćanje [Sports bocce], Zagreb, 1989; 50 godina Boćarskog saveza Rijeka
i B.K. „Benčić GMT" Rijeka 1952. – 2002 [50 Years of the Bocce Association of the City of
Rijeka and B.K. "Benčić GMT” Rijeka 1952 – 2002], Rijeka, 2002; Sportski
godišnjak Zajednice športova Primorsko-goranske županije 2007 [Sports Yearbook
of the Sports Association of the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County 2007],
Rijeka, 2008; Franko Buda, Boćarski klub „Istra Poreč" 1948. – 2008.
[Bocce Club "Istra Poreč” 1948 – 2008], Poreč, 2008; Damir Škarpa,
Eduard Hemar, Zlatna knjiga hrvatskoga boćanja [Golden Book of Croatian
Bocce], Zagreb, 2012; F. Buda, Boćanje u Istri tko i što!? [Bocce in
Istria. Who and What!?], Poreč, 2012; Mirjan Rimanić, Boće u srcu Istre
[Bocce in the Heart of Istria], Pazin, 2012; Orlando Rivetti, Valentina
Prokić, Dinkove zlatne boće [Dinko’s Golden Bocce], Rijeka, 2012; D.
Cupać, „Dinko Beaković: Komadina je izdao županiju, građane i Vujića" [Dinko
Beaković: Komadina betrayed the county, citizens and Vujić], Novi list,
Rijeka, 15 May 2013; E. Hemar, Istarski sportski biografski leksikon [Istrian
Sports Biographical Lexicon], Pula, 2016; Balinar no. 1/2,
Ljubljana, July 2018; ibid no. 1/2, Ljubljana, July 2019; Denis
Frančišković, „Boćari Vargona s povratnikom Dinkom Beakovićem jurišaju na
naslov prvaka!" [Vargon bocce players storming to the championship title with
the return of Dinko Beaković!], Novi list, Rijeka, 26 October 2019;
Denis Frančišković, „Legenda riječkog i hrvatskog boćanja je zaključila
karijeru: Vargonu ću pomoći na drugi način" [The legend of Rijeka and Croatian
bocce finishes his career: I will help Vargon in some other way], ibid,
Rijeka, 23 June 2020.
