ŠEPIĆ, Miloš (Sušak, 4 June 1932 – Rijeka, 13 Oct 2009)
Sports worker and bocce coach. Son of Ivan and Mira (née
Kučina). He completed three grades of Grammar School, three years of Industrial
School, and three years of Higher Craftmanship School in Rijeka. He was a
technologist-designer by profession.
Miloš Šepić was one of the initiators of organized
bocce in Rijeka. In 1951, he participated in the establishment of the bocce
section of the Rikard Benčić Sports Society and then, in 1952, of the Rikard
Benčić Bocce Association. He was among the volunteers who built a single-track
court in 1951 near the Rikard Benčić Factory, where he was an employee. He
registered as a bocce player in 1952 and ended his career as a player in 1965
when he devoted himself to his professional work. At Rikard Benčić, he worked
as the technical manager and president of the Technical Commission. At the
Founding Assembly of the Bocce Association of the City of Rijeka (BAR) in 1973,
he was elected to the Executive Board and, in 1981, he became the president of
the Technical Commission. He was a member of the presidency and president of
the Technical Commission (1970 - 1974) in the Croatian Bocce Federation. He
held numerous positions in the Bocce Federation of Yugoslavia: he was a member
of the presidency, federal coach (1972 - 1981), president of the Technical
Commission, and president of the Expert Council (1981 - 1988). As the federal coach
of the senior and junior national teams of Yugoslavia, he won the first medals
at important international competitions. Under his leadership, the senior national
team won bronze medals at the World Championships in fours in 1978 in Macon and
doubles in 1979 in Melbourne and at the European Championships in the combine
discipline in 1980 in Albenga. He led the junior team at the World Four-Player
Team Tournament (which became the WC in 1988) to a silver medal in 1980 in La
Trinité and two bronze medals in 1978 in Cordignan and 1979 in Raunheim. He
earned the title of bocce instructor at the Institute for Sports in Paris, and,
in 1984, he became a licensed international bocce referee (third from Croatia
and Rijeka, after →R. Jug and →M. Poniš).
After the Republic of Croatia gained its independence,
he became the president of the Bocce Association of the City of Rijeka and a
member of the Assembly of the Croatian Bocce Federation. In BC Turnić in
Rijeka, he performed the role of the president from 1992 until his passing.
During the time he was the president of the BAR, the book 50 Years of the
Bocce Association of the City of Rijeka and B.K. "Benčić GMT” Rijeka 1952 -
2002 was published. He contributed to the work of bocce clubs and
associations in the area of Rijeka for more than 50 years.
Šepić spent his working life as a
technologist-designer at the Rikard Benčić Factory.
He remains remembered as one of the individuals most
responsible for the development of bocce in Rijeka, Croatia, and SFR
Yugoslavia.
For his many decades of activity, he received the
Golden Badge of the Association for Physical Education of Yugoslavia in 1978
and 1980, the Golden Bocce on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of BFY in 1982,
FIB recognition for his long-term work in 1995, CBF awards on the occasion of
50 years of bocce in Croatia in 2001, and Plaques for Lifetime Achievement of BAR
on the occasion of 50 years of the Bocce Association and organized bocce in
Rijeka in 2002.
References: Jakov Jakan Vidović, Sportsko boćanje [Sports
Bocce], Zagreb, 1989; Hrvatsko boćanje 1951 - 2001 [Croatian Bocce 1951 -
2001], Zagreb, 2001; 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; Damir Škarpa, Eduard
Hemar, Zlatna knjiga hrvatskog boćanja [Golden Book of Croatian Bocce], Zagreb,
2012
