VUKELIĆ, Čedo (Rijeka, 19. 02.1961.), boćar i trener boćanja
Sin Steve i Božice, rođ. Ćiković. Završio je Centar usmjerenog
obrazovanja za elektrotehničke kadrove, u Rijeci 1979. kao elektroničar za
telekomunikacije. Stekao je zvanje trenera boćanja 2010. na Hrvatskoj
olimpijskoj akademiji u Zagrebu.
Odrastao je
u riječkoj gradskoj četvrti Zamet, odakle mu je rodom bila i majka, po
zanimanju trgovkinja. Otac je bio rodom iz Plaškog kod Ogulina, a radio je kao
tehnolog u Tvornici Torpedo. Sa 17 godina Čedo se preselio na Drenovu i u toj
četvrti započeo sportsku karijeru. Postao je član Boćarskog kluba Drenova 1985.
pod vodstvom trenera Slavka Stanića. S ekipom Drenove nastupao je od 1988. u 1.
saveznoj boćarskoj ligi Jugoslavije i osvojio 3. mjesto u sezoni 1988./89.
i 1989./90. Na Prvenstvu SFR Jugoslavije bio je prvak u preciznom
izbijanju 1990. u Splitu, viceprvak u parovima s Dinkom Beakovićem 1988. u
Tivtu i četvrti u brzinskom izbijanju 1990. u Splitu.
Za
reprezentaciju SFRJ Jugoslavije nastupio je na turniru Labinska Republika 1990.
Potom je u kolovozu 1991., prije međunarodnog priznanja Republike Hrvatske,
postao član prve državne boćarske repr. Nastupila je na turniru u francuskom
GAP‑u pod vodstvom izbornika Aleksandra Anzura. U tom povijesnom nastupu uz
njega su igrali Dinko Beaković, Valter Ivančić i Donato Belušić. Igrao je za
repr. Hrvatske i 1992. na turniru u Brugueri.
Nakon
osamostaljenja hrvatske države igrao je u sezoni 1991./92. za BK Istru iz
Poreča u 1. hrvatskoj boćarskoj ligi. Osvojio je naslove prvaka Hrvatske 1992.:
pojedinačno u Pazinu i u parovima u Splitu sa Z. Jelovicom i Ž. Radanovićem.
Od 1993. član je BK Rikarda Benčića iz Rijeke (nazivi tog kluba su se
mijenjali: 2002.–2003. Benčić GMT; 2004.–2005. Benčić‑DSK; 2006.-2008. Benčić
Vargon; 2008.-2025. Vargon i od 2025. Rijeka ). S ekipom Benčića osvojio je:
1. HBL u sezonama 1998./99., 2000./01. i 2006./07. te Kup Hrvatske 1996., 1998.
i 2000. S tim klubom je u Kupu europskih prvaka osvojio 3. mj. 2008. i 4.
mj. 2000. Natjecateljsku karijeru završio je 2010. godine.
Paralelno s
igračkom započeo je i trenersku karijeru. Zvanje instruktora boćanja 1. stupnja
stekao je 1992., a instruktora boćanja 2. stupnja 1995. Za ta zvanja dobio je
licencu od FIB‑e (Svjetske boćarske federacije). Educirao se i na tečaju FIB‑e 2004.
Unutar kluba Rikard Benčić odnosno današnjeg imena Rijeka, trener je kadeta i
juniora od 1993., i seniorske ekipe od 2010. Tijekom toga razdoblja postigao je
kao trener iznimne rezultate. U kadetskoj i juniorskoj konkurenciji od 1994.
do 2019. osvojeno je ukupno 97 naslova prvaka Hrvatske u svim disciplinama. Sa
seniorskom ekipom osvojio je 1. HBL 2013./14. i 2014./15. Najveći međunarodni
uspjeh s klubom ostvario je kad je osvojio naslov viceprvaka Europe 2013.
(tadašnji Vargon).
Uz hrvatske
reprezentacije povremeno je bio od 1994. do 2000. u svojstvu pomoćnog izbornika.
Od godine 1995. bio je pomoćni izbornik juniorske repr. koja je osvojila naslov
svjetskog prvaka.
Od 1999. do 2023. izbornik je i trener juniorske
reprezentacije, a od 2005. kadetske i juniorske repr. Od 2008. do 2025. je i
pomoćni izbornik svim reprezentativnim selekcijama.
Samo s juniorskim reprezentativcima je od 1999. do 2023.
osvojio 16 zlatnih medalja na svjetskim juniorskim prvenstvima, a uz to još 23 srebra
i 29 bronci.
Bio je izbornik i ženske reprezentacije Hrvatske na
Svjetskom prvenstvu 2014. , Europskom prvenstvu 2015. i Mediteranskim igrama
2018. dok je kao pomoćni izbornik sudjelovao na Svjetskom prvenstvu 2000. te od
2021. do 2025. na Europskim i Svjetskim prvenstvima.
S hrvatskom ženskom reprezentacijom, u razdoblju od 2000.
do 2025., osvojio je ukupno 7 zlatnih, 5 srebrnih i 6 brončanih medalja na
Svjetskim prvenstvima, 1 zlatnu, 2 srebrne i 4 brončane medalje na Europskim
prvenstvima, kao i zlatnu medalju na Mediteranskim igrama.
Kao klupski
i reprezentativni trener odgojio je veliki broj igrača i igračica koji su
postali svjetski prvaci u mlađem uzrastu i kao seniori: Zlatko Jugo, Marino
Miličević, Leo Brnić, Bruno Kraljić, Mateo Načinović, Ivan Načinović i Nives
Jelovica. Igrači Vargona Leo Brnić i Bruno Kraljić šest puta su postavljali ili
izjednačavali svjetske rekorde do 18 i 23 godine.
Posebno se
istaknuo u radu s Leom Brnićem, kojeg je kao klupski trener vodio 14 godina. U
tom razdoblju Brnić je osvojio pet naslova svjetskog prvaka, te postao i prvak
Europe i Mediterana, čime je zasad najuspješniji hrvatski boćar XXI. stoljeća.
Također je
iznimno uspješan bio u radu s Nives Jelovicom (rođ. Mladenić), najtrofejnijom
hrvatskom boćaricom svih vremena, koju je trenirao od samog početka njezine
boćarske karijere. U razdoblju od 1998. do 2025. Jelovica je osvojila 4 naslova
svjetske prvakinje, 3 naslova europske prvakinje, te naslov prvakinje na Mediteranskim
igrama i Svjetskim igrama neolimpijskih
sportova.
Uz sve
navedeno, Vukelić je kao instruktor ili voditelj sudjelovao u radu boćarskih
kampova za najmlađe igrače, u hrvatskim županijama. Bio je instruktor
djevojkama u početku djelovanja Škole boćanja Čavle. Zvanje međunarodnog
boćarskog suca stekao je 2002. i potom iste godine sudio na Europskom prvenstvu
u Grudama. Sudio je i na četverobojima nacija te na utakmicama KEP‑a. Zbog
brojnih trenerskih obveza od 2004. više nije aktivan kao boćarski sudac.
Radio je kao
tehnolog u Tvornici Torpedo, zatim kao skladištar u poduzeću GTM i bio je
tajnik Boćarskog saveza Rijeka. Od 2010. zaposlenik je poduzeća Rijeka sport
d.o.o. i voditelj Boćarskog centra Podvežica u Rijeci.
Prema ostvarenim rezultatima najuspješniji je boćarski trener u Republici Hrvatskoj. Proglašen je najboljim sportašem Grada Poreča, 1992. i najboljim sportskim djelatnikom Primorsko‑goranske županije, 2006. Dobitnik je: Priznanja Hrvatskog boćarskog saveza povodom 50 godina boćanja u Hrvatskoj, 2001.; Srebrne plakete Boćarske zajednice Rijeka povodom 50. godina Boćarskog saveza i organiziranog boćanja u Rijeci, 2002.; i Plakete Svjetske boćarske federacije za poseban doprinos u razvoju boćarskog sporta, 2019.
Izv.: Osobna izjava Čede Vukelića iz
Rijeke; dokumentacija Zajednica sportova Primorsko-goranske županije
Lit.: 50 godina Boćarskog saveza Rijeka i B.K. „Benčić GMT" Rijeka 1952.
– 2002, Rijeka, 2002.; Damir Škarpa, Eduard Hemar, Zlatna knjiga hrvatskoga
boćanja, Zagreb, 2012.; F. Buda, Boćanje u Istri tko i što!?, Poreč, 2012.;
Mirjan Rimanić, Boće u srcu Istre, Pazin, 2012.; Denis Frančišković, „Čedo
Vukelić: Boćari su prave atlete, nadam se da će boćanje jednom postati
olimpijski sport", Novi list, Rijeka, 26. studenog 2019.
VUKELIĆ, Čedo (Rijeka, 19 Feb 1961), bocce player and bocce coach.
Son of Stevo and Božica (née Ćiković). He completed the Center for Vocational
Education for Electrotechnical Personnel in Rijeka in 1979 as an electronics
technician for telecommunications. He obtained the title of bocce coach in 2010
at the Croatian Olympic Academy in Zagreb.
He grew up in the Rijeka district of Zamet,
where his mother, a shop assistant by profession, was originally from. His
father, originally from Plaški near Ogulin, worked as a technologist at the
Torpedo Factory. At the age of 17, Čedo moved to Drenova, where he began his
sports career. He became a member of the Drenova Bocce Club in 1985 under coach
Slavko Stanić. With the Drenova team he competed from 1988 in the 1st Federal
Bocce League of Yugoslavia, achieving 3rd place in the 1988/89 and 1989/90 seasons.
At the SFR Yugoslavia Championship he became the national champion in precision
shooting in 1990 in Split, vice-champion in pairs with Dinko Beaković in 1988
in Tivat, and placed fourth in rapid shooting in 1990 in Split.
He competed for the SFR Yugoslavia national
team at the Labinska Republika tournament in 1990. Afterwards, in August 1991,
before the international recognition of the Republic of Croatia, he became a
member of the first Croatian national bocce team, which competed at the
tournament in GAP, France, under the leadership of selector Aleksandar Anzur.
In this historic appearance, his teammates were Dinko Beaković, Valter Ivančić
and Donato Belušić. He also played for the Croatian national team in 1992 at a tournament
in Bruguera.
After Croatian independence, he played in the
1991/92 season for BK Istra from Poreč in the 1st Croatian Bocce League. He won
Croatian championship titles in 1992: individually in Pazin and in pairs in
Split with Z. Jelovica and Ž. Radanović. Since 1993 he has been a member of BK
Rikard Benčić from Rijeka (the club changed names several times: 2002–2003
Benčić GMT; 2004–2005 Benčić DSK; 2006–2008 Benčić Vargon; 2008–2025 Vargon;
and from 2025 Rijeka). With Benčić he won: the 1st HBL in the 1998/99, 2000/01 and
2006/07 seasons, and the Croatian Cup in 1996, 1998 and 2000. With the club he
achieved 3rd place in the European Champions Cup in 2008 and 4th place in 2000.
He ended his competitive career in 2010.
In parallel with playing, he began his
coaching career. He earned the title of bocce instructor, Level 1, in 1992, and
Level 2 in 1995. He received the corresponding licenses from FIB (the World
Bocce Federation). He also received further training at a FIB course in 2004.
Within the club Rikard Benčić (today named Rijeka), he has coached cadets and
juniors since 1993, and the senior team since 2010. During this period, he
achieved remarkable results as a coach. In the cadet and junior categories,
from 1994 to 2019, a total of 97 Croatian championship titles were
won in all disciplines. With the senior team, he won the 1st HBL in 2013/14 and
2014/15. His greatest international success with the club came when they became
European
vice-champions in 2013 (then named Vargon).
With the Croatian national teams, he
occasionally served from 1994 to 2000 as assistant selector. In 1995 he became
assistant selector of the junior national team, which won the world
championship title.
From 1999 to 2023, he was the selector and coach of the junior national team,
and from 2005 also of the cadet and junior selections. From 2008 to 2025 he
served as assistant selector for all national categories.
With the junior national team alone, from 1999
to 2023 he won 16 gold medals at junior world championships, along
with 23
silver and 29 bronze medals.
He was also the selector of the Croatian
women’s national team at the 2014 World Championship, the 2015 European
Championship, and the 2018 Mediterranean Games, while as assistant selector he
took part in the 2000 World Championship and at European and World
Championships from 2021 to 2025.
With the Croatian women’s national team, from
2000 to 2025, he won a total of 7 gold, 5 silver, and 6 bronze medals
at World Championships; 1 gold, 2 silver, and 4 bronze medals
at European Championships; and 1
gold medal at the Mediterranean Games.
As a club and national team coach, he trained
a great number of players who became world champions both in youth categories
and as seniors: Zlatko Jugo, Marino Miličević, Leo Brnić, Bruno Kraljić, Mateo
Načinović, Ivan Načinović and Nives Jelovica. Vargon players Leo Brnić and
Bruno Kraljić set or equaled world records six times in the U-18 and U-23
categories.
He especially distinguished himself in his
work with Leo Brnić, whom he coached at club level for 14 years. During this
period, Brnić won five world championship titles and became European and
Mediterranean champion, becoming the most successful Croatian bocce player of
the 21st century so far.
He was also extremely successful in his work
with Nives Jelovica (née Mladenić), the most decorated Croatian female bocce
player of all time, whom he coached from the very beginning of her career. From
1998 to 2025, Jelovica won 4 world championship titles, 3 European championship
titles, as well as the Mediterranean Games and World Games titles.
In addition, Vukelić worked as an instructor
or leader in bocce camps for young players in Croatian counties. He was an
instructor for girls at the start of the Čavle Bocce School. He earned the
title of international bocce referee in 2002 and officiated at the European
Championship in Grude the same year. He also refereed at four-nation
tournaments and Champions Cup matches. Due to his many coaching commitments, he
has not been active as a referee since 2004.
He worked as a technologist at the Torpedo
Factory, then as a warehouse worker at GTM, and was secretary of the Rijeka
Bocce Federation. Since 2010 he has been employed at Rijeka sport d.o.o. and is
the manager of the Podvežica Bocce Center in Rijeka.
According to his achievements, he is the most successful bocce coach in the Republic of Croatia. He was named the best athlete of the City of Poreč in 1992, and the best sports official of Primorje-Gorski Kotar County in 2006. He is the recipient of: a Recognition of the Croatian Bocce Federation on the occasion of 50 years of bocce in Croatia (2001); the Silver Plaque of the Rijeka Bocce Association for the 50th anniversary of the Bocce Federation and organized bocce in Rijeka (2002); and the World Bocce Federation Plaque for outstanding contribution to the development of bocce sport (2019).
Sources:
Personal statement of Čedo Vukelić from Rijeka; documentation of the
Primorje-Gorski Kotar County Sports Association
Literature: 50 years of the Rijeka Bocce Federation and BK "Benčić GMT”
Rijeka 1952–2002 (Rijeka, 2002); Damir Škarpa & Eduard Hemar, Golden Book of Croatian Bocce (Zagreb,
2012); F. Buda, Bocce in Istria – Who and
What!? (Poreč, 2012); Mirjan Rimanić, Bocce
in the Heart of Istria (Pazin, 2012); Denis Frančišković, "Čedo Vukelić:
Bocce players are true athletes; I hope bocce will one day become an Olympic
sport”, Novi list, Rijeka, 26 Nov 2019.
