The Đokovićs gave up construction of tennis center in Kragujevac - Family Sport gave way under political pressures

The Đoković family is not going to have a tennis academy built in Kragujevac. The city will be returned the land that the family rented, under privileged terms, on the period of 99 years. As Family Sport, the company that represents them, explains, the reasons for that are unfounded and perfidious attacks by political parties".

The Mayor of Kragujevac, Veroljub Stevanović, also reacted to the Đokovićs' decision on giving up construction of the tennis academy, which was supposed to be built at the surface of four hectares in an attractive location in the city center, on the edge of the biggest city park and swimming pool. He told Blic he was "not surprised by the fact that the Đokovićs gave up the investment", but he still believed that "that is not going to happen".

- We find it impossible that we live in the same town with the people who sent the message to the Đoković family, which wanted to invest over 15m EUR in Kragujevac, with the following text: "Get out of here, you are newcomers and we don't want you here". I claim that Novak Đoković did more for Serbia than all politicians together. The arrival of Fiat is the biggest and the most important project for Kragujevac, and the only project that can be compared to that one is tennis academy, which, unfortunately, is not going to be built. I invite all those who participated in the "defense" of the city from the Đoković family to show up before the disappointed citizens of Kragujevac and share the "joy" with them - said Stevanović.

LDP in Kragujevac announced on March 19th that the "citizens showed high level of awareness in the defense of the kids park and that they were obliged to be up to date with everything that concerns construction of the tennis academy because of the fact that four hectares of land in the city were given for 36,000 EUR under privileged terms".

Although the Đokovićs were supposed to start the works on construction of the academy prior to beginning of December 2009, not even the project documentation had been submitted by then. The City Assembly was asked to extend the deadlines for three months, which it did. Srđan Đoković announced on TV Kragujevac in early February that the construction of the academy would start in April.

Radomir Nikolić from Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) in Kragujevac, Tomislav Nikolić's son, told Blic that "this party was not against construction of the tennis academy in Kragujevac, but against violation of the completeness of Big park, which is the sanctity of all citizens of Kragujevac".

- Such facilities can also be built in the location that is less than 500 meters away from this one, above the football stadium. SNS would like that space to be kept for the kids of Kragujevac and construction of a modern playground with rubber base for them. In our opinion, nobody, not even Novak Đoković, should not be privileged when it comes to the property of the city - says Nikolić.

Family Sport: We don't want to interfere in local political issues

Family Sport, the company owned by the Đokovićs, has issued an official statement that, among the rest, includes the following: "In order to avoid interfering in local political issues and serve as the means for fulfillment of someone's political ambitions, we have decided to return the land we rented from the city of Kragujevac on the period of 99 years. We want to remind the public that the decision on allotment of the land was made unanimously by the City Assembly of Kragujevac at the meeting on January 31st, 2008. We are aware of the fact that the youngest lovers of tennis in this part of Serbia will suffer the most because of our decision to give up construction of the tennis center in Kragujevac."

"On this occasion, Family Sport wants to express big gratitude to the citizens of Kragujevac and Šumadija for their support, as well as to thank the city management and, especially, Mayor Veroljub Stevanović", it is written in the statement.

Contract signed two years ago

The contract that was signed in the City Assembly of Kragujevac in early February 2008 anticipated construction of a big indoor tennis court with the stands that meet the standards for organization of ATP tournaments and another 14 tennis courts by the Đokovićs' company Family Sport. In addition, a boardinghouse for the students of the tennis academy was planned to be built in the location of about four hectares. The city was supposed to have the share of about 6% in the company.

(Note: complete text is taken over from newspaper Blic of March 20th, 2010)