An ultra-expensive project for which over 50 million BAM were spent, brought the ATP 250 tennis tournament to Banja Luka. Construction of facilities without documentation, tender procedures, for seven days of games. What next?
Tens of thousands of tourists flocked to Banja Luka last week during the ATP 250 tennis tournament. Tens of millions of BAMwere spent on the construction of the infrastructure, which included the construction of the central court, where the world’s first racket player, Novak Djokovic, played. Great advertisement for Banja Luka, but the tournament was overshadowed by controversies surrounding the construction of the facilities, the completion of which even the organizers did not believe in.
“In the beginning, we tried to contact all possible largest construction companies, in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) and beyond. Everyone refused,” said the president of the Republika Srpska (RS) Tennis Association, Drasko Milinovic, during the construction of the tennis complex, explaining that it did not leave them much room for maneuver. “You know what we did then? We moved on,” said Milinovic.
Although the exact figure is not known, it is estimated that slightly more than 50 million BAM were spent on the tournament and infrastructure. The city of Banja Luka and the RS government were responsible for the costs. The mayor of Banja Luka, Drasko Stanivukovic, often placed the importance of this tournament for both Banja Luka and the RS, ahead of respecting all procedures.
“We heroically accepted such a challenge. It took courage to recognize it right from the start. This is probably the biggest event, maybe even in the history of RS,” Stanivukovic said.
The system can do everything
The editor of the Capital business portal, Sinisa Vukelic, says that the construction of tennis courts was declared to be of the highest national interest, under which a number of laws were violated.
The tournament is over, Serbian tennis player Dusan Lajoviclifted the trophy and the organizers hope that despite all the problems, the tournament will be returned next year in Banja Luka. BH Radio 1 journalist Nenad Markovic, who followed all the matches of the tournament, says that there is no doubt that the tournament was excellent for Banja Luka and RS.
A decision will be awaited as to whether there are any chances that the ATP 250 tournament will take place in Banja Luka the following year. There will certainly not be a shortage of money, and how difficult it will be in the negotiation process could be known already in October, which will depend on the supervisor’s ratings during the tournament in Banja Luka. In sports terms, victory is imposed as an imperative, DW reports.
