ĆAPIN: BACKING FOR RISING TENNIS STAR NEDIĆ

BANJA LUKA, JUNE 15 /SRNA/ – The Ministry of Family, Youth and Sports of Republika Srpska and the office of the Republika Srpska prime minister will provide full support to young tennis player Andrej Nedić, because investing in young and most talented athletes helps create a more open and humane society, Assistant Minister for Sports Danijela Ćapin has stated today.

Ćapin said that the assistance to Nedić would be both institutional and financial.

"That is our shared goal. In doing so, we are creating a better and healthier future for Republika Srpska," Ćapin told reporters after a reception held for Republika Srpska's most promising tennis player.

Ćapin said she was particularly proud that, in addition to his sporting achievements, Nedić also demonstrates outstanding personal qualities.

"We consider him the best ambassador of both his hometown of Doboj and Republika Srpska as a whole," Ćapin emphasized.

Young tennis player Nedić thanked the organizers for the reception, noting that he was pleased that the ministry recognizes and follows his work, as well as the work of other athletes.

"This is a big deal for me. I will continue to work hard and give my best to become even better," Nedić stressed.

Reflecting on the season, he said he had somewhat weaker results at the beginning of the year and that the long trip to New Zealand for the Davis Cup kept him away from the courts for three to four weeks.

"After that, I played much better. The next five to six weeks will be very demanding, with difficult tournaments ahead, where I hope to play a lot of good matches and secure Grand Slam qualifying spots," Nedić said.

He added that his ranking now allows him to play more Challenger tournaments, which he intends to take advantage of.

"My goal is to maintain that ranking by the end of the year and play as many Challenger matches as possible because they will help raise the level of my game," Nedić said.

BiH national tennis team coach Zoran Zrnić said that Nedić has achieved a ranking that should allow him to compete in Grand Slam qualifying tournaments at the beginning of next year, given his results in the first part of the season, noting that he is currently ranked 250th.

He said today's reception sends a positive message both to Andrej and to all young players.

"Support from institutions is welcome and will certainly help us carry out the second part of the season as successfully as possible. I believe Andrej will demonstrate that on the court," Zrnić said, noting that the plan is for Nedić to play another 15 tournaments in 10 countries by the end of the year.

Republika Srpska Tennis Association spokesman Bojan Božić said that Andrej Nedić is the top tennis player from Republika Srpska and that all of his achievements are the result of his own work and the efforts of those around him.

"The Tennis Association provides support to the extent possible in terms of courts, logistics and assistance with travel to certain tournaments. Nedić is a role model for young tennis players, and it is very important to support him now because he needs that support," Božić said.

He stressed that young tennis players should see Nedić as a role model, adding that the goal is for young people to have someone to look up to and for tennis to become an even more popular sport in Republika Srpska.