ATP tennis players Marin Cilic, Borna Coric, Ivan Dodig, Mate Pavic, Nikola Mektic, Franko Skugor, their WTA colleagues Donna Vekic and Ana Konjuh, and young Croatian tennis talents Antonia Ruzic and Duje Ajudukovic joined the children of Tordinci School in a football match played on the playground constructed with funds raised from last year’s Game Set Croatia humanitarian event organized by the Marin Cilic Foundation. Croatia’s Davis Cup captain Vedran Martic took on the role he knows best, that of coach, looking on from the sidelines while the tennis players showed off their soccer skills.
“I had a great time with the kids today and I think my fellow tennis players feel the same. It was fun to swap out tennis for some football. I hope this new playground will provide healthy fun and wonderful memories for the kids from this area and hopefully many of them will discover their love for sport here.” – Marin Cilic
The playground in Tordinci is the first to be financed by the Marin Cilic Foundation with future plans to continue improving sports infrastructure throughout Croatia, providing all children access to safe spaces to play. Although construction of the playground has been completed for some time, due to transport problems caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the final stage, the application of the sports acrylic coatings, was delayed and should be completed this month. That minor setback didn’t stop Marin, the athletes and the kids from spending Saturday morning engaging in some friendly competition.
