In association with Serbia’s Tennis Union NIS set up an Open School of Tennis for children in the state foster care institution. Together with Serbia’s best college students, participating in NIS-devised and sponsored “Power of Knowledge” programme, the fosterlings had a chance to make their first steps in tennis under the guidance of Serbia’s Davis Cup stars Nenad Zimonjić, Dušan Lajović, Ilija Bozoljac and Filip Krajnović. The event was staged on the plateau outside NIS Belgrade headquarters. As many as seventy children grasped the basics of tennis with the help of professional coach in the Open School of Tennis, which came into existence two years ago under the auspices of NIS as the general sponsor of Serbia’s Tennis Union. Cities across the country were included in the activity. The children deprived of parental care from the State Foster Care Center in Zvečanska Street and the best college students, who as Serbia’s representatives ranked among the best in various top world competitions, were not the only to undergo coaching in the Open School of Tennis. Their peers in Niš, Novi Bečej, Čačak, Zrenjanin, Kikinda had the opportunity to benefit from it in the previous years, and now some free tennis training is in store for the boys and girls in Belgrade, Novi Sad, Kragujevac and Pančevo. “We are greatly privileged to be involved in this exceptional sport event as Davis Cup. Today, we are socializing with world’s best tennis players. We are happy to have an opportunity to make possible for the children and youngsters to make acquaintance with the tennis aces, who are role models for the many. The spirit of sports, the accomplishment of great results and team play are the values cherished and developed in our company”, said Svetlana Vycherova, head of NIS PR Department. NIS dedicates special attention to children and youth. Total donations in various projects that foster solidarity, empathy and humanity are increased last year on the previous one by 20 per cent. The company supports the youth in its “Power of Knowledge” Programme encompassing cooperation in different forms with universities and other scientific and research institutions. This very programme facilitated the participation of young chemists, physicists and mathematicians at international competitions in Copenhagen, Moscow, Santa Marti, Columbia, where the captured as many as 15 medals. NIS devised “Power of Sports” corporate programme, which has for the third consecutive year supported the country’s top tennis players competing in Davis Cup, i.e. FED Cup slated for 13 – 15 September this year.
