Djokovic inagurates courts at controversial Bosnian 'pyramids'
Recently-crowned Wimbledon champion Novak Djokovic on Wednesday inaugurated tennis courts at a 'pyramid park' in Bosnia that he regularly visits to recharge his batteries.
The tennis star, known for his new-age spiritual interests, is fond of the hill town of Visoko, where thousands flock every year to what some believe are an ancient man-made pyramid complex with healing powers -- a claim rejected by scientists.
The 35-year-old Serb, who claimed his 21st Grand Slam title on Sunday, visited the site for the first time in 2020 and called it a "paradise on earth".
He has returned to the "Bosnian Pyramid of the Sun" complex at least four times, either alone or with his family, always to be warmly welcomed by the unusual site's founder Semir Osmanagic.
According to Osmanagic, a Bosnian businessman and a self-styled archaeologist, the idea of building a "regional training centre" with two courts was born during Djokovic's last visit in March.
"This is a special day for Visoko, for Bosnia, for the whole region, for tennis, for sport", Djokovic said after arriving at the new courts.
"The message of this day is peace, sport, future and health", he added while several hundred fans seated near a dense forest welcomed him with a big applause.
The Serbian star played exibition matches with Croatian Ivan Dodig, Aljaz Bedene of Slovenia and Bosnian tennis player Aldin Setkic.
Looking very relaxed, Djokovic staged an unusual show, making the audience laugh by pretending to argue with the referees or trying to "bribe" them.
Ancient civilisation afficionado Osmanagic has claimed for the past 20 years that he has discovered not one, but several pyramids built by a mysterious civilization near Visoko.
For the past few years his teams have been also clearing underground tunnels near the "Pyramid of the Sun" and he boasts of its beneficial effects on the health of visitors.
On arrival, Djokovic visited the new courts and went for a walk into a pine forest, which is a part of the park, with his host.
Djokovic has meditated at the site and during each visit walked kilometres of "energy" tunnels, which are, according to archaeologists, an ancient gold mine.
"Here, we simply feel the energy, each in its own way. For me, this is one of the most energetically powerful places on the planet, of which I have seen many," Djokovic told reporters after the exibition matches.
"I simply feel that every moment spent here fills me with energy and gives me strength for future challenges in tennis and in life," he added.
Ever since Djokovic became a regular, the number of visitors from all over former Yugoslavia has multiplied.
Both Djokovic and his unusual host do not miss the opportunity to underline values of peace, sharply contrasting the constant combative and nationalist narrative pushed by political leaders of the region devastated in the 1990s wars.
And Djokovic's faith in Visoko has given the locals a reciprocal faith in him.
"This man who is so rich that he can spend a vacation on Mars comes here," a souvenir seller near the entrance to the tunnels told AFP.
"He chose Visoko which nobody knew. That is proof enough that there is something there. He cannot be bought."
(责任编辑:关于我们)
- Number of COVID
- 移动支付便捷惠民 一分钱可坐公交车
- 雄盛橄榄酒:潮州的绿金液态传奇丨粤合好物系列报道⑦
- Stephen King apparently owns a Tesla and Elon Musk is very proud
- 50 Years Later: The Revolutionary 8008 Microprocessor
- Blinken condemns Russia
- 2024年广州市农业主导品种和主推技术发布
- 'US remains concerned about N. Korea's nuclear test, but also ready for contingency'
- 移动支付便捷惠民 一分钱可坐公交车
- Against All Odds: How Netflix Made It
- Big energy partners join Shell's giant NortH2 wind
- North Korea's media outlets remain silent about missile launches
- TCL announces smartwatch for seniors, new type of 'zero eye strain' display
-
驿站备有消暑物品供大家取用本报讯8月25日中午,烈日当头,热浪滚滚。环卫工人王芳走进雨城区青江街道汉碑路社区户外劳动服务站点汉驿站,从冰箱里拿出当天的午饭。“我一上午都在马路两侧来回保洁,中午到驿站休 ...[详细]
-
Woods to make comeback from injury next week
MIAMI:Tiger Woods said Wednesday he will make his return to competitive golf at next week's PNC ...[详细] -
[Seoul Struggles 11] Do I have to detour again to avoid the protest?
Members of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions hold a mass rally near Seoul Jongno Police Stati ...[详细] -
Seoul to invest W48.7tr through 2030 to be more global and inhabitable
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon speaks Wednesday while unveiling his investment plan titled "Seoul Vision 203 ...[详细] -
We Bought the Cheapest DDR5 RAM Modules We Could Find, Are They Any Good?
For this article we're doing something simple: find the cheapest DDR5 RAM we could get our hands on, ...[详细] -
美如画的熊猫绿岛公园“百镇建设行动”试点镇宝兴县灵关镇宽阔的南外环线中段道路大兴镇顺路安置小区姚桥新区一隅2018年,是改革开放40周年。40年来,春风化雨,风雨激荡。乘着改革开放的东风,雅安的城市建 ...[详细]
-
雅安日报/北纬网讯昨7)日,省十三届人大常委会第八次会议第二次全体会议批准了《雅安市青衣江流域水环境保护条例》以下简称《条例》)。这是继《雅安市新村聚居点管理条例》后,我市制定的第二部实体性地方法规。 ...[详细]
-
China adding finishing touches to world
China is moving ahead with development of an experimental reactor that would be the first of its kin ...[详细] -
Update your BIOS: Utilities from Top Motherboard Makers
PSA:Enthusiasts building their own PCs are accustomed to keeping up with latest drivers, especially ...[详细] -
Corn Twitter comes for Bud Light after their anti
Corn twitter is popping off. It's not the way you'd expect to start the week, but Bud Light, the pat ...[详细]
CrowdStrike outage is still causing hundreds of flight cancellations daily
Family of slain public official seeks help from UN, US politicians
- 提前谋划部署准备秋季开学
- Department of Education considers letting schools buy guns for teachers with federal grant funds.
- Brett Kavanaugh tells Susan Collins that Roe v. Wade is “settled law.”
- Seoul education office pulls back on school rebuilding project
- Black Friday GPU Buying Guide: November GPU Pricing Update
- North Korea ups tension with ballistic missile launches
- Facebook is full of anti