CROATIA: WIMBLEDON CHAMPION GORAN IVANISEVIC IS GREETED BY 150,000 FANS ON RETURN TO HIS HOME TOWN OF SPLIT
Record ID:
647630
CROATIA: WIMBLEDON CHAMPION GORAN IVANISEVIC IS GREETED BY 150,000 FANS ON RETURN TO HIS HOME TOWN OF SPLIT
- Title: CROATIA: WIMBLEDON CHAMPION GORAN IVANISEVIC IS GREETED BY 150,000 FANS ON RETURN TO HIS HOME TOWN OF SPLIT
- Date: 10th July 2001
- Summary: SPLIT, CROATIA (JULY 10, 2001) (REUTERS - NONE, ACCESS ALL) 1. GORAN IVANISEVIC ON BOAT TAKING HIM FROM AIRPORT TO CELEBRATIONS IN SPLIT HARBOUR 2. VARIOUS OF MOTORCADE, CROWD CHEERING HIM, GIVING HERO'S WELCOME 3. GORAN WITH SOCCER TEAM 4. PEOPLE WATCHING FROM WINDOWS/BALCONIES 5. GORAN TRYING TO GET ONTO STAGE 6. WIDE SHOT OF CROWDS 7. GORAN WAVING TO CROWDS 8. VARIOUS OF CROWDS 9. SOUNDBITE (Croatian) GORAN IVANISEVIC, WIMBLEDON TENNIS CHAMPION FOR 2001 SAYING: "This is two days which I will never forget. Yesterday and today. Thank you Split, thank you very much. Without you I couldn't succeed. Thank you because you believe in in me, you've been with me all the time." 10. GORAN REMOVING CLOTHES AND THROWING THEM TO THE CROWD 11. GORAN KEEPS BASKETBALL SHIRT NUMBER 3, THE ONE WORN BY DRZEN PETROVIC, HIS FRIEND WHO WAS KILLED IN A CAR ACCIDENT AND TO WHOM GORAN DEDICATED HIS WIN AT WIMBLEDON 12. VARIOUS OF CELEBRATIONS AND FIREWORKS 13. MAN IN CROWD WITH LARGE RACKET SHOWING NUMBER ONE Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 25th July 2001 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: SPLIT, CROATIA
- Country: Croatia
- Reuters ID: LVA9LEE7YHHJ42L0OC88O9TQ4049
- Story Text: Wimbledon tennis champion Goran Ivanesevic has returned
home to a tumultuous welcome.
Newly-crowned Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic
stripped down to his underwear as he was given a hero's
welcome by 150,000 ecstatic fans in his home town of Split on
Tuesday.
Ivanisevic put on a "Number 3" New Jersey Nets shirt,
which belonged to his late friend -- NBA basketball player
Drazen Petrovic -- to whom he dedicated his Wimbledon crown.
Many wore T-shirts saying "I am a genius", a famous quote
Ivanisevic gave to shrug off critics who claimed he was only a
big server.
A Hajduk Split fan threw himself on the Mercedes Benz
carrying Ivanisevic, shouting: "You are the symbol of this
town!"
"Goran for President," one banner read.
The official programme, including local crooners, pop
stars and rap singers ended after two hours but the crowd
stayed on to relish the moment.
"This town has never staged such an welcome, not even for
Tito," an elderly man said, referring to late President of
socialist Yugoslavia Josip Broz Tito.
Toni Kukoc, three-times an NBA champion with the Chicago
Bulls, said Ivanisevic's success was one of the greatest
achievements in Croatia's 10-year history.
At the city airport, Ivanisevic was hugged by his mother
-- who did not travel to England because he had asked her not
to -- his sister Srdjana and his girlfriend, model Tanja
Dragovic.
Deputy Prime Minister Zeljka Antunovic said Ivanisevic had
done a wonderful thing, not only for himself but for the whole
of Croatia.
"He showed us that when one has enough persistence and
belief in oneself, anything is possible," Antunovic said.
The crowd had roared as a private plane carrying
Ivanisevic from England made a celebratory circuit above the
city centre.
He then boarded a boat and sailed 10 miles along the
scenic Adriatic coast to the harbour, escorted by dozens of
tourist and fishermen's boats honking their sirens.
Ivanisevic's heart-stopping final victory over Australia's
Pat Rafter on Monday sent hundreds of people into the streets.
Some jumped into the sea with joy, others drove around in
cars or on motor-cycles.
Two prominent local journalists shaved off their
moustaches, while another vowed to cut his hair for the first
time in 10 years in honour of the win.
Ivanisevic's family was swamped with telephone calls and
telegrams of support, with one coming from the Hague war
crimes tribunal where nine Bosnian Croats await trial.
"We are the proudest people in the world," the nine said
through one of their lawyers. "Thank you for the historic
success in the name of the Croatian Homeland."
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