One of the secrets of a happy life in Croatia is to surround yourself with positive people. There are a lot of people who love to complain here, but if you choose the path more positive, you really do get a different perspective.
I was first introduced to Feliks Lukas about 8 years ago in Bol, where he was delivering the only WTA women’s tennis event on an island, and not even in peak season. A champion of networking and promoting Croatia, his contribution to promote Croatian tennis and the country in general has been immense. And so it was with some satisfaction the other day that I saw Feliks – along with another of my legendary besties, Marko Rakar – representing Croatia at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, which was attended by USA President Joe Biden and many other dignitaries. More on that from this translated report from Kastela.org.
Feliks Lukas from Kaštela is the only sports manager from Europe at the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington
Few can boast that they had breakfast with the President of the USA. One of them is sports manager and director of the WTA Makarska Open tennis tournament Feliks Lukas, who was invited with 600 other guests from 90 countries to the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington. This is a great recognition for a sports manager. He has dedicated his entire career to tennis and has been successfully running the WTA tournament for years, which moved to Makarska last year after Bol.
The centerpiece of this traditional event took place on Thursday in Washington in a somewhat different edition than previous years when the National Prayer Breakfast gathered a larger and more diverse audience, from prominent religious leaders to political lobbyists.
This tradition was started by President Eisenhower, who gave a speech on the relationship between religion and government at the first, more informal and much smaller meeting, so since then the speeches of the American president have been a key part of the event.
(Lukas and fellow Croatian legend Marko Rakar (extreme left) with Congressman Moolenaar)
Joe Biden is the first American president who is a practicing Catholic believer since J.F. Kennedy, and at this year’s event, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and King Abdullah II of Jordan addressed the guests via video link.
This is a great recognition for the WTA Makarska Open tournament and its director Feliks Lukas, the only sports manager from Europe who also had several meetings with American representatives and senators and presented them with the successful project of the WTA tournament, which after Bol last year moved to an attractive Makarska.
“Magnificent experience. I’m still impressed. It is a great honor to participate in the traditional National Prayer Breakfast with President Biden and representatives of Congress and the Senate, and with you at this event are famous world names such as Evander Hollyfield, the world boxing legend. I had the opportunity to promote Croatia, Kaštela and our tournament in Makarska and talk to high-ranking politicians such as Congressman John Moolenaar from Michigan; Stan Holmes and Bill Wall, leaders of the US Senate and House Prayer Breakfast Group; Bill Wall, president and CEO of XP International, a company that is involved in the organization of major sports events such as the Tour de France and the Olympic Games,” said Lukas.
You can learn more about this year’s WTA Makarska Open on the official website.
