Two games were held at the event, where the Ambassador of the Czech Republic to Latvia, Martin Vítek, faced RTU Vice-Rector for Innovation Liene Briede and an RTU student. There was a lot of interest in the event even before it started, more than 10 active participants and 50 spectators registered and participated in the match.

The game with the student was carried out according to the classic rules, but with Vice-Rector Liene Brede — adhering to innovative rules and using unusual game inventory — a large tennis racket and a large tennis ball, which confirms that creativity is possible in any field. Elīna Miķelsone, head of the Design Factory at the RTU Science and Innovation Center, on whose initiative the event was organized, points this out. “The game of tennis has many similarities with the innovation process. Even though it is a competition, you must pass the ball to move the game forward. With this event, we want to highlight the driving aspects of coopetition — cooperation and competition — in the development of innovation,” she says, thanking the Embassy of the Czech Republic in Latvia for its active participation in the organization and implementation of the event.

“Life is almost like tennis for me. It's a game. It's absolutely satisfying, with all the possible ups and downs,” the Czech ambassador to Latvia points out the similarities.

After the tennis matches, Ambassador Vítek gave a masterclass for the participants of the event, who had the opportunity to get tips and learn various tennis tricks.

Ambassador Vítek has been playing tennis since childhood. In 1978, he became the champion of the then Czechoslovakia in doubles and finished seventh in the national rankings. In the 1980s, he was one of the first league players and was one of the 50 best tennis players in the country. M. Vítek actively participated in competitions until 2018.

In addition to sports, representatives of the Embassy and RTU also focused on cultural exchange. The match was followed by an informal meeting where representatives of the embassy and the university discussed mutual projects and opportunities for cooperation not only in the field of sports, but especially in science and innovation, education and culture

The Embassy of the Czech Republic in Riga would like to thank the Riga Technical University for organizing the tennis event and looks forward to further opportunities to develop deeper relations with Latvia. We thank everyone who came to support our players and we look forward to further experiences together.