Indonesia can host more ATP events: Official<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia has the potential to host more ATP
\ntour events in the future, says an executive of the association
\nof professional men's tennis.<\/p>\n
\"Since Indonesia has improved its tennis facilities, it has
\nbecome more likely for the country to host future ATP events,\"
\nsaid Simon Baggs, an ATP tour executive during a seminar here
\nyesterday.<\/p>\n
Baggs was referring to the US$3.8 million tennis complex
\nrecently built by a private consortium in Kemayoran, Central
\nJakarta.<\/p>\n
\"The Kemayoran tennis complex has a sliding roof stadium,\" he
\nadded. \"The only two other places with such a facility are
\nMelbourne and Tokyo.\"<\/p>\n
Indonesia, which has played host to the Indonesian Men's Open
\nin January the last two years, will also stage the Men's Doubles
\nWorld Championship next November. Both ATP-sanctioned tournaments
\nare played at Senayan tennis stadium.<\/p>\n
Indonesia has also held a $100,000 international women's
\ntennis event under the auspices of ATP's counterpart, the Women's
\nTennis Association (WTA), since 1991.<\/p>\n
During the seminar, Baggs invited the Indonesian business
\nsector to invest in ATP events which are usually held in major
\ninternational tourist resorts.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Tennis Association (Pelti) plans to move the
\nIndonesia Men's Tennis championships to Nusa Dua, Bali next year
\nin conjunction with the celebration of the country's 50th
\nindependence anniversary.<\/p>\n
\"Tennis is an industry and has benefited many companies
\nincluding those which are not immediately related to sports or
\ntennis,\" he said.<\/p>\n
He cited that many travel and financial services firms, such
\nas Germany's Lufthansa Airlines and the Prudential Insurance
\nCompany of the United States, are ATP sponsors.<\/p>\n
Lucrative<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, on the same occasion, Tanri Abeng, chair of the
\nIndonesian Tourism Board (BPPI) and a renowned businessman, said
\nthat Indonesian business must view tennis as \"a kind of a
\npotentially very lucrative entertainment industry.\"<\/p>\n
\"This is why we must master the art of marketing to utilize
\ntennis events as a business,\" said Tanri, who is chief executive
\nof the listed Bakrie and Brothers company.<\/p>\n
Organizers of the men's tennis event had to pay $250,000 to
\nentice American world-class player Michael Chang to play in a
\nrecent tournament here.<\/p>\n
During a break in the seminar, Baggs said that ATP is
\nconfident that tennis will gain increasing fans worldwide.<\/p>\n
\"The number of tournaments and money generated have been on
\nthe rise,\" he told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
Baggs, however, declined to cite any figures to back up his
\nargument.<\/p>\n
He also brushed aside all theories which assert that tennis
\nhas become less interesting due to the recent prevalence of serve
\nand volley specialists such as Pete Sampras or Goran Ivanisevic.<\/p>\n
The official also said that ATP has passed new rulings to
\nrevitalize the sport.<\/p>\n
These include lessening the interval between games, relaxing
\napparel regulations and allowing members of the audience to move
\naround during a play, he said.<\/p>\n
\"Sure some players, like Boris Becker, complained, but they
\nwill just to have live with it,\" Baggs said. (hdj)<\/p>",
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