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