Indonesia can host more ATP events: Official

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)