New tennis fund-raising body urged to run more local events

JAKARTA (JP): The newly established Indonesian Tennis Association's fund-raising and promotion body received a challenging response yesterday to how many international tournaments it could hold to help national players raise their standards.

National men's coach and former top tennis player Wailan Walalangi urged the new body not only to think of fund-raising efforts but also to influence the international tennis bodies to sanction more satellite, or challenger, men's tournaments which offer under US$100,000 in prize money, here.

The fund-raising program, officially launched Thursday by the association's chairman Sarwono Kusumaatmadja, aims to collect at least Rp 5 billion (more than $2 million) from the public by 1998.

Only 20 percent of the money will be used for national tennis development, while the lion's share goes to the association's long-term savings.

The new body will honor the first 200 donors who contribute a minimum of Rp 1 million as charter members. In return, the members will receive, among other things, a periodical newsletter on tennis and tickets to watch any tournaments organized by the association.

Sarwono named businessman Djoko Kusumowidagdo for the top job in the new body, an extension of the old one headed by Eddy Katimansah. Eddy, who is also the association's foreign affairs official, is vice chairman to Djoko.

"The most important thing to do now is to provide our players with as much exposure at home as possible before they go international," Wailan said yesterday. "What's a big tournament for if our talented players cannot even go beyond the qualifying round?"

Indonesia has only a satellite tournament, which is now underway, in addition to the star-studded $300,000 Indonesia Open. The ATP Tour, the world men's professional tennis body, canceled the Indonesian Challenger last year due to its poor organization.

Indonesia also has two women's tournaments offering $100,000 in prize money, held annually here and in Surabaya, East Java. (amd)