Pelti to ask chapters to host satellite tournaments

Pelti to ask chapters to host satellite tournaments

JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Tennis Association (Pelti)
spokesman, Benny Mailili, said on Tuesday that the association
must improve its performance by asking its provincial chapters to
stage satellite and future tournaments next year.

"By staging both events in the chapters, I believe the tennis
society will boost their motivation and love of the sport as has
happened before," he said.

Pelti plans to stage six satellites and six future tournaments
next year in the Kemayoran tennis center, Central Jakarta. During
the six futures and four satellites this year, only a few
spectators visited the center to watch the tournaments.

"Pelti must be proactive and its officials must lobby the
chapters' officials to jointly host the events. So far, chapters
have no idea of the procedures to stage satellite and future
tournaments. We have to inform them of the procedures," he said.

The women's satellite tournament needs Rp 35 million
(US$4,940) to stage the event and US$10,000 for the prize money.
While a series of men's future tournaments, comprising of two
consecutive matches, will cost Rp 72 million, with $35,000 for
prize money and also certain allowances for the International
Tennis Federation (ITF) supervisors.

Pelti must also pay a sanction fee of $600 for each satellite
and $225 for each future tournament.

In total, Pelti must provide $150,000 for next year's prize
money. It is excluded from the sanction fee and the cost of
staging the event.

"We can ask for financial help from the ITF but I think the
amount will only be about $20,000," Benny said.

Benny named all the chapters in Java, South Sulawesi and Bali
as the most likely chapters to stage the events.

"South Sulawesi has always hosted the Makassar Open while Bali
always hosts the Nusa Dua Open consistently. They are well
organized and I think we can persuade the organizers to increase
the national-level tournaments to become satellites and future
level events," he said.

"We don't have to erase the official name of the local
tournament but change its level into a satellite or future."

"Increasing the tournaments levels is also good for local
players as they have a chance to improve their world rankings.
That's why Pelti must be more proactive in persuading the
chapters and promoting the tournaments throughout the country,"
he said. (yan)