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)