WTA cites security concerns in canceling RI events
WTA cites security concerns in canceling RI events
JAKARTA (JP): The WTA Tour has dropped the Wismilak Open
tournaments in Surabaya and Jakarta from its calendar this year
due to security concerns.
Operations manager of the women's professional tennis circuit
governing body, Linda Christensen, said in a July 17 faxed letter
to the Indonesian Tennis Association that the decision was made
after an inspection of the cities.
"The Tour recently conducted security risk checks for the
cities of Surabaya and Jakarta. Given the strong chance that
Indonesia will become more volatile and the possibility for
further violent unrest in Surabaya and Jakarta later in the year,
it is not in the best interests of the Tour players or officials
to travel to these cities at this time," Christensen said.
"Therefore, based on these results, both tournaments have been
canceled for 1998."
The tier-three tournament in Surabaya, which offered a purse
of US$147,000, was scheduled for Sep. 28 - Oct. 4. The Jakarta
open, a tier-four event with $107,000 on offer, was slated on
Nov. 9 - Nov. 15.
Riots shook several Indonesian cities in the wake of student
movements that culminated in the ouster of former president
Soeharto in May. Random acts of looting and seizure of goods and
property continue to be widespread problems.
Security worries have also been blamed for disrupting other
sports events in the country. The Indonesian Open badminton
championships has been moved back from August to November, while
the soccer league was prematurely halted in May.
In response to the WTA Tour's decision, deputy secretary-
general of the Indonesian Tennis Association Subiyanto said the
association would ask for further explanation from Surabaya-based
cigarette company Wismilak, the events' main sponsor.
"The WTA Tour has never tried to get information from us about
the situation in Jakarta," Subiyanto said yesterday. "It's too
bad to cancel both tournaments just because of security reasons."
Local players Mimma Chernovita, Irawati Moerid Iskandar, Wynne
Prakusya, Enny Sulistyowati, Liza Andriyani and Cynthia Dwi were
expected to play in both tournaments.
Dominique van Roost of Belgium won the singles event at last
year's tournament in Surabaya. The duo of Kerry-Anne Guse of
Australia and Rika Hiraki of Japan won the doubles.
This year's tournament in Jakarta was to serve as a
replacement for the Indonesian Women's Open which in the past was
sponsored by Bank Danamon. Wismilak has sponsored the Surabaya
event for the past four years. (yan)