Tennis tourney fits into vision of long-term growth of sport
THIS year’s staging of Tennis Jamaica’s premier tournament, the Hi-Pro-sponsored All-Jamaica Senior Tennis Championships, will be the first of its kind to be hosted on the recently refurbished Eric Bell Tennis Centre courts.
A rededication of the courts, which holds rich history of the island’s more memorable Davis Cup battles, followed the tournament’s official launch at the sporting body’s Piccadilly Road headquarters yesterday.
The tournament, which suffered a 15-year hiatus due to financial constraints prior to last year’s staging, will once again see a number of Jamaica’s top players in action as they vie for over $500,000 in cash and prizes.
The championship is scheduled for August 17-22, and will see the likes of defending champion Damion Johnson, Daniel Harris and Rowland Phillips, all of whom represented Jamaica at the recently concluded Davis Cup tournament in Panama.
The women’s section will feature former champion Ffion Fletcher, along with Selena Blythe, Sheann Kameka, Stradiann Barrett and upcoming stars Mikalia Stephens and Jenna Harrison.
Individuals will contest the Men’s Singles and Doubles, Women’s Singles and Doubles, Class Two Men’s Singles and Doubles, as well as Men’s Singles 45 and over.
The draws to seed players are scheduled to be done on Saturday at noon. The winner of the men’s category will pocket $100,000, with the women’s champion collecting $40,000, while the runners-up will receive $50,000 and $20,000, respectively.
Additionally, the men’s quarter-finalists and semi-finalists will be awarded $15,000 and $25,000, respectively, while the doubles winners will pocket $15,000 each.
“A major part of the developmental process is to provide the players with the technical practical and competitive framework to be able to unearth the abundance of athletic talent we have in Jamaica,” said Aswad Morgan, first vice-president of tennis Jamaica.
“A tournament such as this is an extremely critical component in our long-term vision to allow players to showcase their skills, benchmark themselves in local and international competition and to compete for attractive prize money in a world-class facility like we have here with a first-world vibe that is motivating to the players and a joy to the spectators.”
Morgan also extended gratitude to sponsors, in particular Hi-Pro, which has been a backbone to the growth of the sport over the past four years.
“Tournaments of this calibre are never possible without some visionary sponsors such as Hi-Pro, and we are most grateful for the support and the commitment they have shown to tennis in Jamaica. As we continue to push our agenda, we look forward to support from all stakeholders and anticipate yet another successful tournament,” he said in his address at the launch.
Meanwhile, Dayne Patterson, business development manager of Hi-Pro, outlined that his firm welcomes the opportunity to be involved in nation-building and the development of youth through sports.
“Hi-Pro, and by the extension the Jamaica Broilers group, is a company that is very entrenched in Jamaica on the agricultural side, but also in anything that develops national pride, so we are pleased to be a part of this tournament,” he declared.
Patterson added that their continued contribution to Tennis Jamaica is spurred by its vision to unearth, develop and nurture Jamaica’s talent.
“We have been on board with Tennis Jamaica for quite some time, and we believe in what they are trying to achieve in pushing the sport forward, so we want to give them the resources to continue that drive,” he told the Jamaica Observer.
“It is performances like that of Dustin Brown, when he defeated Rafael Nadal, that encourages Hi-Pro to support Tennis Jamaica in facilitating development of our natural talent. This tournament allows us to build new relationships with our young players, as we continue our assistance to the development of the sport and we are looking forward to another successful championship this year,” Patterson emphasised.