A sporting alternative

By Martin Tiffany

ACCORDING to the tourism pundits, long gone are the days when all the visitor to Fiji was looking for was sun, sand, swaying palms, and a few beers or a fruit cocktail.

Basicalb the Fiji tourism industry is saying that another Fiji does exist which makes it unique from other sun and sand destinations.

One facet of that “other Fiji" is sport.

Hotels and resorts have realised that having a golf course or tennis courts gives them an edge over competitors who are unable to offer these. For golf a great deal of land is required so adding a few tennis courts to the hotel complex is usually the norm. 1 hese are used for leisure games by tourists and for a few local competitions.

But what about attracting visitors specifi cally lor tennis?

Oiu- man who can see this possibilit\ having great future potential is Paul Albares. Director o( Tennis at the Denarau Tennis Club which serves both the Sheraton Fiji Resort and the Regent of Fiji.

He forsees not only having tennis

package holidays but holding an annual

event which will attract top players and could possibly become part of the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP circuit.

Although Albares realises that things won’t happen overnight, he suggests Fiji look at the possibility soon if it wants to be serious about it.

The Tonga Lawn Tennis Association, for example, has already made moves towards starling an annual international competition when it held its second Tonga Easter Tennis Carnival in April.

This attracted players from Western Samoa, Fiji, Brisbane and Wellington who competed in team events and then in the Tonga Open which offered total prize money ofTS7OOO. The TLTA helps pay for players’ accommodation and air fare and hopes to attract more players

next year and turn the tournament into a major event on the Pacific tennis calendar.

BP Oil (Tonga) and the Tongan government were the sponsors behind the event. They see the tournament as not only encourgaing young tennis players but attracting a good number of visitors over a 10-day to two-week period.

Albares, the Fiji national tennis coach, says Fiji may have to supplement air fares and accommodation to attract players but once they are able to offer attractive prize money players will come by themselves.

He said Fiji had the advantage of being a beautiful holiday destination where players could come and relax and take time off from the demanding circuit.

Albares coached in Guam before coming to Fiji and where they started an invitational tournament and got sponsors to pay for airfares. They invited teams of two to four players from Korea, Japan, Phillipincs, Thailand and Hawaii in itially to bring exposure to their younger players.

The Guam Challenge is now an ATP sanctioned event on the ATP calendar with SUSSO,OOO in prize money.

Albares explained they would like to look at the possibility at Denarau. With six grass and four synthetic courts Denarau is the biggest complex in Fiji. It is getting an additional four synthetic courts within the year plus a spectator stand which would allow it to run a major tournament.

The general manager of the Regent, Michael Kemp, said once the new courts are in place he sees no reason why such a tournament can’t be looked at.

Albares suggests that Fiji look at attracting top players from Australia and New Zealand and also target nationally funded players from places like Indon esia, the Phillipincs and South Fast Asia.

Another possibility which could be considered, Albares said, is a tourist circuit which did not involve top players.

He suggested a tournament that began in Suva, worked its way along the hotels on

the Coral Coast and ended at Denarau where a classic could be held.

This would be easier to organise and could be looked at in the shorter-term but “ down the road some time (we could) look at having a major event that would be the biggest in the region” said Albares.

In early May a group of Australian sports journalists were invited to Fiji by the Fiji Visitors Bureau and Air Pacific to look at sports facilities at various hotel and resorts especially tennis facilities. The journalists suggested that a circuit or a major tournament be organised to attract visitors.

From such a circuit or tournament the young players would be able to see and play against top competition and possibly one or two outstanding Fiji players would emerge and help the country become a regional tennis force.

Albares said this would allow players to compete in places like New Zealand with a resonable chance.

All this and attracting the all import ant tourist dollar □