Tennis Participation - Public Relations

This aspect of the tennis participation strategy adopted by LTAM stresses the need to create greater awareness and acceptance of the tennis sport. We must encourage and facilitate the hosting of tennis events and activities by private event organizers in Malaysia. These so-called events and activities have tremendous impact on the promotion and development of the sport. On a global level, making the sport one of the many sport tourism attractions for local and international tourists of our beloved country.

Internationally, tennis is not only accepted as a exciting sporting event but also a tourist attraction. All the more there is a greater need for LTAM to cystalize and propel the sport to excite interests  by creating greater awareness and acceptance first, as a sport tourism activity in Malaysia. We must encourage and facilitate the hosting of any tennis sporting event, especially an international event, as the benefits derived of becoming a tourist sport  internationally is unquantifiable but definitely good for tennis development in terms of encouraging many to take up and indulge in tennis, hence a bigger tennis participation base.

It is crucial for LTAM to support the event organizers of the ECM Libra Celebrity and CEO, The Showdown of Champions, Clash of Times and Titans, SEA Ex-Nationals Team, Dr Poh Soon Sim Cup, ITF Men's Futures, ITF Women's Satellites etc and/or International WTA and ATP 250 event. Money may not be well spent on these events, initially, but the increase in tennis participation will provide the so-called larger player base for LTAM talent identification or for that matter in the development of tennis in Malaysia. Additonal development fund in the form of sanction fees, demand for officials, ball kids and court services, clinics, facilities, etc will give the required boost to our tennis industry. Such sanction fees  can provide a firm revenue stream for LTAM annually and this can definitely support our funding strategy towards a well managed LTAM and establishment of our High Performance Infrastructure.

From a global and longer term strategic planning, such an event can attract good media coverage, government grants and most importantly, attract variety of sponsors once they have matured to an international sport tourism event. It will put Malaysia on the map and in the mainstream of the development of worldwide tennis. We can easily identify the tangible benefits such as the valuable funding but consider the intangibles where it will instill 'fire inside' our juniors and seniors to give their very best and  excel in the sport. Then only we can dream of producing world class tennis players?

What do you think are the reasons behind our urge to be on Mount Everest, traverse The Poles, Sail Around the World, Go To Space, Swam the English Channel, to be in the Guiness Books of Records, the Petronas Twin Towers, Formula 1 Sepang Circuit, First Class KLIA, etc, Yes! it is the so-called Mega Projects that create the 'fire inside' us. The Global Strategy!

This is LTAM's goal and only time will tell whether we are dreaming or visionary but definitely for sure based on the response to our events and activities so far, we definitely saw an increase in tennis participation, demand for coaching, officiating, facilities, tournaments, balls and other tennis accessories. In short, our tennis industry is growing and booming and we should take advantage of it.