ASTANA, Kazakhstan,
May 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The
Asian Tennis Federation (ATF) held a board of directors meeting in
Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan,
which has lately become a paragon of tennis development in the
region. This October, the country will host an ATP 250 tournament
for the fourth time. To be held in Almaty for the first time, the event is
expected to be larger than previous tournaments, gathering
players from more than 20 countries as well as around 42
thousand spectators.
The board of the ATF, whose primary goal is to make Asian tennis
players more competitive on the global stage, discussed the
Federation's development strategy until 2027, the establishment of
new Asian tournaments for top players, promotion of the
participation of Asian players in high-level international
events and the increased construction of clay courts to
improve the performance of Asian players on clay surfaces.
One of the key highlights of the meeting was a visit to the
Beeline Arena and the Daulet Tennis Centre to observe firsthand the
training of children in Kazakhstan
and to engage with the coaches.
Representatives from Cambodia,
China, India, Saudi
Arabia, Singapore,
South Korea, and the United Arab Emirates, among other countries,
attended the meeting.
Bulat Utemuratov, who is President of the Kazakhstan
Tennis Federation, Vice President of the International Tennis
Federation (ITF) and chairman of the ATF's Development Advisors
Group, noted:
"I'm proud to keep supporting the representation
of Asian players at international tournaments. As one of the key
first steps, I intend to call on the ITF to increase the number of
high-level ITF tournaments held in this region and to ensure that
the representation of Asian players in international tournaments
matches the share of IPIN (International Player Identification
Number) fees paid by them."
Yuriy Polskiy, President of
the Asian Tennis Federation, said:
"We are partnering with the Grand Slam tournaments to elevate
Asian tennis players. They will compete for a wild card entry to
the French Open through qualifiers in Kazakhstan, China, and Japan. Additionally, young players (14&U)
will have the chance to participate in Wimbledon.
"We also seek the ITF's support to expand junior tournaments
in Asia, allowing players to
compete in major events without travelling to Europe, thereby conserving financial
resources."
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