SLTA Tennis Centre takes on ‘resortlike’ ambience
INTERNATIONAL junior players, coaches, officials and spectators alike will get to enjoy and experience a resort-like atmosphere at the Sarawak Lawn Tennis Association (SLTA) Tennis Centre along Jalan Crookshank come this October.
This is because the tennis centre has and will continue to undergo some positive changes in the upgrading of the facilities to make the centre more known to the tennis fraternity in the region and the world.
“Since the Covid-19 pandemic broke out in March 2020, international tennis events have experienced a lay-off of two and half years.
“As we were unable to organise international events, we took the opportunity to further upgrade and improve facilities at our tennis centre.
“We have built a new store and expanded the current medical room, built an indoor gym and outdoor gym, a nicely set up gazebo on the platform of the canteen area which provides a nice and conducive environment for players and visitors while enjoying their meals, they can watch the games,” said SLTA president Dato Patrick Liew Chin Joon.
Sitting benches were also set up in between the courts so that the players, coaches and spectators alike can watch the other players in action.
The outdoor gym include sky walker, monkey bar and sit up benches for the parents
SLTA Tennis Centre will be the only tennis centre in South-East Asia or probably even in Asia that will provide the resort-like feeling. That further gives added value to our facilities to host bigger events.
— Dato Patrick Liew, SLTA president
and siblings to do some exercise while waiting for their children or siblings to complete their games.
Other improvements include turfing the barren areas and placing more potted plants to spruce up the landscaping.
“A new court (Court 13) has been built to cater for the ITF Junior Initiative Development Programme which is expected to be launched in June or July.
“We also plan to do the resurfacing of all the courts sometime in August or September this year in preparation for the October tournaments,” said Liew.
“SLTA Tennis Centre will be the only tennis centre in SouthEast Asia or probably even in Asia that will provide the resortlike feeling. That further gives added value to our facilities to host bigger events.
“We want to take this opportunity to showcase upgraded and new look of improved facilities at SLTA in order to impress and giving good impression to our participants in which they can eventually be our ambassadors for the coming years. We want to take this opportunity to promote SLTA and Kuching as their next preferred destination.
“I am sure the players and coaches will share their experience here in Kuching with their friends in the social media and the stories of world top professionals Ashleigh Barty and Nick Kyrgios who have played here in their tennis journey,” added Liew who is Lawn Tennis Association of Malaysia vice president cum tournament and officiating chairman.
Liew said SLTA will be organising back-to-back ITF junior tournaments in October, which are the 36th Sarawak Premier Cup ITF World Tennis Tour J1 from Oct 18 to 23 and 37th Sarawak Premier Cup ITF World Tennis Tour J3 from Oct 25 to 30.
“We might not have the advantage of having advanced technology facilities like digital scoreboards, live stream, score gadgets when compared with many developing countries that organise ATP and WTA events.
“But we want to take advantage of our gifted environment, such as fresh air, greenery, sunshine, relaxed and friendly hospitality. We want to create that sort of environment that they will not get from other advanced countries.
“That’s why we have decided to create a kind of resort feel with nice landscaping, gazebo gardens, table and chairs, consume the new very relaxation kind of ambiance, and we want to offer them unforgettable memories that they come to Kuching, Sarawak not only to play tennis but also enjoy the environment, good food and hospitality.
“You cannot get this kind of feel in countries like Thailand and Philippines and many countries where they have to experience traffic jams and so on,” he pointed out.
He said SLTA will work with Sarawak Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Performing Arts and the Sarawak Tourism Board to organise some short sightseeing trips for the players and officials to various tourist destinations in Kuching to promote tourism.
“We are planning to create our Facebook account where we can do live streaming of matches and share information and results of tournaments as well as getting feedback from the players and officials,” he said.