The Bahamas Women’s Tennis Open’s chief organizer, Tyrone Olander, has confirmed that the Ministry of Tourism is at the moment, disconnected from the event.
However, he is not panicking. While the view here certainly is that it makes all the sense in the world for the government’s entity that drives tourism to be associated fully with such an event, it is courageous indeed that Olander is pushing on.
Olander “was hoping that they (the Ministry of Tourism) would come on board this year” but it doesn’t look now like that will happen. Nevertheless, cemented in his mind is the tremendous potential the sports/tourism event has.
“Remember, this was a first time event and The Bahamas and/or the Caribbean had never hosted a major tournament of this magnitude. We did not expect to be profitable this first event.
“We just wanted to stage it successfully so that we could convince the ITF (International Tennis Federation) that we can be a regular stop on the Pro Circuit Tour. We did that. The Bahamas is the real winner here.
“I’m a virtually unknown Bahamian to most people today, having been living in Chicago for the past 15 years. I came home to bring major sporting events to The Bahamas.
“We are blessed by this tournament in that we are in a position where we are assured of getting more than half of the 100 ranked players in the world, by means of this tournament being requested by these players that get eliminated early in the Indian Wells Tournament.
“They then have to sit out a week before going to the next mandatory tournament next door in Miami. That’s why the ITF created this week for them, so, half of the 100 ranked players who are eliminated early will come to The Bahamas Open,” informed Olander.
I applaud the effort of Olander and his associates. As pointed out in this space previously, getting an ITF-sanctioned event on our turf is huge for the national sports program.
The hosting of such an event, takes The Bahamas to another sports power level. Hopefully the other sponsors that stepped up for the 2011 event will remain in the mix. It is important though that in the immediate future, the Ministry of Tourism reconnects with the Bahamas Women’s Tennis Open.
Both parties, in the interest of boosting sports tourism, need to find a way to sit down, have a discussion, resolve whatever issues there are, shake hands and get onto the same page once again.
Quite frankly, this ought to happen. Minister of Tourism Vincent Vanderpool-Wallace and his Sports Director Tyrone Sawyer should be willing to have a meaningful role in any major sports/tourism happening in the country.
Source: The Freeport News
