Singapore is fast becoming the sporting hub of the Asia-Pacific region and hosting the Women's Tennis Association Finals in the Lion City was part of WTA's wider strategy to promote the game within the region, said WTA's regional vice-president Melissa Pine.
Singapore won the hosting rights of the season-ending prestigious WTA Finals in 2014 for a period of five years and Pine feels the Lion City has all what is needs to stage a mega sporting event.
"When selecting a new location for a tournament there are several factors in play. The WTA Tour consists of 56 tournaments in the season so we have to see how each location fits on the calendar. The location must also have the infrastructure in terms of adequate courts, player facilities and more to support a tournament. Additionally, it is important to have the support of partners who share the same vision. Singapore ticked all these boxes," Pine told PTI.
"When Singapore was selected as the host city for the WTA Finals it was part of WTA's wider strategy to promote women's tennis within the APAC region. The WTA Finals is the season finale and is an opportunity to showcase the very best that women's tennis has to offer. We wanted to show fans both old and new that the WTA Finals is the sporting event to attend in Singapore.
"What drove this desire to change was the fact that we saw such a huge potential in the region to grow the sport and make a lasting impression," added Pine, who is also the Tournament Director of the WTA Finals.
The WTA Finals will witness tennis' most exciting women's stars -- top eight singles players and top 8 doubles teams - fight it out for USD 7 million prize money from October 23-30 at the state-of-the-art Singapore Sports Hub here.
"When WTA announced that Singapore would be the new host of the WTA Finals, we wanted to increase the presence of the sport in the region. Singapore is a fantastic gateway into Southeast Asia, where there is such huge potential to reach out to the community," Pine said.
"When we were visiting the potential host countries we were impressed by them all but Singapore is a fantastic destination which would take the WTA Finals to the next level and grow tennis in Asia-Pacific. Everything is so well connected, the airport to the hotel takes 20 minutes and the Singapore Sports Hub, which is a state-of-the-art facility, is accessible by nearly every mode of transport. The city is clean, safe and has everything our players would need to make their stay in Singapore as stress-free as possible.
"Singapore also provides us with a strategic gateway to the rest of Asia, which will allow for growth opportunities here and within the region. Of critical importance is that our partners Singapore Tourism Board, Sport Singapore and event promoters Lagardere Sports share our same vision in delivering a sport entertainment experience like no other," she said.
Pine said the response and popularity of the Finals here
proves that WTA's decision to host the tournament in Singapore was correct.
"The first year in a new host city presents many unknowns but Singapore really blew us away. The first edition of the BNP Paribas WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global in 2014 was a resounding success for us in so many ways. 129,000 spectators flocked to the Singapore Sports Hub to enjoy the thrilling on-court action and off-court fan activities.
"This was then followed by yet another great year in 2015 as we saw spectator numbers and engagement rates continue to grow with more than 130,000 fans representing 51 countries attending the second edition," she said.
Singapore Tourism Board (STB) Director of Sports, Jean Ng said the Lion City is proud to hosts some of the world-class sporting events which also includes the famous Singapore Grand Prix, the inaugural F1 night race which is conducted on the first street circuit in Asia.
"We are proud to host some of the world's most iconic sporting events, like the WTA Finals and the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix.
"Such high-profile events such as the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix, the HSBC Women's Championship, as well as the WTA Finals, cement Singapore's position as the premier location for live sports in Asia, and add to the vibrancy of Singapore's sports destination appeal," Jean said.
She said with world-class infrastructure in place, STB is focussed on promoting Singapore as a sports destination.
"We are keen to further develop sport tourism as it promotes economic development by generating tourism spend, creating business and job opportunities, and growing the sports business ecosystem.
"Sporting events offer us an opportunity to develop compelling content and programming that draws locals and visitors, while creating a greater affinity for Singapore," she said.
"We will also explore any creative ideas and events that will build on our reputation as a lifestyle leisure destination and bring about strong benefits to both locals and tourists.
