All-Jamaica Open to make big return

Kwesi Mugisa, Staff Reporter

After a seven-year hiatus, the All-Jamaica Open will make its return on the calendar of local tennis events, with banking entity Jamaica National Building Society (JNBS) accepting the role of title sponsors.

The event, which will be held at the Police Officers Club between October 30 and November 6, is expected to have many of the country's top local players on display.

Facing a tough economic climate although the sponsorship of JN has not been secured beyond this year's edition of the tournament, newly-appointed president of Tennis Jamaica, Aubyn Hill, expects it to be the first of many to come.

"This is the first time in many, many years that we have had an Open tournament. We intend to have more and that is why Jamaica National is key to this today," Hill told members of the media at a press conference at the Police Officers Club yesterday.

Hill added: "You cannot be excellent at a sport unless you have competition. Tyson Gay is as important to Bolt, as Bolt is running himself. That's why having the competition sponsored by JN at this time is so important. They have stepped forward to say we want to help folks who have talent in Jamaica to play tennis and compete at the highest level in the Open.

"Over time we hope to build a competitive cadre of players, where we know that within that competitive milieu someone of exceptional quality is going to come forth," Hill stated.

The winner of this year's men's event is expected to walk away with $100,000, but the amount for the women's section will be dependent on the amount of entries received for the main draw.

In recent years, the sport has struggled to attract females who wish to play the game at a high level.

Building relationships

In addition to the main tournament, there will also be a kids clinic, which will encourage youngsters to hone their talent. Judy Benjamin, sales manager at JNBS, expressed her company's pleasure at being involved with the event.

"Tennis requires special skills, perseverance, precision and speed and those are the characteristics which can help our young people and adults refine their engagements with others," she said.

"There is no doubt about the vast potential that tennis has to take quality players, and by extension our country, far and wide. We anticipate that this tournament will help to cultivate stronger relationships within the tennis community."