The Queensland Government faces intense pressure to invest in revamping the state's main tennis centre to avoid losing out on hosting the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic tennis tournaments.
Bombshell reports on Saturday morning revealed that the Queensland Tennis Centre is not in a healthy position to host the tennis, seven years out from the Games.
Shop with a 15% storewide discount code: SERVE15 - excludes clearance items, machines, court equipment and gift cards at www.tennisdirect.com.au
A proposed A$113 million plan has been put forward by Tennis Queensland to the state government, but the latter is reluctant to reach into their pockets.
As a result, Queensland's chances of hosting tennis events at the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games are severely under threat.
"[Queensland Tennis Centre] currently does not meet the necessary standards — that's why Tennis Queensland is advocating for additional government funding to upgrade the facility as part of the Olympic review process," a Tennis Australia spokesperson said.
"If unsuccessful, we would consider hosting it in Melbourne."
A 100-day Olympic review has recently been received by the state government, as the government is expected to announce their plan on March 25.
Tennis Queensland chief executive Cameron Pearson confessed that the tennis centre which hosts the Brisbane International every January, is not up to scratch to welcome the world's best tennis players.
"We don't have enough courts, we don't have enough seating and our player facilities are not big enough," he admitted.
"If we can't get the funding and the required number of courts and seating here at the Queensland Tennis Centre, we will have to look elsewhere.
"It would be a travesty if we weren't able to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games here."
The colder conditions in Melbourne have become a major talking point since the sporting capital of Australia was mentioned as a potential host.
"You can't play tennis in late July in Melbourne with a top temperature of 12 or 13 degrees," Pearson argued.
"I don't think the players would be too keen on doing that and I suspect some of them wouldn't even come."
Check out the new EZONE 100 Tennis Racquet from Yonex for all players looking for electrifying blasts of power and ultimate comfort, engineered to playful perfection with a plush feel and an extra-large sweet spot. For more information, go to yonex.com/ezone
Commentaires