Dubai: With the Indian Professional Tennis League (IPTL) having made its debut in Manila, Philippines, the first stop in its four-country schedule, there is cautious optimism that the event will be ingrained as a big ticket sporting programme in the public’s consciousness.
IPTL founder and former Indian doubles star Mahesh Bhupathi has been raring to pull out all stops to realise his ambitious vision of giving back to the game which has brought him fame and fortune. The IPTL features some of the world’s top tennis professionals, active and retired. They have been signed up by four franchises from Dubai, Manila, Singapore and New Delhi. The game is played according to a format which is time-sensitive for a staggering prize money of $1 million..
Speaking to Gulf News ahead of the stopovers in Singapore, New Delhi and Dubai, where the championship will be decided, Bhupathi gave an insight into what inspired him to draw up a blueprint for an event which can be described as nothing short of unique.
“I was excited when I attended my first Indian Premier League [IPL] cricket game as I gauged not just the standard of play but also the entertainment,” Bhupathi told Gulf News. “It made me want to try and come up with a plan and create a tennis league which was essentially time-sensitive. Tennis is one of the few sports where the duration of a match can drag on for hours. So we created a concept which helps television broadcasters who can make their schedules irrespective of match timings.”
The IPTL stands out for its simplicity – instant, gratifying tennis. Bhupathi is quick to point out that along the sidelines of the tennis, there is room for entertainment to ensure that the paying public has a good day out.
“In that sense it is tennis-plus I guess,” he said. “It is a family day out. The younger generation can enjoy the experience of watching the stars of the game, past and present, while the day’s programme can ensure the presence of a new fan being born to the sport.
“It is the only format in the world where the best men play the best women and some of the greatest players of all time are in the same team. This by itself is unique.”
The acceptance of this event depends largely on the reception by the public across the various venues. Bhupathi asserted. “There is a growing excitement to go and watch the players ever since we went public with our plans to conduct this event. The enthusiasm is based on the fact that people have not witnessed such a format before in the sport.
“While there will always be testing situations, especially in mature markets like Singapore and Dubai, it is important to make the fans aware that this is not tennis in its purest form. Rather, it is a new format. It is not about who wins a set but which team wins the overall competition at the end of five sets.”
Irrespective of the way it is played, tennis players will be staking their pride and their reputations for their teams. The prize money on offer is simply to staggering to take the event lightly. Commitment is absolute and this ingredient and intensity will be on display especially when the much-awaited Dubai leg of the event is staged from December 11-13 at the state-of-the-art Hamdan Sports Complex.
“Dubai is a high profile city,” endorsed Bhupathi. “We are hoping that the fans will come out to watch the event. Dubai has a proven tennis pedigree and we wanted to pick a city that has a deep understanding of the sport and the players. In that sense, Dubai has a solid profile and fans normally do not disappoint. The proceedings are tailor-made for the public - 29 players, 21 grand slam champions and some of the icons of the sport who will test each other’s skills.”
The added attraction is that Dubai will be the final and championship determining stopover, a fitting tribute to a city with bluechip sporting credentials.
The IPTL’s inaugural year will provide its organisers with lessons for the future. Like any sporting event that has established itself over a period of time, this event too will evolve and co-exist in harmony with the longer and more exhausting ATP and WTA Tours providing the players with a welcome diversion during the off season.
“There is space for small innovations,” said Bhupathi. “We will see how it has been received in its first year given that interest from the players has been steadily growing. We hope to offer this instant format to eight teams by 2020.”
Clearly, the sky is the limit.
