10th birthday sees spurt in fan numbers
Print Edition
NEARLY 130,000 spectators attended the 2018 Rolex Shanghai Masters over the past week at the Qizhong Tennis Center in Minhang District as the annual tournament celebrated its 10th anniversary.
“The tournament has made a huge contribution in promoting tennis over the past decade,” said Yang Yibin, general manager of local organizer Juss Event. “We have witnessed an increase in the number of tennis fans and participants in Shanghai and China. The tournament has been growing too, adding new commercial values and partners this year.”
According to Juss Event, KPMG is the latest partner of the Rolex Shanghai Masters. The professional service provider cooperated with this year’s event in the form of financial sponsorship, while collaboration in other areas is still being explored.
“We are a company that provides financial audit, tax and advisory services, therefore, these are the areas we excel in, including helping players with tax issues and giving professional advisory service in tournament operation and management,” said Lewis Lu, KPMG China’s Head of Tax.
Lu said the company has been serving sports events like the Asian Games, (golf’s) HSBC Champions and the NBA, as well as German football clubs on player transfer and other business issues.
Meanwhile, Luo Wenhua, vice director of the Shanghai Sports Bureau, said that “the successful organization of the Rolex Shanghai Masters required cooperation between different levels of government departments.
“To further raise the popularity of Shanghai’s international sports events, our future plans include arranging more charity or low-price tickets to attract more spectators and cultivate their interest.
“We’ll also find ways to bring the large events closer to ordinary people. Last year, Roger Federer took a metro ride in Shanghai. Snooker star Ding Junhui also interacted with ATP players, which are good examples.”
“Tennis tournaments like the Rolex Shanghai Masters and the China Open have contributed in cultivating Chinese tennis players,” suggested Liu Wenbin, director of the China Sport Administration’s tennis management center.
The center’s survey showed that about 18 million people in China have tried the sport of tennis, and 12 million of them practice it often. About 2 million people take part in amateur tournaments organized by the China Tennis Association.
“This year, a total of 68 ITF, ATP and WTA events have been held on China’s mainland, which has eased the burden on Chinese players, who had to go abroad for competition. The Rolex Shanghai Masters has been a pioneer among them, creating a great opportunity for boosting China’s male players.
“We’ll use social and market resources to cultivate players. Talent selection should reach out to schools and society as well.”
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