NEW president of Tennis Jamaica, Aubyn Hill, has welcomed the All Jamaica Open Tennis Tournament to the local calendar, saying it will provide high quality play and a source of entertainment for spectators.

Hill, a banker by trade, said the Open tournament signals a return of high-class action to the Jamaican tennis landscape, and reserved praise for organisers, the Police Officers’ Tennis Club, and sponsors, Jamaica National.

“The Jamaica tennis scene has not had an Open for close to 10 years, the organisers at the Police Officers’ Tennis Club decided that they would put on a Jamaica Open, and for that to happen, they consulted with Tennis Jamaica, and we have agreed to co-operate with them and support this Open,” he said at a press launch at the Police Officers’ Club on Hope Road, Tuesday.

“This is a high level of tennis, and in order to get the sharpened skills to compete at, not only the national and regional levels, but at the international level, you must have non-stop ruthless competition,” he added.

The Open event, which serves off on October 10 through to November 6 at the club’s Hope Road base, will be a singles competition with men and women doing battle in their respective category.

“What you will have is a men’s winner and a women’s winner, and we are looking for great days of competition where we should see some excellent tennis again in Jamaica,” said Hill.

Total prize money for the top four male contenders will be $100,000, while the females will share $50,000.

Though it was not announced at the press conference, it is said that Jamaica National’s total sponsorship is about $500,000.

Sales manager of the building society, Judy Benjamin, said her company was pleased to be on board, and noted further its latest partnership with the Police Officers’ Tennis Club is a continuation of its support for tennis in particular and sports in general.

“Jamaica National was approached by the Police Officers’ Club to assist them with this tournament and we are traditionally a company that assists with youth and national development, so we saw this as an opportunity to put in some resources,” she said. “We have done other sponsorships of tennis, especially with Llockett McGregor,” Benjamin added.

Jamaica’s top players are expected to enter the tournament.

Other notables attending the press function are president of the Police Officers’ Tennis Club John Bailey, vice-president C Llloyd Allen and president of the Police Officers’ Club Superintendent Michael James.