SINGAPORE — The Australian Open may have come to an end‚ but there’s something else that’s just starting to gather steam – the Road To Singapore‚ which officially launched in Singapore on Monday.
WTA Championships Ambassador Chris Evert and Australian Open semifinalist Eugenie Bouchard were both on hand to officially launch the Road To Singapore‚ the year–long journey to the WTA Championships where the stars of the WTA compete across 54 tournaments and 33 countries.
Numerous new elements about this year’s WTA Championships that will elevate the fan experience were unveiled on Monday. First of all‚ it will expand into a 10–day sports entertainment event of competiton‚ exhibitions and activities for fans around the world. There will be seven days of competition this year as opposed to six‚ the doubles will be expanded to eight teams‚ and there will be a WTA Rising Stars Exhibition and WTA Legends Exhibition during the opening Fan Festival weekend.
The WTA has opened an office in Singapore‚ which will be part of the Singapore Sports Hub – the event venue. With the WTA and a Singaporean team living and working year–round in Singapore‚ a number of programs that will connect the WTA Championships with the people of Singapore will also be launched. Coaching workshops and a new WTA Future Stars program are also coming.
Also‚ the digital platforms for the WTA Championships were officially unveiled – he newly–launched official website (www.wtachampionships.com) and the officialFacebook and Twitter pages. Through the dedicated platforms for the Road To Singapore‚ fans will enjoy unparalleled access to their favorite players’ season–long journey‚ including enhanced editorial coverage throughout all platforms.
And that’s not all. Monday was an absolutely packed day for Evert and Bouchard‚ who helped promote the Road To Singapore and WTA Championships throughout the day‚ including an inspirational forum with local kids (read about it here) and an Ice Kachang dessert–making session ( read about it here).
“We are excited to announce new elements of the WTA Championships that will engage the fans of women’s tennis with the WTA stars and turn our year–end event into a premier sports entertainment property‚” Stacey Allaster‚ Chairman & CEO of the WTA‚ said. “The WTA is committed to the long term development of the sports community in Singapore and through numerous programs we’ve put in place‚ we look forward to growing our fan base and empowering people of the region through sports.”
“Asia continues to grow as a destination for global sports properties‚ with Singapore an important hub given its world class infrastructure and ability to host and execute to the highest level‚” Andrew Georgiou‚ CEO of World Sport Group‚ commented. “The investment in the Singapore Sports Hub creates an opportunity not only to host global events such as this‚ but to do so in a way that offers an engaging experience for corporates‚ but also visitors as well as Singaporeans of all backgrounds.
“The WTA Championships – Singapore will have something for everyone.”
