Reasonable money at stake in 2002 calendar

NEW DELHI, NOV. 9. The Indian women tennis players will have $110,000 on offer in the international circuit at home, as per the calendar planned for 2002 by the All India Tennis Association (AITA).

The money may look big as compared to what is on offer in most of the games in the country, but the women have reason to complain, as the men will have $1,300,000 at stake to appease their appetite.

Of course, it has to be noted that one of the two $25,000 tournaments scheduled for 2002 for the women, is the one postponed from this year.

The Indian men will, as usual, have a lot more to fight for than the women, even if we do not include the elite events - the $400,000 Tata Open in Chennai and the $750,000 World Doubles championship that may be held in Bangalore - that may not cater to the regulars. They will have $150,000 on offer at the lower level itself.

The Indian journeymen will have two Challengers, with a minimum of $25,000 in prize money in Chandigarh and Delhi from February 11 and 18 respectively.

Thereafter, there are two $10,000 tournaments in Chennai and Delhi from March 11 and 18 respectively. There will be a Satellite circuit with a total prize money of $25,000 for four weeks in Indore, Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bangalore from April 29.

The Indian men will have another $25,000 Satellite circuit in Mumbai, Bangalore, Chandigarh and Delhi from October 28. They will have two $15,000 Futures tournaments in Jorhat and Mumbai from December 16 and 23 respectively to round up the season.

In comparison, the women will have a $10,000 tournament in Mumbai from February 18 and a $25,000 tournament in Delhi the following week.

Then there will be a four-week $20,000 circuit in Mumbai, Kholapur, Pune and Nagpur from April 1. The second $20,000 circuit will be in Chandigarh, Lucknow and two weeks in Delhi from May 27.

There will be two $10,000 tournaments in Chennai and Bangalore from August 26 and September 2 respectively.

The season will end with a $25,000 tournament in Mumbai from November 25 followed by a $10,000 tournament in Raipur from December 2.

The AITA has apparently not planned to increase the number of tournaments for men and women, despite saving more than $100,000 in discontinuing the Asia Cup, that was serving little purpose.

Meanwhile, the Indian juniors will have five ITF junior tournaments at home, apart from the Asian junior championship.

The first three ITF junior tournaments will be held in Delhi, Chandigarh and Calcutta for three weeks in a row from January 21. The next two ITF junior events will be staged in Chennai and Mumbai from September 16 and 23 respectively.

The Asian junior championship, a closed event for the players of Asia, will be held in Delhi from December 9.

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