Lesson for Tanzania from the ended Australian Open

Melbourne. As the champions of the first Grand Slam of 2016, Novak Djokovic and Angelique Kerber, celebrate their Australian Open victories, Australia’s fastest growing city, Melbourne, is enjoying international attention. Occasional aerial shots of the riverside tennis precinct give television viewers a sense of the magnitude of the site in the former British colony. Melbourne, a Metropolis of over 4.4 million people, proudly calls itself the “Sporting Capital of Australia”.

A city far from the rest of the world hosting one of the four Grand Slams seems odd, as international competitors and supporters travel thousands of kilometres at considerable expense. However, those who have been to Melbourne, be it to watch or to compete, understand. There is money in tennis, and many competitors enjoy sponsorships and endorsement deals which can easily surpass the prize money earned.

Australians are sport fanatics. This obsession is reflected in corporate involvement and world-class facilities such as Melbourne Park, the home of the Australian Open, the famous Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) and many Commonwealth Games venues, accommodating 5,700 athletes and officials as well as two million visitors in 2006. Sport is big business in Australia.

Corporate sponsors, wanting a slice of the economic cake, appreciate the commercial potential. The Australian Open attract over 700,000 visitors annually, and a media workforce from over 40 countries.

The organiser, Tennis Australia, has struck lucrative broadcast deals in Europe, Asia and Latin America. AUS$ 44 million in prize money seem worth spending, as the event delivers a gross contribution to the economy in the vicinity of A$250 million annually, attracting international sponsors such as KIA, Rolex and Emirates.

The recently completed upgrade of the tennis precinct cost AUS$360 million. Together with the scheduled further two stages, it enabled the City of Melbourne to renew the contract to host the Australian Open until 2036, ensuring job creation and a boost to the economy.

Meanwhile, the Tanzania Lawn Tennis Association (TLTA) struggles to raise funds to allow players to compete internationally. The facilities of the Gymkhana Clubs in Dar-es-Salaam and Arusha would suggest that the Tanzanian sporting community has money, but will Tanzania’s national tennis team coaches like Nicolaus Jones get Tanzania’s young tennis talents to play outside Africa?

This will most likely not depend on the players’ skills and dedication. Neither will the coaches’ work be the deciding factor. Tanzanians are as passionate about their young sporting talents as Australians. However, what Tanzania lacks is sponsors who create opportunities for Tanzania’s protégés. Simba Cement have done their bit. Breweries have also contributed. But why is only football of interest, and only to a few Tanzanian companies? More should be prepared to give back some of the profits they were able to create in their nation.

It is disappointing that Tanzania had to pull out of the Davis Cup due to a lack of money. Where is Tanzania’s business community? Thriving companies which pay rents of thousands of US$ for luxurious offices could surely raise funds to support the likes of Georgina Kaindoha, gold medal winner of the East African Junior Championship? Could they foster the talents of those who cannot afford the exclusive facilities of the Gymkhana Clubs?

If Tanzania’s business community were to get behind Tanzania’s young talents and offer financial support, who knows how far Tanzanian athletes could go? Company funds would not be wasted.

Tanzania is well placed to become an African sports hub beyond the EAC, with many commercial benefits attached, just like Melbourne – albeit on a smaller scale at first.

Melbourne’s retail, hospitality and tourism sectors thrive during the Australian Open. Hotel accommodation for over 300 competitors and their entourages comes at premium prices during the fortnight of the tournament.

Travel agents and sports tour operators sell customised Australian Open packages, combining admission to the matches with travel and sightseeing. Packages prove popular, often booked out many months in advance.

Tennis players praise the passionate support of spectators flocking to Melbourne Park’s sold-out arenas. Imagine the world’s greatest players in the future raving about Tanzanians being one of their favourite audiences. In fact, unlike Melbourne, Arusha could also offer athletes a very pleasant climate.

Melbourne’s weather extremes pose major challenges. The Australian Open take place in summer, when temperatures may rise above 40 degrees Celsius on several days, causing health problems, with some players even requiring medical attention.

The surface temperature on the court can reach 50 degrees, at which soles of tennis shoes begin to melt and stick to the court. The first days of the 2007 tournament were so hot that playing conditions were described by Maria Sharapova as “inhuman”.

Frequent complaints about the heat, and the possible disadvantage caused for competitors from colder climates, led to a review of the extreme heat policy (EHP) in 2014. At the referee’s discretion, play may be suspended at the end of a set, and the roofs of the three main courts may now be closed as required, to allow uninterrupted play in all weather conditions and provide more shade.

Of course neither Dar-es-Salaam nor Arusha will turn into a tennis Mecca overnight, and there will be challenges. However, successful Tanzanian businesses should not wait for the government to take the first step to increase sports funding, but show leadership in becoming sponsors.

They will, in turn, also reap the benefits when cashed-up global sport fans discover a new and exciting venue, and when their brand will be associated with corporate social responsibility, or – as Australians like to word it, with “giving back” to their community.

Sabine is a freelance writer, currently working in Melbourne, Australia, as an Expert Teacher and Program Leader in Education.