AUSTRALIA-CHINA TENNIS TOURNAMENT
ANNOUNCEMENT BY PRIME MINISTER
IN THE PRESENCE OF MY FRIEND AND VERY FORMIDABLE OPPONENT
ON THE TENNIS COURT, VICE PREMIER WAN Li, I AM HAPPY TO
ANNOUNCE THAT IN PRINCIPLE AGREEMENT HAS BEEN REACHED TO
ESTABLISH A TENNIS TOURNAMENT BETWEEN AUSTRALIA AND CHINA.
TENNIS IS AN INCREASINGLY POPULAR SPORT IN CHINA AND I KNOW
THA fHE RECENT VISIT OF PAT CASH GENERATED GREAT INTEREST.
THIS IS A SPORT IN WHICH AUSTRALIA HAS A LONG TRADITION.
THE CONCEPT IS TO CREATE AN ANNUAL TENNIS CHALLENGE WHICH
WILL ALTERNATE BETWEEN VENUES IN AUSTRALIA AND CHINA. IT
WILL INVOLVE FOUR MEN AND FOUR WOMEN PLAYERS IN A DAVIS CUP
CHALLENGE FORMAT SINGLES, REVERSE SINGLES AND DOUBLES.
FHE AUSTRALIAN TEAM IS EXPECTED TO CONSIST OF YOUNG
PROFESSIONALS OF HIGH CALIBRE AND I UNDERSTAND THAT PAT CASH
HAS EXPRESSED KEEN PERSONAL INTEREST TO PLAY IN THE FIRST
CHALLENGE ROUND.
THE ORGANISER-S IN AUSTRALIA ARE WORKING ON THE BASIS THAT
THE FIRST ROUND COULD BE HELD IN MELBOURNE IN EARLY DECEMBER
1986, PREFERABLY ON GRASS COURTS. THIS WOULD GIVE THE
CHINESE PLAYERS EXPERIENCE OF GRASS COURT TENNIS.
S A 2.
WE HOPE IT WILL BE POSSIBLE TO ARRANGE FOR AUSTRALIAN PLAYERS
TO PARTICIPATE IN COACHING OF YOUNGER CHINESE PLAYERS WHEN
THE CHALLENGE TAKES PLACE IN CHINA,
I LOOK FORWARD TO SOME OF OUR FINE YOUNG PLAYERS PARTICIPATING
IN THIS COMPETITION. THE OPPORTUNITY TO PLAY AGAINST
COUNTERPARTS IN CHINA WILL NOT ONLY BE GOOD FOR TENNIS IN
BOTH COUNTRIES BUT WILL MARK A NEW STEP IN THE GROWING
PEOPLE-TO-PEOPLE RELATIONS BETWEEN AUSTRALIA AND CHINA,
PLANNING FOR THE EVENT IS WELL IN TRAIN AND AN ANNOUNCEMENT
REGARDING SPONSORSHIP IS EXPECTED TO BE MADE LATER THIS YEAR,