I only post facts which are cited from credible and relevant source such as the media person directly. Well, except for Anando's case which is solely based on a photo, which turns out to be true.
I don't post the cancellation of the Kings of Tennis for nothing.
I'm doing my bits to provide the latest development in tennis. If do not care about this event, I wouldn't have contacted the media team and management at Kings of Tennis based in Sweden for media accreditation from day one.
And I wouldn't have written to Arianna Teoh, the organizer too for the latest development and press releases which she never get back to me with those info although she promised to do so.
One thing for sure, I always appreciate media team and publicists especially those I've been in contact with in the US, UK and recently in Tashkent who are usually very professional and always furnish me with the latest info about the players they work for as well as tournament events.
So when Johan P. at Kings of Tennis (also work for TENNIS.SE) wrote back to me informing me that Kings of Tennis has been cancelled for the very last minute, I was shocked too.
Even SK Boey, whom I get to know about this event, doubt me at the beginning... until he called up Roy Emerson, supposedly the Captain for Team America.
Emerson is still in LA right now and has already unpacked his suitcase, as quoted from SK Boey's website. And in the latest post, SK Boey mentioned that Emerson personally wrote him an email confirming the cancellation again.
So now, the questions is why Arianna and Penang Lawn Tennis still insist the event is still ON?
Why Arianna has not reply to my email saying that this is all rumour and confirm that there is a plan B after all?
Are there actually changes in the players list? If Emerson is not coming, who's going to replace him?
I know this is a bad news looking at all the efforts put in to make this event a successful one. I wish the media team at Kings of Tennis will come back to me and tell me it's on again. Or Emerson tells SK Boey that he'll be flying to Malaysia now.
I'm not sure if you have been to the construction site where the stadium is being built in these few days. Perhaps you can do so this weekend.
In a forum discussion at lonelyplanet, Melissa1234 expressed her worry:
The venue is very slowly getting into shape. Looks like a rush job and they better hurry with 11 more days to go before the Big Bang . I was there yesterday and looks like it will not be ready. I really hope my judgement is wrong ~ Nov 3, 2008You know what, searching for info about Kings of Tennis is not easy. There are almost no reports on this event in the newspapers (online or offline, national or international). Try google Kings of Tennis or Big Bang Penang under news and see.
If this event is so huge, participated by former world no.1 players in the world, why the international media almost don't give a damn about this event? And why the Swedish entreprenuers want to have it in Penang in the first place? Why not in Sweden itself?
Also, why suddenly Kings of Tennis a supposedly an international event want to localize themselves and use a government domain (.gov.my) for their website?
Can someone explain what is going on here?
Without proper explanation regarding the current issue or worse the failure of this event, the opposition party (which is the Barisan Nasional here) will have an opportunity to question the Penang government (who is the main sponsor) on the money spent in this project.
Read here and here for why I think Penang government try not to get involved in the confusion between the local organiser and the owner of this event.
I've just checked that Kings of Tennis has been removed from the Visit Penang website. Click on images to enlarge.
Seems like the Penang government has turned their back on this event and delete it from the official programme.
Updates:
Click here to read about the event which is now officially cancelled.
