El Gouna Tennis Tournament Organisers Report on Their Plans
4 DAY EVENT 26 FEB – 01 MAR 2022 AT ELGOUNA TENNIS CLUB
By Rafik Barrada
This is a report on our 9th El Gouna Tennis Tournament, scheduled at the newly upgraded El Gouna Tennis Club, from the 25th of February to the 1st of March 2022.
It explains why it lasted for 9 years and hopefully will, for many years to come,
From the start, fellow Gezira Sporting Club (GSC), Cairo member Hany Helmy and myself wanted a tournament that would be a social event and not merely competitive, and to create a warm and jovial atmosphere for the players. We believe we succeeded in doing so
We organised a 3 day schedule of matches, played round robin with finals on the 4th day. The format being as follows:
a. Players are divided into 7 ranks (or groups)
b. Each rank consists of 6 doubles : 3 doubles from GSC vs 3 doubles from El Gouna
c. The top two teams from each club, in each rank/group, enter the finals.
d. Prizes are awarded to both the winners and the losers with small margin between winner and loser. These rules were applied for the past 9 years.
In the previous 4 years 84 players participated, with the best doubles in each rank promoted to the finals. Consequently on the 4th day 56 players out of the 84 players move up to play in the 14 final matches, 28 players from each club.
Each rank/group will conclude the 4th day with a best doubles pair and a second best doubles pair
The reports attached used the results of last year, as an example, so the players will know how results are registered.
21 matches will be played every day for the first 3 days in 6 courts simultaneously, starting from 10.15am.
Matches will be comprised of one 9 game set with a 7 point tie break if they reach 8 games all.
Order of play:
With 6 courts in good condition and 21 matches:
a. Group1 Shark will play in court 1
b. Group2 Swordfish in court 2
c. Group3 Dolphin in court 3
d. Group4 Manta Ray in court 4
e. Group5 Turtle in court 5
f. Group6 Seahorse in court 6
g. Group 7 Starfish 1 in court 4,5,6 at 2.00pm to 3.15pm
h. Group 8 Starfish 2 in court 1,2,3 at 2.00pm to 3.15pm (in the case an 8th group/rank is required, as diplomats from 6 embassies might still participate)
Each rank/group will play 3 matches per day
The first 6 ranks will start match play at 10.15am. The second 6 matches of the 6 groups will start at 11.30am
The third 6 matches in each of the 6 groups will start at 12.45pm and will finish before 2.00pm
Group 7 Starfish 1will start playing at 2.00pm They will play three matches in 3 courts 4,5,6 simultaneously and finish at 3.15pm
Group 8 Starfish 2 will start playing at 2.00pm They will play three matches in 3 courts 1,2,3 simultaneously and finish at 3.15pm
The timetable for each team of the first 6 groups will shift every day of the 3 days. The team that starts to play at 10.15am on the first day will play at 12.45pm the second day and at 11.30am on the third day.
Each team should be present 15 minutes before the time of the match as indicated on the timetable. If they do not arrive within 20 minutes, their coordinator can shift them to the next hour provided their opponents accept, or they can be replaced with another player from same group.
The winning team should write the results of the match on the separate collective sheet with the ball boys/girls from the El Gouna school responsible for their court .The winning team should also send Hany and Rafik and the latter’s assistant the results by WhatsApp while on the court, as a backup. Moreover they are entitled to take the Dunlop tennis balls that were used in their match
Prizes amounting to EGP 84,000 will be awarded to the 56 players entering the finals. In the event 96 players enter the tournament, we will have 64 players entering the 15 finals
Two trophies will be awarded to the first best double of the tournament and also 2 trophies for the second best team. Theses are presented by our sponsor ALLIANZ
The program:
Arrival in El Gouna 25th February. A cocktail will be held at 7.30pm for one hour at Smokery in the open air by the seaside for 115 persons hosted by our main sponsor Karim and Angela Henein, of the Smokery
On the 26, 27 and 28th of February the round robin matches will be played. We then meet in the evening at 7.30pm in front of Captain’s Inn, to depart in separate groups to dinner at one of the wonderful restaurants of ElGouna.
On the fourth day, the 1st of March, we will have the 14 finals. The prize giving ceremony starts at around 3.45pm. Then finally we will have our Gala dinner at 8.00pm at Smokery. Both the cocktail and the Gala dinner are subsidized 100%, by the owners of Smokery.
This year, and for the first time, our tournament will not be El Gouna vs Gezira, but we have introduced a new edition to maintain our motto of creating a warm atmosphere among our players. We decided that each doubles whether in Gezira or Gouna will compete for him or her self and not for their club. Each side will consist of mixed doubles from the two clubs. (as shown in the attached reports).
Lastly, I will bombard ORASCOM, Mr. Aziz Hussen and Gouna News with reports that contain data, which they can use in whichever way they please for El Gouna media or TV, which may increase the number of spectators at the tournament.
Finally, the plan for next year is to get diplomats in Egypt, and foreign tennis clubs from Athens and Barcelona to participate in our tenth tournament in the last week of February 2023. We did not succeed this year to attract them, but perhaps next year we will find a better way.
Best Regards
Rafik Barrada and Hany Helmy
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