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Independent Singapore
7 hours ago
- Business
- Independent Singapore
LTA plans to give equal prize money to men and women athletes at the Queen's Club by 2029
INTERNATIONAL: The Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) has stated that it is committed to achieving equal prize money for men and women athletes at the Queen's Club and Eastbourne by 2029. This year, the women's event at Queen's Club will have a total prize money of US$1.415 million (about £1.043 million or S$1.80 million). This amount includes the voluntary increase by the LTA, which raised the standard prize money by approximately 33%. This is to show support for greater pay equality. However, despite the boost, the total women's prize pool is still significantly lower than the prize men athletes will receive for competing at the Queen's as well. This highlights the gap between the two events. With this, the LTA declared that they are determined to close the gap over the next few years. LTA chief executive Scott Lloyd expressed: ' The LTA is committed to growing women's tennis, both at professional and grass-roots level, and this move is an important part of that commitment.' See also Speedway SEA Championship returns for OCBC Cycle 2024 He added: 'This year, fans will be able to enjoy both men's and women's tennis on the biggest stages that we can offer… We want to develop the tournaments so that the women's events deliver a path to profitability and greater visibility for the sport.' More about the events The prize money minimums are set by the ATP and WTA tours. At the Queen's Club, the men's ATP event allotted €2.522 million (£2.122 million), and for the women's WTA tournament, which will return for the first time since 1973, will have a smaller prize fund. Both events are known to be '500' level tournaments. It means that it is just below the Grand Slams and the Masters 1000. The men's tournament is sold out, while over 80% of women's tickets are sold at lower prices. Moreover, the LTA is facing a challenge because money spent on prize funds can't be used to support grassroots tennis programs in the UK. Their summer events lost £4 million last year. With all of this, the LTA has pledged to achieve equal prize money at Queen's and Eastbourne by 2029, four years ahead of the WTA's 2033 deadline for standalone women's events. Furthermore, Eastbourne is a combined '250' event with prize money of US$389,000 (£286,650) for women and €756,875 (£637,000) for men, the highest payout for that category on the WTA Tour this year. In a social media post, LTA shared: 'A significant uplift in women's prize money for 2025 🙌… The women's prize money at the HSBC Championships and Lexus Eastbourne Open reaches record levels this summer… The LTA is committed to achieving true equal prize money for men and women at these events as soon as possible and no later than 2029.' WTA commented on the post and said: 'A win for women, a win for the sport, a win for future generations. This matters 💚' Some netizens also expressed their thoughts regarding this subject matter and said: 'We also want transparent draws of opponents' brackets' and 'Just not good enough.'
Hamilton Spectator
30-05-2025
- Business
- Hamilton Spectator
First Nations high school students explore career paths at event
FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — Indigenous secondary school students from around School District 60 had a chance to see potential future careers at an event hosted by Northern Lights College (NLC) on Tuesday. Pathways to Indigenous Futures, coordinated by NLC specifically for First Nations students, took place during the morning and early afternoon of May 27th. Designed to be 'a career fair without calling it a career fair, ' students had a few moments from their hectic educational schedules to take in what pathways are available, including ones in industry, skilled trades and entrepreneurship. Scott Lloyd, the organizer who spearheaded the event, coordinated with NLC and representatives from various Indigenous communities, including Doig River First Nation (DRFN), Halfway River First Nation (HRFN) and Blueberry River First Nations (BRFN). Sponsorship from the event came from companies such as Arc Resources, BC Hydro, Centurion, ConocoPhillips, Halfway River Group-affiliated companies including Halfway River D&D Well Services and Canadian (CDN) Controls, Monmouth, Uujo Contracting, Shell Canada and the North East Native Advancing Society (NENAS). 'We're trying to create something fun that's engaging to the students [and] inspires the students in some small way,' said Lloyd, an independent Indigenous consultant who resides in Campbell River. 'Hopefully we get to grow it and get it bigger, and we keep inspiring. 'Walking through the space today we got a wide variety of people. We're hoping, with the sponsorships and moving forward, we're going to make this event next year even bigger.' Indigenous entrepreneurs and representatives from the oil and gas industry, law enforcement and nursing were on hand while the students inquired about the potential careers that lay ahead for each. Tylin Apsassin, who began the hat restoration business that bears his last name, began his entrepreneurial venture at just 14 years old. Still only 20 years old, he says the event is for Indigenous entrepreneurs to show 'passion' for their trades to Indigenous students. 'We do this because we're passionate about it,' said Apsassin, a member of BRFN. 'In the world we live in, people are able to go and do whatever they want, so long as they put their mind to it.' Daniel Prince, who runs Hero Time Maintenance, is a member of Haisla Nation located in Kitimat, and promoted what ways education can benefit students for both members of First Nations communities and those who are not. Prince's business started in 2010 with him working in plumbing and gas fitting, and has expanded out to all kinds of residential and commercial repairs. He joked students 'take math seriously' to have success. 'Good grades helped me get a long way,' said Prince. 'I was on honour roll all throughout high school and it allowed me to get different grants and bursaries. '[There's] a lot of different help out there. There are people who don't know it's there, and if you just go out and find it. You got good grades, that will help you go a long way, and you wouldn't even know until you find a connection.' The day was spearheaded by an appearance by the Notorious Cree, an Indigenous hoop dancer, entertainer and motivational speaker, who is from Tallcree First Nation near Fort Vermilion, Alberta. He was backed up by members of School District 60's Indigenous education dance troupe, who participated in various dances such as a men's grass dance and a women's fancy shawl. The dancing concluded with an inter-tribal dance with some participation from student attendees. Playing his flute and talking to the crowd, Notorious Cree spoke of harmony and acceptance among all people. 'It's important to remember that we do live in a world where racism and bullying is very prevalent,' Notorious Cree, otherwise known as James Jones, told students. 'But one thing I learned is it comes from a place of misunderstanding. 'We're here for a very short time on this earth. It's up to you if you want to be here and you want to walk this world with love or with hate in your heart. Something so small can have such a big positive impact on somebody, even just asking how their day is going. You might not know, but that could honestly save somebody's life.' Despite having a million-plus followers on Instagram, he told he enjoys the intimacy of smaller crowds. 'I do big events with thousands of people,' he said. 'I love smaller events. I feel like you can be more face-toe-face. To me, community is everything.' Pathways to Indigenous Futures took place at NLC's Fort St. John campus on May 27th.
Times
21-04-2025
- Climate
- Times
LTA bid for £75m to make tennis accessible whatever the weather
For much of the year, playing tennis and padel in the UK is at the mercy of the weather. A lack of indoor courts means that most people who play these two popular racket sports are crossing their fingers that rain does not disrupt their plans. This could no longer be a concern for thousands of recreational players in the coming years if the national governing body of tennis and padel manages to persuade the government to back its ambitious plan for a national network of covered courts. On Tuesday the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) will present its bid to obtain funding for a £75 million project in which 40 community sports hubs would be built across the nation by 2030. It has long been a complaint in British tennis circles that there are not enough indoor facilities in a country with an average of 150 days of rainfall. The UK has about 1,600 registered indoor tennis courts for a population of 69 million, compared with France's 9,700 courts for a population of 68 million. Reasons for this shortfall are said to include historical underinvestment in indoor venues and planning challenges. To address this, the LTA is proposing a new generation of sports centres that would use light-weight canopies rather than fully-enclosed structures. These would provide a year-round overhead cover for the courts without incurring the large expense of an indoor centre and would be strong enough to withstand high winds despite the sides being left open. The courts are regarded as more cost-effective in the long term than the 'bubbles' — air-supported structures or domes — that are used at some tennis venues. The canopies would be made from high-performance cloth, which allows up to 60 per cent of natural light through, reducing running costs for floodlights during the day. Lightweight steel would be used for the beams and posts, with the option for partial side mesh at more exposed sites to reduce the effects of driving wind and rain. Increased building costs and inflation have led the cost of a traditional indoor centre to more than double. Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, a three-court bricks and mortar centre would come to £1.5 million. This now comes in at a cost of between £3-4 million. In an attempt to further tap into the fast-growing appeal of padel, the LTA has created plans for a combination of tennis and padel courts to sit alongside each other under the canopy. An adjacent multi-sport court could be used for basketball, netball or other sports. There is a significant demand in the UK for more padel courts in particular. The sport, which is played on an enclosed court, is expected to increase its number of annual players from 129,000 last year to 400,000 by the end of 2026. Between 2019 and 2024 the total number of courts in the UK grew from 50 to 770. The LTA is intensifying its efforts to secure funding before the government's spending review in June. Scott Lloyd, the LTA's chief executive, has the opportunity on Tuesday to lay out its case when he takes questions from the culture, media and sport committee as part of an inquiry into the health of sport in local communities and schools. One selling point that will be put forward is a pledge to position the centres in underserved areas with high levels of obesity and inactivity. This would help the Get Active strategy launched by the previous government in 2023, which aimed to increase physical activity for an additional 2.5 million adults and one million children by 2030. • Other proposals by the LTA include free community sessions, female-only classes and sessions for disabled people, in addition to standard bookings open to all members of the public. Partnerships would be formed with schools and GP surgeries, with the latter enabling a form of social prescribing — non-clinical referrals that help to support the health and wellbeing of patients.
