A look at the four Coca-Cola IPTL venues

Modified Dec 07, 2014 17:40 GMT

The Indira Gandhi Arena hosted the India leg of the Coca-Cola IPTLThe inaugural Coca-Cola International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) event has reached the half-way mark and is already making noise for its exciting new format that brings out the best of the best international players on a single court.The other reason for the great response it is receiving is the cities in which the IPTL event is being carried out: New Delhi, Manila, Dubai, and Singapore. The common link between these cities is that the fans in these places – except, of course, Dubai – have hardly ever watched a top tennis player in a competition.The Coca-Cola IPTL has hit the perfect mark by locating its camps where people are craving for that once-in-a-lifetime experience of watching their heroes play. And to augment that experience, the teams’ franchises have picked state-of-the-art venues to give a perfect setting to players and fans alike for a totally new experience.Here’s an outline of the sporting venues hosting the Happiness Open:

#1 Manila Mavericks, Mall of Asia Arena

Located in Pasay, Philippines, the Mall of Asia Arena, known for its giant eye-like façade covered with glass tiles, is tailor-made for anything that promises sheer entertainment. And for that reason, the indoor stadium, which is home to Manila Maveriks, has hosted a string of sporting and musical events since its opening in 2012.

It’s an official sporting ground for Philippines Basketball Association, National Collegiate Athletic Association (Philippines), UAAP and the Shakey's V-League. The 20,000-capacity stadium has also hosted NBA teams for their pre-season games. Aside from sports, the MAA has also featured world tours of international pop stars, ranging from Lady Gaga to Taylor Swift.

Capacity: 20,000

Constructed: 16, January, 2012

Important events hosted: Coca-Cola IPTL, NBA Pre-season game, World Tours of Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Taylor Swift.

#2 Singapore Slammers, Singapore Indoor Stadium

The Singapore Indoor Stadium, which is located in Kallang, is the home venue of the Singapore Slammers. Set against the beautiful backdrop of the riverfront dotted with street cafes and market shops, this indoor stadium, which also hosted this year’s WTA Finals, makes for the perfect venue for an off-season tennis league.

Besides its picturesque setting, the Singapore Indoor Stadium also boasts a magnificent architectural design. Going against the obvious circular or oval roof, the SIS has a cone-shaped roof which gives it a look of a tent from a distance.

The Singapore Indoor Stadium has hosted sports and concert shows for many years. This year, Avril Lavigne, Bruno Mars, et al have entertained their Singaporean fans. Also, the sport fans of Singapore have witnessed the 1st edition of IPTL and WTA finals this season.

Capacity: 12,000

Constructed: 1989

Important Events Hosted: Coca-Cola IPTL, WTA Finals, Concerts of Avril Lavigne, Bruno Mars.

#3 UAE Royals, Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Sports Complex (Hamdan Sports Complex)

The Hamdan Sports Complex is as grand, as marvellous and as jaw-dropping as any of the other modern architectural masterpieces in Dubai. From afar, the stadium looks like a giant, blue-swirl – or maybe even one of those spacecraft from a Hollywood sci-fi movie. But beneath its extravagantly dazzling look, the Hamdan Sports Complex is, in fact, a fully-functional sports arena.

Constructed in 2010, the indoor stadium with a capacity to hold 15,000 spectators has largely been so far known for hosting the world swimming championship. Apart from aquatic events, the complex has also hosted basketball, netball, volleyball and hockey events. The home side, UAE Royals, will look forward to create tennis magic within this magical sporting venue.

Capacity: 15,000

Constructed: 2010

Important Events Hosted: Coca-Cola IPTL (scheduled), FINA World Swimming Championships, FIBA Under-17 World Championship, Volleyball, Hockey

#4 Indian Aces, Indira Gandhi Arena

The largest indoor stadium in India and the second largest in Asia, the Indira Gandhi Arena, located in the heart of New Delhi, is the home venue for the Roger Federer-studded Indian Aces. The stadium has an impressive circular indoor circuit which can house around 25,000 spectators.

Established in 1982 to host indoor events of the 1982 Asian Games, the Indira Gandhi Arena has hosted many indoor sports events since then, including 2010 Commonwealth Games. Indian Aces, which will have icon players in the form of Roger Federer and Pete Sampras, will give Indian fans a flavour of tennis in this colossal indoor arena.

Capacity: 25,000

Constructed: 1982

Important Events Hosted: 1982 Asian Games, 2010 Commonwealth Games.

Edited by Staff Editor