January 30, 2013 at 5:54 p.m.
Laila Ali to headline tennis classic
As well as Wade, the last British player to win Wimbledon, the event will include fellow hall-of-famer Hana Mandlikova and Wendy Turnbull.
Mandlikova won four grand slam singles titles in her career while Turnbull, now a commentator, was a doubles-expert who took nine grand slams.
Also confirmed for the classic, in November this year, are former Washington Redskins wide-receiver Curtis Conway and one-time mayor of New York David Dinkins.
Classic director David Lambert is still negotiating with other former stars ahead of the tournament, which will raise cash to send Bermuda's top juniors to compete overseas.
Lambert said he was pleased to have so many big names on board and was confident the event would be a success.
“I've spoken to all of them quite a bit and they're looking forward to coming down here and supporting the event.
“All of the stars realize how important it is to get support for our juniors. No matter how much talent we have, we still need assistance to develop it.”
He said the tennis stars would be the major draw but big-name celebrities like Laila Ali, daughter of boxing icon Mohammed Ali, would add a different slant to the event and attract a more varied crowd.
The event will be largely aimed at the corporate sector with various deals on offer for Bermuda firms.
Companies will be able to buy $2,700, $5,000 or $10,000 packages enabling their employees to hit with the stars and to attend a series of cocktail parties, meet-and-greets and a black-tie dinner.
There will also be a chance for some of the island's best juniors to be involved with clinics with the former players.
Lambert said the Classic was all about helping the juniors.
Bermuda has only one ITF ranked tournament on the island and in order for young players to get exposure to top competition they need to travel overseas to compete on the summer circuit.[[In-content Ad]]
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