The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
Prominent businessman and sports patron Jean Henri Lhuillier will run for the presidency of the Philippine Tennis Association (Philta) when it holds its elections next month.
The Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) has already been notified about the Philta polls, which has been set on February 8, following a recent meeting by the National Sports Association’s (NSA) board of directors.
In a published statement, Lhuillier, also a major supporter of softball, said his decision to gun for the Philta top post was influenced by his desire to lead it to far greater heights after supporting Philippine tennis for more than two decades in a private capacity.
“If given the chance to lead the association, I will continue to implement the good programs of past administrations and, at the same time, introduce new programs that will make tennis in the Philippines more inclusive and getting all stakeholders more involved,” he said.
Lhuillier seeks to increase the number of Philta members, just like how it’s being done in the United States and in European countries, where memberships reach hundreds of thousands.
He said he is willing and is, in fact, excited to work hand in hand with all stakeholders who are willing to help.
“I welcome all possible help from any stakeholder. I would love to work with people such as Bobby Castro, who has the same vision of strengthening the grassroots program, as well as the professional players. I believe that, with the support of different stakeholders, we can achieve something special for Philippine tennis in the upcoming years,” Lhuillier said.
Castro is the president and CEO of Palawan Pawnshop, which, together with Lhuillier’s own Cebuana Lhuillier, has been sponsoring and organizing more than 80 percent of the age-group tennis tournaments in the country for the past years.
Lhuillier has been the team manager and sponsor of the Philippine Davis Cup team for more than 10 years and supports the international campaigns of the country’s top players, such as Treat Huey, Ruben Gonzales, Francis Casey Alcantara, and Katharina Lehnert.
Lhuillier has also been very active in sponsoring top local tournaments, including the annual PCA Open, and was instrumental in bringing in international tournaments the past few years, such as the ATP Challenger and the ITF and ATF Men’s Futures.
Cebuana Lhuillier has also been running a successful age group tennis circuit for more than 10 years and has helped produce top national and collegiate players in the country.