KUALA LUMPUR, 15 December 2016 – The main draw of the country’s premier women’s tennis tournament, ALYA WTA Malaysian Open 2017, will serve up the action in Kuala Lumpur on 27 February 2017 for its eighth consecutive year.

Sanctioned by the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA), the ALYA WTA Malaysian Open 2017 will take place at TPC Kuala Lumpur amidst the green surroundings of ALYA Kuala Lumpur, the newly launched luxury leisure development by Sime Darby Property, formerly known as KLGCC Resort. The high-end property brand that is also Malaysia’s most coveted address, is the title sponsor for this highly-anticipated sporting event for the first time since its inaugural staging in 2010.

Sime Darby Property Managing Director, Dato’ Ir. Jauhari Hamidi said, “We are tremendously excited to be hosting this event at TPC Kuala Lumpur and to associate the tournament with our premium development brand – ALYA Kuala Lumpur. It is a natural fit for ALYA Kuala Lumpur’s brand identity where we aim to become the premier destination for international sports and cultural events in the region.”

The event, which is supported by the Malaysian Convention and Exhibition Bureau (Myceb), will open its gates on 24 February 2017 for the qualifying draw and will last until 5 March 2017, when the winners of the Singles and Doubles tournaments will be decided.

Tournament Director and Executive Chairman of Carbon Sports Mr. Keld Kristiansen said, “This is such a great opportunity for tennis to flourish on so many levels. ALYA Kuala Lumpur is the perfect venue for such a prestigious international event and for the establishment of permanent tennis programmes. Sime Darby Property’s contribution will allow us to accomplish our mission of enhancing the level of tennis in Malaysia.”

Additionally, the Lawn Tennis Association of Malaysia (LTAM) will select the best Malaysian women players to be given a ‘Wild-Card’ entry into the tournament, providing a great and important opportunity for the players to compete with the best in the world.

With many years of successfully gathering thousands of spectators and having had the support of a great family of sponsors, the event in 2017 will see a substantial increase in broadcast distribution, reaching more than 100 countries all over the world and is expected to attract some of the world’s best star players thanks to its reputation built over the years. In past editions, the likes of Elina Svitolina, Roberta Vinci, Li Na, Agnieska Radwanska, Eugenie Bouchard, Dominique Cibulkova and Caroline Wozniacki have all participated in the tournament.

The ALYA WTA Malaysian Open 2017 will offer a very diverse line-up of programmes apart from great world class tennis, including business networking functions, inspirational forums for sports and business, entertainment programmes and activities at the venue, in addition to different tiers of food and beverage options.

“ALYA Kuala Lumpur is a truly unique environment surrounded by nature and open spaces while minutes away from the city centre. The ALYA WTA Malaysian Open 2017 embodies our efforts to promote an active and harmonious lifestyle at our premium development in the heart of the city,” Dato’ Jauhari added.

A completely new website and renovated social media pages will be launched on 13 February 2017, where information on the event, players and matches, as well as side activities and promotions will be made available.

Updates on Sime Darby Property activities and developments can be found on simedarbyproperty.com, Facebook (facebook.com/SimeDarbyProperty), Instagram (instagram.com/SimeDarbyProperty) and the Sime Darby Property Mobile App (available for download via the App Store and Google Play).

About Sime Darby Property Berhad

Sime Darby Property is the property arm of Sime Darby Berhad. On the back of a successful 40-year track record of developing sustainable communities, Sime Darby Property has to date built 23 active townships/developments with a global reach that encompasses assets and operations across the Asia Pacific region and the United Kingdom. In the UK, as part of a Malaysian consortium, Sime Darby Property is the developer of the iconic Battersea Power Station project in central London.

Sime Darby Property is a multiple award-winning property group with numerous local and international accolades. It is the first Malaysian property developer to be awarded the International FIABCI Prix d’Excellence Awards twice for its Subang Jaya and UEP Subang Jaya townships. The company bagged its 7th consecutive Gold at the Putra Brand Awards 2016 and its 5th consecutive Top 10 Developers Awards at the BCI Asia 2015. Sime Darby Property has also been recognised as among the top developers in Malaysia in the annual The Edge Top Property Developers Awards, a recognition which the company consistently receives since 2009.

For more information, log on to www.simedarbyproperty.com

About ALYA Kuala Lumpur

ALYA Kuala Lumpur is the master brand positioning of Sime Darby Property’s development formerly known as KLGCC Resort, located in the pristine landscape of Bukit Kiara, Kuala Lumpur. ALYA Kuala Lumpur comprises 8 development parcels spanning 61 acres covering residential, commercial, retail and hospitality. Within ALYA Kuala Lumpur is the TPC Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s premier golf and country club, resonating exquisite urban living amid the serenity of Mother Nature. With a total size of 360 acres (including TPC Kuala Lumpur) and an estimated gross development value (GDV) of RM8 billion, ALYA Kuala Lumpur creates a global luxury lifestyle master brand that can be replicated abroad and other premier locations in Malaysia.

For more information, visit alya.com.my

About TPC Kuala Lumpur

Formerly known as Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club, TPC Kuala Lumpur is a 36-hole tournament-standard course strategically located in the lush landscape of Bukit Kiara, just eight kilometres from the heart of Kuala Lumpur. Its proprietor Sime Darby Property designed the club as an elegant and relaxing golf haven surrounded by natural beauty.

TPC Kuala Lumpur defines new standards in golf and country clubs with its superior service, excellent facilities and warm hospitality. The high quality of construction is synonymous with Sime Darby Property and incorporates state-of-the art technologies with impressive attention to detail. Visit TPCKL.com for more information. Like us on Facebook - TPC Kuala Lumpur to gain insights on our latest happenings.

About Carbon Sports

Carbon Sports group of companies is a professional Sports Marketing, Media and Entertainment company that specialises in conceptualising, and executing campaigns and programmes in Sports and Entertainment for international and local companies and government agencies.

Over the last two decades, the people behind Carbon Sports have initiated, developed and implemented iconic Sports and Entertainment projects and events around the world with focus on the Asia-Pacific region. They are ‘first-movers’ in a multi-billion dollar industry who introduced many first-time projects in the region in golf, tennis, cycling, motorsport, sailing and many other areas. Carbon Sports has always taken a holistic approach to all its work and projects to ensure that it makes a difference to the community, the sport itself and the stakeholders while ensuring maximum return for partner companies and agencies.

For more info, visit www.carbon-worldwide.com

Carbon Sports Sdn Bhd
Address: No 26-2, Jln 2/109E
Desa Business Park,
Taman Desa, Off Old Klang Road,
58100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Telephone: +603 7983 5555

SIME DARBY PROPERTY MEDIA CONTACT:
  
Sherliza Zaharudin 
Head, Corporate Communications
Sime Darby Property Berhad
Mobile: 019-2676346
E-mail: sherliza.zaharudin@simedarby.com

CARBON SPORTS MEDIA CONTACT:

Gabriele Sani
Marketing Executive
Carbon Sports
Mobile: 019 - 6327643
E-mail: gabriele.s@carbon-worldwide.com