Danny Townsend, CEO of SURJ Sports Investments, a subsidiary of PIF, discussed interesting topics with The National.
Most attention was focused on him, wondering how successful he and his company would be in the long run and whether they could really achieve their goals.
The Saudi Masters 1000, a tennis tournament scheduled to take place in three years, is already causing a lot of public reaction. Most people wonder how successful this tournament will be and whether the audience in Saudi Arabia is ready for such projects.
When asked by a reporter how challenging it is to invest at such a fast pace compared to the cultural challenges they face, Townsend gave an interesting answer.
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He emphasized that he is aware that patience is the key to the success of this project. If you act too quickly, without thinking about the factors that can affect success, it can create additional problems.
Their wish is to speed up this process and to succeed in all their intentions, but they are aware that money alone cannot be a guarantee of success. It is important to have the right strategy, clear goals, but ultimately also time, effort and energy.
What can we expect in three years?
Most believe that the PIF and its affiliate will not have huge problems, given that they have saved up significant funds to really create a spectacle that has not been seen in Saudi Arabia for a long time.
This country has enormous potential, but it is necessary to awaken a population that probably does not have a strong interest in sports popular in Europe and other continents.
The Saudis are looking forward to the arrival of big tennis stars on their soil, but it is important to create an atmosphere in which the majority will be open when such tournaments come, and an atmosphere that will promise that we will see a real spectacle.
