THERE are mega plans to make next year's fourth edition of the BMW Malaysian Open bigger and better.
Carbon Worldwide, the organiser which has announced its plans to move the tournament to Langkawi, is keen to upgrade it into a WTA Tour tier II event.
The tournament is currently a Tier III event that offers a total prize money of US$220,000 (RM660,000). A tier III event must offer a minimum prize money of US$600,000 (RM900,000).
The tour had offered Carbon to upgrade the Malaysian Open late last year but the organiser declined it. A bigger total prize-money will guarantee a more competitive field of players.
If the plan goes through, then the Malaysian Open will be the biggest WTA tournament in Southeast Asia. The Pattaya Open is the other tour event in the region and it is a tier III tournament.
A source said Carbon was keen to move the tournament to Langkawi and that it had already identified two locations. A plot of land adjacent to the scenic Harbour Marina and the existing centre, which plays host to the annual Langkawi International Junior Championships, are the two possible venues identified by the organiser.
Tournament director Kled Kristiansen said he will visit the proposed venues after the ongoing Malaysian Open.
"We need to inspect them before presenting the chosen one to the tour organisers. It will be a long process as we must make sure that the new venue is in accordance with the agreement for the tour," said Kristiansen.
Former prime minister Tun Mahathir Mohamad, the tournament's patron, mooted the idea to move the event to Langkawi at a recent luncheon.
Mahathir had stated that the tournament would help promote Langkawi as a tourist destination.
