Professional tennis coach and former national athlete Septi Mende is urging the Indonesian Lawn Tennis Association (PELTI) and the Indonesian Padel Association (PBPI) to immediately issue national guidelines regarding player level classifications in recreational tournaments.
According to him, the lack of uniform rules makes competitions at the community level prone to violations of sportsmanship.
"I've asked Mas Gito (Suryono, Head of the PELTI Community Development Committee) to issue regulations or a pamphlet that will serve as a guideline for tournament organizers. So, if there are any protests, everyone can refer to those regulations," said Septi Mende after the press conference for The Prime Tennis & Padel Tournament in Jakarta on Thursday.
He explained that many tennis and padel tournaments currently feature recreational players with varying skill levels, but there's no standard classification system like at the professional level. This situation, he said, often leads to inequities on the field.
One of the issues highlighted is the reluctance of players to level up even though they have won the beginner category many times.
"It's a shame, I've won several beginner titles, but I've never tried intermediate. I'm comfortable with beginner, and I want to keep winning," Septi said.
He believes such behavior erodes sportsmanship and hinders the development of new players. The primary goal of community tournaments is to uphold fair play and expand community participation in sports.
