PHILIPPINES: EMPLOYEES AT THE DUNLOP SLAZENGER FACTORY IN MARIVELES HOPING THAT THEIR TENNIS BALLS PERFORM WELL AT WIMBLEDON

Record ID: 647743

  • Title: PHILIPPINES: EMPLOYEES AT THE DUNLOP SLAZENGER FACTORY IN MARIVELES HOPING THAT THEIR TENNIS BALLS PERFORM WELL AT WIMBLEDON
  • Date: 19th June 2003
  • Summary: MARIVELES, PHILIPPINES (REUTERS) (JUNE 19, 2003) 1. BALL FACTORY WORKERS PLAYING TENNIS TO TEST BALLS 2. CLOSE-UP OF TENNIS BALL TO BE USED FOR WIMBLEDON 3. DUNLOP SLAZENGER SIGNAGE AT THE FACTORY 4. VARIOUS OF TENNIS BALLS BEING PACKED IN FACTORY 5. DUNLOP SLAZENGER FACTORY MANAGER JULIUS MANALO SHOWING PICTURES OF BALLS IN WIMBLEDON 6. VARIOUS OF TENNIS BALLS BEING PRODUCED IN FACTORY 7. (SOUNDBITE) (Filipino) FACTORY PROCESS CONTROLLER RAMIR RAMIREZ SAYING "The balls that we make are used for the Wimbledon and we're proud of it". 8. VARIOUS OF BALLS BEING MARKED WITH "WIMBLEDON" 9. (SOUNDBITE) (English) FACTORY MANAGER JULIUS MANALO SAYING: "The first match where they will be using the balls are the ones that will gauge our product whether they're the best balls in tennis". 10. VARIOUS OF TENNIS BALLS BEING PRODUCED IN FACTORY 11. GIANT WIMBLEDON TENNIS BALL Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 4th July 2003 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: MARIVELES, PHILIPPINES
  • Country: Philippines
  • Reuters ID: LVA7QBTND91M039RGO9AOXDRHAZ5
  • Story Text: When defending champion Lleyton Hewitt or his opponent
    Ivo Karlovic slams the first tennis ball over the net at the
    start of centre court action at Wimbledon next week no one
    will be eyeing its flight on television more closely than
    Julius Manalo thousands of kilometres away in the Philippines.


    Manalo, who manages Dunlop Slazenger's Philippine plant
    which made the balls, knows that the workmanship of he and his
    staff will be on the line -- or hopefully just inside it.

    And the possibility that some traditionalists in the crowd
    might choke on their strawberries knowing balls for the
    world's most prestigious tennis tournament were produced for the first
    time in 101 years outside England doesn't bother Manalo or his
    staff in the least.

    "The balls that we make are used for the Wimbledon and
    we're proud of it," says Ramir Ramirez, a supervisor on the
    factory floor.

    Dunlop Slazenger shifted its ball manufacturing operations in Germany,
    South Africa and the United Kingdom to the Philippines over the past
    two years to cut costs as global economic weakness bit into its
    business.

    The closure of the Barnsley plant last year ended a century old
    tradition of producing the Wimbledon balls in England.

    Now the company's entire global output of tennis and
    squash balls rolls out of its factory on the Bataan peninsula
    near Manila.

    Dunlop estimates the plant produces around 60 percent
    of all tennis balls sold worldwide and about 90 percent of
    squash balls.

    The Philippine operation is no stranger to producing
    balls for top tournaments.

    It has been supplying its fluorescent yellow rubber projectiles to the
    Australian Open since 1994.

    But Manalo admits he'll be a bit more nervous than usual
    when the balls he helped produce for Wimbledon start
    rocketing over the net at up to 200 kilometres per hour or
    more.

    "The first match that they will be using the balls is the
    one that will gauge our product," he said.

    Tennis in the Philippines is largely the preserve of the
    well-heeled in Manila and other big cities, with the country's
    sporting passions revolving around basketball and nine-ball
    pool.

    Many Filipinos could rattle off career titles won by
    basketball star Michael Jordan or nine-ball idol Efren Reyes
    but most would scratch their heads at the mention of Pete
    Sampras or Serena Williams.

    The highest a Filipino has reached in the sport's
    international professional rankings is 170, achieved by Felix
    Barrientos in the early 1990's.

    Manalo is not expecting an upsurge of top tennis players
    in the Philippines anytime soon, but he hopes that news the
    country can produce world class balls might just spark some
    interest in the game.



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