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Knowles excited about invitational By SHELDON LONGLEY ~ NG Sports Editor ~ slongley@nasguard.com: Bahamian touring professional Mark Knowles is as excited as he has ever been for his annual Mark Knowles Celebrity Tennis Invitational which gets underway next month. Perhaps it is because of the guest appearance by one of the world's most popular players, American Andy Roddick, or maybe it is because of the opportunity to return home after a long season. However, knowing the model citizen that Knowles is, many would definitely agree that his excitement is because of the unwavering love for his country and the always inviting opportunity to give back to the sport that has propelled him among the world's best. There is certainly no doubt among many that he just loves supporting his various charities and providing opportunities for the youth of the nation, like the opportunities he had as a youngster. "I really try to raise as much money as possible for the local charities and really make an impact locally," said Knowles in a recent interview with The Bahamas Weekly. "We also try to pick one of the promising juniors and send him or her to a tennis academy in Florida. There are lot of good causes of the celebrity invitational and it is really a pleasure to give back to the country," he added. This year's event, the ninth annual one, will be held from December 3-5 at the National Tennis Centre at the Queen Elizabeth Sports Centre. It will include a welcome reception on Thursday December 4, a pro-am event that Friday and exhibition matches where the celebrities will showcase their talents that Saturday. The exhibition matches will start at 3:00 p.m. and they are open to the public. A kids clinic is also expected to take place that same day. All of the proceeds will go toward local children's charities such as The Cancer Society, the Sassoon (Bahamas) Foundation for Pediatric Heart Care, The Special Olympics, The Association for the Physically Disabled, The Children's Emergency Hospital, The Boy Scouts of Bahamas, The Chance Foundation and the Mark Knowles Tennis Scholarship Fund. To date, it is estimated that over $400,000 has been collected for the various charities, and according to reports, the aim this year is to increase the total donations to half of a million dollars. "I just want to encourage all of the parents to come out and bring their kids," said Knowles. "To have someone there like Andy Roddick who is a grand slam champion, that would be really special. It is really a good opportunity for the kids to see world class athletes up close. When I was a young kid and I got to see Björn Borg who was my idol when I was nine or 10-years-old and it really inspired me. Hopefully, something like that can have the same effect on other Bahamian kids. Andy is not only a great tennis player but he is also a fantastic person. He brings so much to the game of tennis and to this event." Former world number one player Roddick won the U.S. Open in 2003 and is a three-time finalist at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships, including his epic five set match with world number one player Roger Federer of Switzerland this year. Knowles mixed doubles partner, Anna-Lena Groenefeld of Germany, who helped him to win his first Wimbledon title this year, will also be attending the Mark Knowles Invitational next month. Groenefeld is a former world number one junior player in singles and doubles, and now Bahamians will be able to see the young female who helped our Bahamian tennis icon win his first Wimbledon title. Knowles thanked the sponsors of the event including the Kerzner International and the Atlantis Resort & Casino, Lombard Odier Darier Hentsch Private Bank & Trust, the Ministry of Tourism, The Balmoral, Pictet Bank & Trust, Serenity Point, The Bahamas Weekly and all other sponsors who have contributed. He is currently in London preparing for the start of the year-ending tournament for professional tennis players, the Barclays Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) World Tour Finals. He and regular men's doubles partner, Mahesh Bhupathi of India, are seeded third, and hope to end the year on a winning note. The tournament, which brings the top eight players and teams in singles and doubles together, gets underway Sunday at the O2 Arena in London and will run for a week. "Well we are number three team going in and it (winning) will be a great way to end the year for us," said Knowles. "I just want to encourage the young Bahamians to continue striving for excellence. Think big. Don't let being on a small island discourage you. Strive to be the best and you will achieve great things. Anything is possible and have to believe that you can achieve whatever you want to achieve whether it's in the business world, the medicine world or the sports world. The possibilities are endless," he added. The admission for the event is $10 for adults and children are free. Tickets are on sale now at the National Tennis Centre, the Atlantis Tennis Centre, the Village Squash Club, the Lyford Cay School, and H.G. Christie Realty. Thursday, November 19, 2009