In a bid to make a "local showpiece as spectacular as the world-famous Sydney to Hobart Race," organizers of the Audi Hong Kong to Vietnam Race have moved the starting line from Lamma to Victoria so as to allow "people looking out of their windows" the chance to watch the "stunning sight of some of the best ocean racers in full sail on Thursday." Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club Sailing Manager Alex Johnston said, "We want to raise the profile of the event and decided a harbor start is far better than one off Lamma" (SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST, 10/16). ... After receiving a "sanctioning fee" of about $40,000 every year for the Chennai Open ATP Tour event for the last 17 years, "the All India Tennis Association will no longer be paid the sum by the Tamil Nadu Tennis Association which hosts the event." The state body, which has reached an agreement with IMG to keep the event in Chennai for the next three years, "has secured the requisite permission from the Government, bypassing the AITA" (THE HINDU, 10/16). ... So far "only 20,000 tickets have been bought" for the Oct. 25-27 F1 Indian Grand Prix. The organizers, however, "are confident that the turnout will be as much as it was last year," when 65,000 spectators watched the race at the 100,000-capacity Buddh Int'l Circuit. A total of 68,000 tickets "were put up for grabs in August" when the organizers launched the three-day and race day tickets together for the first time (IANS, 10/16). ... South Korea's "largest national multisport competition is set to kick off this weekend in Incheon," a city west of Seoul. Incheon hopes to "use this occasion as a test for a larger international competition it will host next year." From Saturday through Oct. 24, Incheon will host the 94th annual National Sports Festival (YONHAP, 10/16).
