National Platform Tennis Championships Come to Philadelphia's Overbrook Golf Club March 6 through 9.

Business Editors

PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 26, 2003

The Philadelphia region will play host to the 2003 American Platform Tennis Association National Championships, scheduled for March 6 through 9.

Over 350 platform tennis players will be coming to the Philadelphia area from the United States and Canada, with 96 men's teams and 64 women's teams competing in the four-day National Championships.

"We are thrilled that the APTA Nationals return to Philadelphia this year," said Simon Peppiatt, Chairman of the Philadelphia APTA Nationals committee. "All of the sport's top players will be competing this year including defending National Champions David Ohlmuller, Chris Gambino, Sue Aery and Gerri Viant."

Overbrook Golf Club (OGC) in Bryn Mawr, PA will be the primary venue for the 2003 Nationals, which are open to all platform tennis players, both locally and nationally.

A number of the Philadelphia area's premiere country clubs and swim clubs are hosting matches, including: Aronimink Golf Club (AGC); Waynesborough Country Club (WCC); Merion Cricket Club (MCC); Philadelphia Country Club (PCC); Gulph Mills Country Club (GCC); St. David's Country Club (SCC); Whitford Country Club (WHCC); Conestoga Swim Club (CSC); and Martin's Dam Swim Club (MDSC).

The schedule for the four-day event includes:

-- Ladies Main Draw (Friday, March 7 and Saturday, March 8) at WCC, WHCC, PCC, MCC, SDCC, CSC, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

-- Men's Main Draw (Saturday, Marcy 8 and Sunday, March 9) at OGC, WCC, MCC, WHCC, CSC, PCC, GCC and MDSW, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Corporate sponsors supporting the 2003 American Platform Tennis Association National Championships include: GlaxoSmithKline; Commerce Bank; Marsh McClennan; Wyeth; Marvin and Palmer Associates; VWR; PricewaterhouseCoopers; QP Group; Premiere Platform Tennis; The Snapple Beverage Group; and Graham Partners.

In addition to the four days of competition, there will be a banquet for all participants in the 2003 APTA Nationals on Saturday, March at Overbrook Golf Club. The banquet is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m.

Platform Tennis is a unique outdoor tennis game that is generally played in the winter. It was introduced to the world in 1928 in Scarsdale, New York, with the first National championship in the sport awarded in 1935. The game is played on a 30-foot by 70-foot court, about one third the size of a conventional tennis court, and is surrounded by 12-foot high "chicken wire" screens. These are located eight feet behind the base lines and five feet from the sidelines. Service lines are drawn in the same manner as tennis. Most of the rules follow regular tennis including the scoring.

Additional information about the 2003 APTA Nationals is available on their web site at http://www.maptapaddle.com, or through the American Platform Tennis Association web site at http://platformtennis.org. Additional sponsorship opportunities are still available for corporate and individuals sponsors.

Information is available by contacting Peppiatt by phone at 610/688-1992 or by e-mail at [e-mail].