A strong whiff of Indian curries will be wafting through Stadium Southland early next month.
The curries are on the menu for the Indian Davis Cup tennis team for their much-awaited Asia Oceania zone one tie against New Zealand, at the stadium from February 6-8.
"They're pretty particular on their food," saidStadium Southland general manager Nigel Skelt.
"Tennis New Zealand is going to email them for a menu to see what is required, so it's obvious we get that part right for them."
Invercargill restaurant Bombay Palace will provide meals for the Indian team, who will play in the third Davis Cup tie in Invercargill in four years.
It will easily be the biggest Davis Cup tie in the city and yesterday New Zealand team manager Pat O'Rourke checked out Stadium Southland and match preparations with Skelt.
O'Rourke, a former New Zealand Tennis chief executive, has been called in late to organise the tie and manage the New Zealand team.
He said preparations were well under way and he was hoping to find out soon whether top Indian player Leander Paes would play.
Paes has been sidelined for some time with a non-malignant brain lesion. He and Indian team-mate Mahesh Bhupathi were once the world's No 1 doubles pairing.
"Bhupathi is definitely playing and Paes is definitely coming," O'Rourke said.
"He is the player-captain of the Indian team, but whether he's fit to play we don't quite know just yet.
"The last I heard, he was going to play in the [doubles and mixed doubles] at the Australian Open. If he played in the Australian Open, then he would probably play here, too."
O'Rourke also said there was a chance the tie may be televised in New Zealand and India but that was still to be confirmed.
The New Zealand team, except United States-based Simon Rea, will arrive in Invercargill on February 1 and most of the Indian party are due then also.
Rea will arrive in Invercargill the following day because he has to play an important US college match.
New Zealand will be led by new coach Bruce Derlin, who has replaced Glenn Wilson, and will also include the experienced Mark Nielsen and newcomers Daniel King-Turner and Matt Prentice.
