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Tag: IMG Reliance

  • Hero ISL sizzles as 170 million witness the league during opening week

    Hero ISL sizzles as 170 million witness the league during opening week

    MUMBAI: The first edition of Hero Indian Super League (ISL) which has promised to open a new footballing movement in the country has achieved a new milestone for the sport during the opening week of the league.

     

    75 million people witnessed the birth of the new football league on day one and 170 million in week one. According to Star, this is 12 times the FIFA World Cup 2014 opening day and double of opening week reach for FIFA World Cup 2014 in India. The weekly reach is over 20-30X of the other football leagues viewership in India said the channel which is also the promoter along with AIFF and IMG-Reliance.

     

    These are aggregated reach numbers across eight channels that the network had telecast the league. These are (Star Sports 2 (English), Star Sports 3 (Hindi), Star Sports HD 2 (English), Star Gold (Hindi), Star Utsav (Hindi), Asianet Movies (Malayalam), Jalsha Movies (Bengali) and Suvarna Plus (Kannada). (Tam Panel CS4+; Extrapolated to all TV viewing universe).

     

    The viewership numbers also performed well not just on television but also the web portal www.starsports.com.The website recorded 8,00,000 visits each for the first two days of the tournament which is 80 per cent of the average IPL viewership on www.starsports.com. No other non-cricketing event has seen such digital traction in India, Star said. The number of visitors to the site continued to grow as the league gained momentum and recorded five million visits over the opening week.

     

    On digital media, Hero ISL saw 2.5 billion potential impressions so far. Within 24 hours of the grand kick off, the league dominated twitter trends in India with a perfect score of 10 out 10 topics on web and 15 out of 17 topics on mobile as the country reveled in the birth of a footballing nation. On Facebook, the league trended at number one in India with the hashtag #IndianSuperLeague.

     

    Football Sports Development founding chairperson Nita Ambani said, “Right from the outset, Hero ISL has been geared towards one overarching objective— to develop football across the country in a systematic and holistic manner. The enthusiasm with which the Hero Indian Super league has been greeted, gives us the perfect platform from which to drive grassroots development of football in India.”

     

    Star India CEO Uday Shankar added, “The early success of the Hero ISL has been phenomenal as millions of fans have thronged to watch the action – on television, on digital and in-stadia. This is a historic moment in the era of sports in India as fans embrace the global game and see a quality of football never witnessed before being played in India. This is the first step in a long journey of making India a footballing nation and providing the platform for future champions to emerge. The endeavour has been to create a world class tournament to global production standards with the ubiquitous reach and platform of the Star network.” He further thanked fans for their belief and said they would redouble their efforts to make it a spectacular tournament.

     

    The Hero Indian Super League is being beamed across a global audience, expanding the reach of the most exciting new football league across five continents and in 23 languages. In India, the Hero ISL is being telecast live on eight channels across five languages on Star Sports 2 (English), Star Sports 3 (Hindi), Star Sports HD 2 (English), Star Gold (Hindi), Star Utsav (Hindi), Asianet Movies (Malayalam), Jalsha Movies (Bengali) and Suvarna Plus (Kannada). It is also available live on www.starsports.com.

  • IMG-Reliance and BFI launch two new basketball leagues

    IMG-Reliance and BFI launch two new basketball leagues

    MUMBAI: While the country is currently gripped with football fever thanks to the ongoing Hero Indian Super League (ISL), another sport is being promoted at the grassroots level-basketball. IMG-Reliance, the promoters of ISL, has now launched two basketball leagues along with the Basketball Federation of India (BFI). The two properties are: Indian School Basketball League (ISBL) and Indian College Basketball League (ICBL).

    The two partners are hoping to inculcate the basic knowledge of the game at the grassroots level, thereby cultivating the talent into national standards. IMG Reliance has signed a 30 year partnership with the BFI which it says is to help develop basketball in the country.

     

    The two leagues began in Delhi and Indore and after a series of matches in cities like Dehradun, Raipur and Hyderabad, the basketball league kickstarted on 17 October in Mumbai, where the matches are being played at Khalsa College.

     

    Speaking on the progress of the league BFI chief executive officer Roopam Harish Sharma commented, “Mumbai is a very active city, full of life and energy. We are looking forward to an exciting display of matches as ICBL and ISBL. The response received so far has been positive from the end of all teachers, students and parents. I am very confident that a revolution will soon be created in the history of basketball in India.”

     

    IMG Reliance COO Ashu Jindal said that India is witnessing a revolution in the world of sports and the second most popular sport in the world, basketball, deserves its share of push. “These two leagues are being played across 22 cities, designed to provide the youth a platform on pan-India basis,” he added.

     

    The ICBL comprises over 450 colleges and over 6000 participants. The city champions from ICBL’s Premier League will participate in a National Championship to be held in December 2014 in New Delhi. In the boy’s category Jhunjhunwala College took on Podar College while VJTI College fought it out with Vaze College in the girl’s category.

     

  • Muthoot Group unveils The Muthoot Group Fair Play Award trophy

    Muthoot Group unveils The Muthoot Group Fair Play Award trophy

    MUMBAI: The Muthoot Group, the official referee and fair play award sponsor at the Hero Indian Super League (ISL) has unveiled The Muthoot Group Fair Play Award.  Standing at a height of two feet and designed in the shape of a gold-coloured whistle, the trophy embodies the symbol of ‘Fair Play’.

    This trophy will be given to the team who earns the maximum Fair Play points at the end of the football league.
     
    Speaking on the occasion, The Muthoot Group AGM marketing Avinav Chaubey said, “Our decision to partner with the Hero ISL goes beyond business as ‘fair play’ reflects the innate values of our brand and the game. We believe that the concept of fair play extends beyond the game and has resonance and applicability in an individual’s day to day life. Thus, this season and in the continuing years, we aim to highlight the game and the concept of ‘fair play’, as we believe that this sport has the potential to grow and become ‘a global football power’ in the coming years in India. Our association with the tournament will also allow us to build the referees as brand advocates and ambassadors of fair play.”
     
    Speaking about the partnership, All India Football Federation (AIFF) director Col. Gautam Kar said, “We are glad that The Muthoot Group has made a commitment to support the first ever season of Hero ISL as the Official Referee and Fair Play Awards Sponsor. We are extremely proud of our association with the company and are confident that The Muthoot Group’s support will encourage players to live up to the values of the game of football.”
     
    The much awaited ten-week football league will conclude on 20 December 2014 and will feature international and Indian players, with eight teams playing 61 matches in eight cities across the country.

     

  • Star India and brands gear up for the launch of Hero ISL

    Star India and brands gear up for the launch of Hero ISL

    MUMBAI:  As India is gearing up for its own Waka Waka moment with the Hero Indian Super League kicking off tomorrow, football fans from across the country are invited to be a part of the footballing moment.  With an ambitious broadcast and on ground blue print in place, the Hero ISL by IMG-Reliance and Star India along with the AIFF  is gearing up to score a goal through its campaign- ‘C’mon India, Let’s football’.  The league kicks off tomorrow at the Salt Lake Stadium Kolkata.

    The league unlike the Pro Kabaddi league has already garnered a good amount of sponsorship interest. Hero MotoCorp has come on board for the league as the title sponsor while Maruti Suzuki has been signed as the associate sponsor. FMCG brands PepsiCo India and Amul are the official partners. The Muthoot Group along with Puma and Dr Reddy’s Nise Gel have also been signed as the official partners of the league. Industry sources peg the title sponsorship deal at Rs 54 crore for a period of three years. According to sources, the associate sponsorship deal could be pegged close to Rs 20 to Rs 22 crore for three years while the associate sponsors could have shelled out close to Rs 13 crore to Rs 15 crore for three years.

    Ogilvy & Mather has created the official TV campaign for the league which includes TVCs and snippets featuring the co-owners of various teams like Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Saurav Ganguly and Virat Kohli urging football fans to take to the game.  The ad is being telecast across the Star network. A peppy soundtrack for the same has been composed by Amit Trivedi. Industry sources say that Star which has around a 30 per cent stake in the league is spending close to Rs 25 to Rs 30 crore on its marketing initiatives and create visibility for the league in different cities.

    GroupM ESP national director entertainment sports and live events Vinit Karnik speaking on the various stakeholders of the league says, “The Hero ISL has come at the right time to India. The grassroots programme undertaken by the various teams and the support provided by the league organisers such as the strategic partnership with the English Premier League is fantastic. Star’s move to broadcast the league in five languages will see a very high reach through its various platforms. Brands on the other hand, need to look at this league as long term investments that will provide good returns.”

    The eight different teams for the league are Atletico de Kolkata, Chennaiyin FC, Delhi Dynamos FC, FC Goa, FC Pune City, Kerala Blasters FC, Mumbai City FC and Northest United FC. The teams too are busy promoting the league and undertaking various grassroots programme in their home turfs. FC Pune City CEO Gaurav Modwel says that his team is creating visibility through multiple pub and mall activations in Pune. Various schools are being targeted while many BTL and ATL activities are being initiated. The team has got on board Avanse Education Finance Services and lifestyle brand HRX as its sponsors.

    Down South, Kerala Blasters general manager Viren D’silva says that some brands already believe that the league will succeed.  “There are the believers who are optimistic about the sport and then there are the non-believers who are playing a wait and watch game to see how the game pans out before investing,” he says.  When asked if it is easier to lure sponsors since cricketing icon Sachin Tendulkar is a co owner of the team, D’silva replies that the master blaster is not just an owner but part of the team’s psychology and  the deals they are working with are commercially independent and brands look at it from the returns they would receive.  Muthoot Pappachan is the title sponsor for the team which has also locked deals with other local brands.

    Some of the teams too have got sponsors on board. Chennaiyin FC has Ozone Group as the principal sponsor. Atletico de Kolkata has Aircel as its principal sponsor while its other partners include Peerless Hospitals and Lux Cozi. Max Healthcare is the health partner for Delhi Dynamos which has an alliance with Dutch club Feyenoord that will help in development of the team besides providing players and technical staff. Videocon d2h is the principal sponsor of FC Goa while Usha International is its co sponsor.
    Madison Media COO Karthik Lakshminarayanan elaborating further on these brands locking deals with the franchises says, “Given the success of the Star Sports Pro Kabaddi League, people are hoping the same for the Hero ISL. Kabaddi was not a very popular sport until now and with football already having a fan following in the country, advertisers are optimistic that the league will be a success.”

    And money was not an issue when both domestic and international players were selected during the draft. Close to Rs 16 crore was spent on international players who were picked by eight teams in seven rounds while on the other hand, Rs 24 crore was spent by teams during the domestic draft. The total insurance cover for the league is pegged close to Rs 600 crore including that of the teams.
     
     The league will be televised on Star Sports 2 (English), Star Sports 3 (Hindi), Star Sports HD 2 (English), Star Gold (Hindi), Star Utsav (Hindi), Asianet Movies (Malayalam), Jalsha Movies (Bengali) and Suvarna Plus (Kannada) while there will be live streaming on www.starsports.com.  The portal will present video on demand content, match highlights and full match replays. The channel says with this move it plans to reach around 85 per cent of India’s television audience. Star has partnered with international agencies such as IMG for the live programming of the matches. It has also roped in Argentina-based 4HUMANS to put forth superlative graphics design and the UK-based AE Graphics for its execution.

    The league featuring 56 matches will have its final match on 20 December 2014.The entertainment packed proceedings will be telecast tomorrow starting 6 pm on the eight channels and on www.starsports.com, whereas the on-ground entertainment will start 5:20 pm onwards. The highlight of the grand opening ceremony will be a special performance by Bollywood diva Priyanka Chopra, accompanied by Salim Merchant of the Salim and Suleiman famed duo. Following the inauguration ceremony, the first match of the Hero ISL will be played between Atletico de Kolkata and Mumbai City FC, locking horns against each other on the field.
    Star India COO Sanjay Gupta had earlier said, “We believe in the potential of football as a sport that cuts across culture, race, religion and economic might. As the leading sports broadcasting network in India, we plan to take the viewer experience to the next level. The magnitude of what we are setting out to do has never been attempted.”

     

     

  • Ranbir Kapoor officially launches Mumbai City Football Club

    Ranbir Kapoor officially launches Mumbai City Football Club

    MUMBAI: India’s metropolitan city Mumbai which is home to some of India’s greatest sporting talents has finally got its own football club for the upcoming Hero Indian Super League-Mumbai City Football Club.

     

    Team owners Ranbir Kapoor and Bimal Parekh along with IMG-Reliance chairperson Nita Ambani and yesteryear actor Rishi Kapoor unveiled the logo of the new team and spoke about the teams’ grassroots programme. Mumbai’s D.Y Patil Stadium has been declared as the team’s home stadium.

     

    Explaining the new blue and white designed logo for the team, Ranbir Kapoor, who is the co-owner of the Club said, “A resilient fortress surrounding the logo signifies the determined spirit of the city. The seven stars symbolise the islands that form Mumbai. The trains meanwhile stand for the pulsating, beating a staccato rhythm and the vast distance these trains connect. They are the lifeline of the city.”

     

    He further added, “I couldn’t have asked for a better franchise to co-own.  It is the city I have grown up in and the city I love. This team will celebrate our unwavering spirit and like the city, fulfill the dreams of players and football fans.”

     

    When questioned if he will just be a face for the team or an active participant, the self proclaimed Barcelona fan said that he had financially invested in the team and was very passionate about football since he was 10-11 years old.

     

    Chartered Accountant and co-owner Bimal Parekh while speaking to indiantelevision.com said that he will be looking after the financial and administration aspect of the team, while his other co-owner Kapoor, would help in developing and promoting the team. “Our roles are clear cut and well defined,” he added.

     

    Parekh promises that his team will play a possession based free flowing brand of football while being technically sound, fast and tactically aware.

     

    The team has already devised its plan to reach out to the young fans at the grassroots level. Said the team’s technical director Nishant Mehra, “We have roped in around 100 schools to be a part of the developmental programme where we plan to target the age group of six to 10 years.”

     

     Commenting on the grassroots activation, IMG-Reliance chairperson Nita Ambani said, “The real excitement for the Hero ISL is the Young Champs programme, through which we will reach out to a number of schools.”

     

     A lot of emphasis is being laid on the grassroots programme, as it is understood that each of the teams are contractually bound to shell out approximately Rs 2 crore annually as part of developing the game in their respective team areas.

     

     

  • Hero Indian Super League ushers in football revolution

    Hero Indian Super League ushers in football revolution

    MUMBAI: The most anxiously awaited Hero Indian Super League (ISL) finally unveiled its official emblem at a grand event attended by the organisers and franchise team owners. The league also saw the unveiling of its official line- ‘Let’s Football.’

     

    At the beginning, IMG Reliance chairperson Nita Ambani said, “ISL hopes to act as a foundation in creating an ecosystem to nurture talent and make our own national football heroes.” She also added that the Reliance Foundation plans to reach out to 10 lakh kids in India for the first year to help them play the game of football at the micro level.

     

    ‘Let’s Football’ – is an apt fit to its ambition in connecting with today’s youth and creating interest in millions to play the sport professionally. The emblem with hexagons combined to form a football symbolises collaboration of passion, energy and enthusiasm among its stakeholders. Colours chosen to represent the league conveys the values and emotions, with red signifying the energy, passion and action, while blue exudes confidence, trust and responsibility; both seamlessly combining to represent the league’s values.

     

    Star India COO Sanjay Gupta commented, “This is the birth of a footballing nation. This is something that has never been attempted before and marks a historic turning point for the future of football in India. What you will experience is a world class spectacle-in stadium, on television, on your mobile screen and across all digital devices.”

     

    “We plan to attract and nurture the best of Indian talent to play with marquee players selected from 20 countries, spanning five continents,” added Gupta.

     

    The event began with Nita Ambani leading the eight league partners to sign a pledge- committing to the vision of ISL, which is to bring a football revolution across the country.

     

    IMG football vice president Andy Knee said, “The potential for football in India is truly immense and the ambition for the league is to spark a revolution for the game so as to encourage teenagers, even hundreds of millions of Indians to start playing, following and watching the sport.”

     

    Bollywood actor Abhishek Bachchan was declared as the new team owner of the Chennai franchise. Joining him were other owners like Sachin Tendulkar, John Abraham, Ranbir Kapoor, Sameer Manchanda, Utsav Parekh, Kapil Wadhawan, Team Goa ambassador Varun Dhawan among others like AIFF president Praful Patel.

     

    Each of the teams said that they would help develop football at the grass root level, the announcements of which will be made in the weeks to come.

     

    Scheduled to kick off on 12 October 2014, the Hero Indian Super League will see some of the greatest players in action from the world of football.

  • World number four Stan Wawrinka to participate for Aircel Chennai Open 2015

    World number four Stan Wawrinka to participate for Aircel Chennai Open 2015

    MUMBAI: Current world number four, Switzerland’s Stan Wawrinka today confirmed his participation in the 20 edition of the Aircel Chennai Open, India’s and South Asia’s Premier ATP World Tour tennis event, scheduled to be held at Chennai’s SDAT Stadium from 5 to 11 January 2015.

     

    The 29 year old has had an incredible 2014 that started with his final match victory over Edouard Roger Vasselin in Chennai, en route to which he recorded his 300th career match win at the Aircel Chennai Open. Stan followed this by capturing his first Grand Slam championship title with a stunning four-set victory over top seed Rafael Nadal in the Australian Open final.

     

    Commenting on his presence at the event, Stan Wawrinka said, “I am looking forward to being part of the action and adventure and, of course, all the festivity. I definitely plan to show up ready to play my best with the goal of kicking off the New Year by defending my title in Chennai.”

     

    TNTA vice president and AITA vice president, Tournament Organising committee chairman Karti P Chidambaram said, “Chennai’s tennis fans adore Stan Wawrinka, supporting his every game and rejoicing with every victory he registers. As we celebrate two decades of the tournament in the country, the Tamil Nadu Tennis Association extends a warm welcome to the world number four.”

     

    IMG Reliance COO Ashu Jindal said, “He will be playing in the event for the seventh consecutive year and the continued presence of players of his caliber is a testament to the strength of the tournament and to the ongoing support of fans in the city. We welcome him to Chennai and look forward to seeing him spread his magic at SDAT once again.”

     

    The title sponsor for the tournament is Aircel and the event is supported by a consortium of sponsors in the platinum and gold category, headed by the Government of Tamil Nadu.

  • Hero ISL international draft sees buys worth Rs 16 crore

    Hero ISL international draft sees buys worth Rs 16 crore

    MUMBAI: When a sport needs to be grown, money needs to be spent. And in keeping with this, Hero MotoCorp Indian Super League (ISL) saw close to Rs 16 crore being spent on international players who were a part of the draft and were picked by eight teams in seven rounds.

     

    Each team was given the first slot to pick their players as the rounds progressed. The football league will be played from 12 October 2014 to 20 December 2014.

     

    Team Goa proved to be the most generous as it spent Rs 2.46 crore on seven players. Team Chennai (which is the new team introduced in the ISL after Team Bengaluru backed out) shelled Rs 2.34 crore on its seven players. Next in line was Atletico de Kolkata that selected six players for Rs 2.17 crore. Team Mumbai FC picked seven players for Rs 2.10 crore. Kerala Blasters decided to spend Rs 1.98 crore on its seven international players. Pune FC bagged five players for Rs 1.75 crore. Tying at the last spot were teams Delhi Dynamos and North East United that spent Rs 1.62 crore each on their respective five players.

     

    IMG Global football vice president Andy Knee said, “The teams are very happy with the international players they have picked up. We are quite satisfied with the quality of football we have introduced here in India.”

     

    A total of 56 international players, 49 from today’s draft and seven being contracted by the clubs directly, were drafted among the eight ISL clubs. Earlier, in July 2014 the clubs had selected 112 Indian players to complete the domestic players’ mandate. “The 49 players who went into the draft today have had close to 9000 games in between them,” added Knee. “It only speaks about the experience and the competition they will bring into the Hero Indian Super League,” he maintained.

     

    All India Football Federation general secretary Kushal Das said, “Indian football needs a new dose of adrenaline. We are extremely excited and hope the Indian Super League will provide the dose of much-needed visibility to Indian football. The focus at present is on youth development and grassroots which forms the base of the pyramid. But at the same time, the dose of commerce stays quintessential at the top of the pyramid. Both are interlinked to each other,” he stated. “We hope ISL will be the game changer for Indian football,” added Das.

     

    For Football Sports Development CEO Anupam Dutta, the international player draft has marked an important milestone in the Indian football. “A league’s success depends on the clubs and we are happy to have equally excited and committed partners in this journey. And against the backdrop of the international player draft, let’s not forget that we have a very good set of Indian players in the league as well,” he opined.

     

    Star Sports business head Nitin Kukreja commented, “We plan to unleash a sporting revolution in India. It’s not just cricket, we plan to take football, kabaddi and other sports to greater heights too in India.”

     

    Following are the names of the different teams along with their compositions:

     

    FC Pune City – Bruno Cirillo, Emanuele Belardi, Ivan Bolado Palacios, Saidou Mady Panandetiguiri, Omar Andres Rodriguez Martinez, Andres Felipe Gonzalez Ramirez, Park Kwang-IL.

     

    Atletico de Kolkata – Borja Fernandes, Jofre Mateu Gonzalez, Jose Miguel Gonzalez Rey, Arnal Llibert Conde Carbo, Sylvain Monsoreau, Jakub Podaný, Apoula Edima Edel Bete.

     

    Kerala Blasters – Michael Chopra, Iain Hume, Victor Herrero Forcada, Erwin Spitzner, Pedro Adriano Veloso Gusm?o, Cedric Hengbart, Raphael Romey.

     

    Mumbai City FC – Diego Fernando, Jan Stohanzl, Francisco Javier Fernandez Luque, Pavel CmovS, Johann Letzelter, Andre Matos Dias Pereira, Ilias Pollalis.

     

    North East United – Isaac Chansa, Cornell Glen, Massamba Lo Sambou, Do Dong-Hyun, Guilherme Felipe de Castro, TomaS Josl, Luis Alfredo Yanes Padilla.

     

    Team Chennai – Bernard Mendy, Cristian Hidalgo Gonzalez, Gennaro Bracigliano, Bojan Djordjic, Bruno Augusto Pelissari de Lima, Jairo Andres Suarez Carvajal, Eduardo Silva Lerma.

     

    Team Goa – Miroslav SlepiCka. Jan Seda, Bruno Filipe Tavares Pinheiro, Youness Bengelloun, Miguel Bruno Pereira Herlein, Gregory Arnolin, Edgar Carvalho Figueira Marcelino.

     

    Delhi Dynamos – Mads Junker, Morten Skoubo, Bruno Herrero Arias, Gustavo Marmentini dos Santos, Marek Cech, Pavel EliaS, Henrique Dinis Oliveira Dias.

     

    Click here for the international players pool list

     

  • ISL central player draft to be held on 21 August

    ISL central player draft to be held on 21 August

    MUMBAI: The Hero MotoCorp Indian Super League (ISL) will on 21 August have its central player draft pool where 49 international players will be picked up by the eight franchises.

     

    The comprehensive list released earlier has both experienced and upcoming talent from around the globe. The 49 international players represent a number of countries like Spain, France, Czech Republic, Brazil, Portugal, Colombia, South Korea, Argentina, Canada, Serbia, Senegal, Burkina Faso, England, Greece and Cameroon. 

     

    The League promoted by IMG-Reliance, Star Sports and AIFF has a total of 56 international players, of which 49 will be picked through the international player draft which will be held tomorrow. The other seven have already been contracted by four franchises: Delhi Dynamos FC, Pune City FC, NorthEast United FC and Atletico de Kolkata. Teams have the provision of signing a maximum of two international players on their own. 

     

    Earlier, the high octane domestic player draft which was held on 22-23 July saw Rs 24 crore being spent by teams for purchasing the players of their choice.

  • Aircel Chennai Open to celebrate two decades of tennis in India

    Aircel Chennai Open to celebrate two decades of tennis in India

    MUMBAI: With Thomas Enqvist and Mark Petchey’s first tennis match, the seeds of India’s first and only ATP World Tour were sown in 1996. 20 years down, the tournament has grown into a marquee ATP tennis event in south Asia, giving birth to many a tennis champions, attracting some of the finest names in the world tennis circuit and spawning a multitude of fans across the nation.

    The 2015 edition of the Aircel Chennai Open will mark 20 years since the very first game was played in India and the organisers are all set to celebrate the occasion with a host of activities in Chennai. The event is scheduled to be held at Chennai’s SDAT Stadium from 5 to 11 January 2015.

    The celebration includes the launch of a special logo created to mark the occasion, a renovated SDAT Stadium that has hosted the event proudly since 1997 after it shifted from New Delhi and a host of special activities targeted at fans and tennis enthusiasts including schoolchildren and the youth, apart from exciting marketing initiatives across India.

    The tournament has had a long and exhilarating journey in India, thanks to the constant support of the Government of Tamil Nadu, the Tamil Nadu Tennis Association (TNTA), the Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu, the All India Tennis Association (AITA), the ATP and organisers IMG Reliance that put together their resources into developing the tournament into a bigger and better property each year.

    Tamil Nadu Tennis association president M.A Alagappan said, “As we celebrate two decades of the tournament in the country, it gives us an opportunity to not just celebrate the occasion but look back with pride at our achievements and renew our focus to take the tournament to greater heights in the seasons to come. I congratulate everyone involved and thank India’s tennis community for its support.”

     IMG Reliance chief operating officer Ashu Jindal commented, “The 20-year journey of the tournament has been nothing short of spectacular. The event has become a role model in the region and we are thrilled with the progress that has been made in every area of the game. Since its arrival in the city, the event has weaved itself into the fabric of Chennai and is now an integral part of Chennai’s culture. We plan to celebrate the occasion with a host of activities and it is a pleasure to have arrived at this landmark year.”

    The ATP World Tour 250 event has built a strong legacy for being a ‘Springboard of Champions’, with former winners including Grand Slam champions Pat Rafter and Carlos Moya. Apart from Rafter and Moya, players to have graced the courts in the past include Rafael Nadal, Boris Becker, Richard Krajicek, Yvgeny Kafelnikov, Byron Black and India’s own Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi.

    Aircel Chennai Open Tournament director Tom Annear said, “The Aircel Chennai Open has become the longest running annual tennis event in south Asia and I am glad that we are completing the 20th year in 2015. As we endeavour to set new benchmarks with each edition, this milestone gives us reason to celebrate our achievements and congratulate each stakeholder for the fantastic efforts over the years. It has been our aim to place India into the top league of tennis playing nations in the world and I am glad that we are getting closer to that with each passing year.”

    Doubles Winners Source: Wikipedia

     Singles Winners Source: Wikipedia