New-look Bengaluru Open promises treat for tennis lovers with tough field, assures Tournament Director Sunil Yajaman
In an exclusive interview with Hindustan Times Digital, Sunil Yajaman, Tournament Director and Joint Secretary of KSLTA, talks about sustaining Bengaluru Open through Covid, the new sponsorship deal and expectations from the 2023 edition of the tournament.
After a gap of two years, the ATP Challenger tour has returned to India. Chennai, Bengaluru and Pune will be hosting ATP Challenger 100 tournaments while Nagpur, which will host its maiden event, will be an ATP Challenger 50. Yet, Bengaluru Open has remained a constant in the tennis calendar, even through the Covid times, courtesy of the Karnataka government and few corporates of Bengaluru, admitted Sunil Yajaman, Tournament Director and Joint Secretary of KSLTA (Karnataka State Lawn Tennis Association). The 2023 edition will however present a new-look Bengaluru Open with the event now having a title sponsor in DafaNews, with a three-year deal, besides also having a strong field in both singles and doubles. Sumit Nagal and local boy SD Prajwal Dev have been handed wild cards in singles while six others will be action in the qualifiers which begins from February 19 onwards. Meanwhile, 2022 Wimbledon champion Max Purcell will be leading an equally competitive doubles field which comprises Indians in Ramkumar Ramanthan, Arjun Kadhe and two all-Indian pairs.
In an exclusive interview with Hindustan Times Digital, Yajaman talks about sustaining Bengaluru Open through Covid, the new sponsorship deal and expectations form the 2023 edition of the tournament. Here are excerpts...
Q) After two years of gap, ATP Challenger Tour has returned to India with 4 events. How big is it for India as a tennis destination as a whole?
We had an ATP Challenger last year in Bengaluru as well. We had two, in fact. And Bengaluru has been one which has consistently been doing this Challenger event for the last five years. But the highlight this year has been - we have Chennai, Bengaluru and Pune will all be 130,000 $ tournaments. I guess this is the first time it's happening in India and will take place consecutively. Now Nagpur will also join in, making it fabulous for tennis in India.
Q) If you could stress a bit on the significant role that Bengaluru Open plays here given that it was the only constant on the calendar year?
When we started, it was a 100,000 $ tournament, then increased it to 130,000 $ and later reduced it to 125,000 $. Coming out of Covid in 2022, we had two weeks of 50,000 $ tournaments. But now we are back at 130,000 $. The best thing that has happened is that in the first two years we had Indian winners. The Indians took a good advantage of the Bengaluru Open and over the years it has proven to be a wonderful platform for Indian players. I hope they continue to do that this year.
Q) Could you shed some light on the challenges of sustaining the tournament during the Covid times?
Well it definitely wasn't easy. The expenses are huge in conducting a Challenger. There is a lot of money involved. And there are a lot of requirements from the ATP like providing hospitality to all the players. But the Bengaluru Open is lucky because we get a lot of support from the Karnataka government because here we are projecting Bengaluru as a global city through this tournament.
It wasn't easy to raise money after Covid given how the situation was. Yet, in 2022, when we decided to have two events, we got great support not just from the government, but also from the corporates of Bengaluru. Even health-wise there was no issues with the players. They came, played and went back safe.
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Q) Bengaluru Open has found a new title sponsor in DafaNews, with a deal of three years. How did it happen and what is the significance of it for a Challenger event?
Sponsorship is the most important thing for any event. Once you have the money, it is easy to organise a tournament. It is probably Dafa who approached us. We had seen them sponsor the Chennai Open and Pune Open. But we had no contact with them. We feel they probably followed the Bengaluru Open and wanted to be part of it. They approached us saying that they would be happy to act as title sponsors if there was an opportunity. That is how the discussion began and we always welcome any corporate who wants to help and support the event. Good thing is that they have committed themselves for the next three years. With that we can say that the Bengaluru Open will stay for the next three years.
Q) What about challenges of attracting the game’s top players?
One good thing is that what we hear from players who have participated almost every year is that it has been one of the best organised Challenger events. Even many ATP events aren't conducted in such grand manner. Word of mouth matters a lot. A lot of players love coming back to Bengaluru. And we are blessed with a fantastic city and fantastic stadium.
Q) Anything different you are expecting this time around?
This time the field is very tough. Except for the wild cards, no other Indians are in the main draw which shows the depth and strength of the field. In the qualifiers we have Prajnesh (Gunneswaran) and Mukund (Sasikumar). It will be a treat for the sports lovers in Bengaluru.
Q) Before the start of home tournaments there is always talk around wild card entrants. We saw Manas deservingly getting it in the Tata Open last month before he went on to play in AO Juniors. This time Bengaluru has given the WC to SD Prajwal Dev
He (Prajwal) is one of the two wild cards. The first was given to Sumit Nagal, who I feel is one of the best prospects we have in tennis today. He just came out of a fantastic Davis Cup tie where he won a match for India and also played an excellent match against Holger Rune. Unfortunately, he lost that match. He needed the support. We saw he was in qualifying and the first thing we knew was that he should be in the main draw and so we announced that first. Glad that he made the semis in Chennai Open although he lost in that round as well.
Second was of course, we get a lot of support from the Karnataka government and also there is a responsibility of KSLTA as a state body to promote our very own players. The best option was Prajwal because he did very well in the recently-conducted National Games, winning one gold and two silvers. He deserved it and hence earned the wild card.
Q) Finally, Bengaluru or Karnataka as a whole has been a hub for tennis in India. How has the reaction been from the fans over the last few years?
It has been fabulous. Throughout the week, we have nothing less than 1000 to 2000 spectators at the stadium during the first two rounds and it shoots up to 3000-4000 during the semis and final. That is huge for a Challenger. This time we will also be having matches in the floodlights. The important ones will be played under floodlights, starting 4 o'clock on Court 1. This will be a special treat because a lot of people will be able to finish their work or students can be done with school or college work and come and watch the matches. This is also the only Challenger event in India where we have tickets for the last three days. It is not about making money, but we want the ardent tennis fans to come to the stadium, enjoy the matches and support the event. The entry is however free for the first three days.