New Delhi [India], November 16 : The Tennis Premier League (TPL) is hosting the Race to Gold Masters tournament, an initiative designed to identify and nurture India's upcoming tennis talents, starting this weekend. The tournament will take place in three cities - Gujarat, Delhi and Mumbai. The Gujarat and Delhi leg of the tournament kicked off on November 16, and will be played over two days.
The capital city hosted the tournament at the DLTA Tennis Centre. Present at the event were Kunal Thakkur, the co-founder of the Tennis Premier League, Zeeshan Ali, a former Indian Tennis player and coach, Col Chauhan, the director of Delhi Lawn Tennis Association and Aditya Khanna, strategic partner at the Tennis Premier League.
The tournament format has eight different categories, with all matches played in a round-robin format for 25 points. On November 16, the Under 14 Boys, Under 14 Girls, Under 12 Boys and Under 12 Girls took centre stage.
Pranay Sharma emerged as the winner in the Under 14 Boys category, getting the better of Bhavik Mittal in the finals, clinching a closely contested game with a scoreline of 13-12. The Under 14 Girls category witnessed another nail-biting finale that saw Suhana Olwan prevailing against Sayna Hooda with the scoreline at 13-12, a release said.
Aariv Gupta won the Under 12 Boys category, defeating Rabeeb AliKhan in the final in another hard-fought battle that ended 13-12. In the Under 12 Girls category, Ira Chaudhari dominated proceedings and triumphed against Kiah Saini in the finals, winning the game with the score of 14-11.
On November 17, there will be an Open Men's and Open Women's category, followed by the Under 10 Boys and Under 10 Girls. The eight winners in their respective categories in the tournament will be awarded scholarships worth Rs 75,000 each, aimed at furthering their journey in professional tennis. These deserving young athletes will also be felicitated live on Jio Cinema during the league.
Speaking about the initiative, TPL Co-Founder Kunal Thakkur said, "Tennis Premier League aims to establish itself as one of the best tennis tournaments around the globe. The Race to Gold is a testament to TPL's commitment, not only in promoting tennis as a sport but also encouraging it at the grassroots level in the country. By offering scholarships and showcasing talent on a national platform, we aim to inspire the next generation of tennis players in India."
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