Bangalore Open 2008 to be the Biggest Tennis Extravaganza in South & South East Asia

'Some of the biggest names in the game to compete at Bangalore Open'

Bangalore, 10th January, 08: Women's tennis in India has touched another high with the Bangalore Open WTA Tour event becoming a Tier-II tournament from 2008 season. The Karnataka State Lawn Tennis Association today announced that this year's Bangalore Open would offer total prize money of US $600,000, making it the biggest women's tennis extravaganza in South & South East Asia with many of the Top 30 ranked players will compete for the championship. The champion takes home a whopping US $ 95500 as well as 300 ranking points that will determine the year-end champion. The tournament was a Tier III event during 2006 & 2007 with total prize money of US $175,000.

The Bangalore Open will commence from March 3 to conclude on 9 at the Kingfisher Signature Stadium, KSLTA here in Bangalore.

H.E. S. M. Krishna, Governor of Maharashtra & President of KSLTA said, "Bangalore has always been the focal point of tennis in India. It is really apt for Bangalore hosting this major Tier-II event in this part of the world. We will continue to drive this event to greater heights in the years to come."

"Bangalore Open is now a part of the Asian circuit and comes after the two big tournaments in the Gulf (Qatar Open, $2.5mn) and (Dubai Open, $1.5mn). We hope to rope in some of the biggest names in tennis this year," said Mr. Sunder Raju.

"As the biggest sporting event in India in March, we want to set world-class benchmarks for the event's look, feel and function," said Mr. Raju.

"We want players, fans and viewers to have the greatest tennis experience of the year. We want this event to be the best, on and off the court. Bangalore Open will ensure that player's off-court experience at the tournament is better than ever.'' said Mr. Raju. "Our aim is to give each player an experience they would cherish through out their life. We want each player participating at the Bangalore Open 2008 to become the brand ambassador of the tournament.

"The Bangalore Open has raised the profile of women's professional tennis in India and will be a great Tier II event on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour in 2008," said Larry Scott, CEO of the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour. "India is a great market for women's tennis with amazing fans, and the Bangalore Open is the showpiece for our sport in this country rich in tennis tradition."

"We are very confident that with higher quality and top ranked player's participations, we would be able to attract both the sponsors and the crowd," added Mr. Raju.

At the time of the announcement, Mr. Vijay Amritraj stated, "The future growth of women's tennis and Bangalore are powerfully linked. With the establishment of a tier - II tennis event in Bangalore that will feature some of the world's best players, tennis is positioned for explosive growth in one of the world's most passionate sports loving Nation."

"The incredible and rapid success of the women's tennis, combined with the Karnataka Government's support, will propel women's tennis to new heights in India", said Mr. Raju.

India's Richest Sporting Events in 2008

Event	Prize Money
ICL 20-20 Championship	US $ 3.85 million
IPL 20-20 Championship	US $ 3 million
MGF Indian Masters - Golf	US $ 2.5 million
Johnny Walker Classic - Golf	US $ 2.5 million
Bangalore Open 2008	US $ 600,000
Chennai Open Tennis	US $ 436,000
Kingfisher Airlines Tennis Open	US $ 436,000

For more Information: Amit Jain, Equator Communication, Ph- +91 98860 62866, amit@equatorpr.com

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