In the absence of an ATP event in India, with Tata Open Maharashtra getting halted six months after its 2023 version, Bengaluru Open event director and Joint Secretary of KSLTA (Karnataka State Lawn Tennis Association) Sunil Yajaman has known as for no less than 10 weeks of Challenger occasions within the nation to assist the house gamers. India’s present presence within the ATP Challenger Tour calendar sums up for simply 4 weeks with tournaments in Chennai, which ended on Sunday, Bengaluru, which begins on Monday, Pune and New Delhi. Yajaman needs different cities to step up and take the position of internet hosting a Challenger occasion.

Speaking to Hindustan Times forward of the beginning of the 2024 Bengaluru Open Challengers occasion, which is able to function the likes of newly-crowned Chennai Open winner Sumit Nagal, recent from India’s Davis Cup win towards Pakistan, Ramkumar Ramanathan and former high 30 participant Vasek Pospisil, Yajaman additionally talked in regards to the elevated variety of Indian individuals as a part of the participant area and the event’s plan to have fun Australian Open males’s doubles champion Rohan Bopanna. Here are excerpts…

Q) What are your ideas on the participant area, which has numerous promising Indian gamers, together with Sumit Nagal?

With Sumit having finished so nicely within the Australian Open and that he is all set to get into the highest 100; I really feel these tournaments in Chennai, Bangalore and Pune will assist him attain a better rating.

I feel it is an thrilling time as a result of we’ve got almost six gamers within the high 100 in doubles and most of them are enjoying right here. Besides Sumit, we even have all of the Indian Davis Cup gamers, besides Yuki (Bhambri), who lately beat Pakistan in Pakistan. The final satisfaction for us as an organiser is to have a event like this and the Indians get the utmost profit from this occasion. Apart from that, we even have an exquisite area of gamers, comprising Chennai Open finalist Luca Nardi, Benjamin Bonzi, former high 30 participant in Vasek Pospisil, and some others.

Q) Could you discuss in regards to the significance of handing a wild card to a neighborhood boy like Prajwal Dev. How hopeful you might be of him profiting from the chance

It’s all about giving them a possibility. I actually do not wish to put any expectations or strain. There is that this stage and we give him a possibility to return out and play. Let’s see how he does. And it was good that he certified within the Chennai, got here by way of the qualifying and performed the principle draw and he was the one Indian to qualify within the Chennai essential draw. So I feel let him do his finest, let him have enjoyable.

Q) With India not having an ATP event now, do you are feeling there must be no less than extra Challenger occasions in India. Last 12 months, a event in Nagpur was within the pipeline, but it surely by no means panned out.

Absolutely. I feel India wants no less than about ten weeks of Challengers. This 12 months we’ve got Delhi staging a Challenger, after Pune. So that makes it 4 weeks of Challengers this 12 months. If extra states might come ahead and have one other 4 or six weeks, I feel that may be nice for Indian tennis.

Q) Is there something totally different you expect from the 2024 version of Bengaluru Open?

I feel it will be an amazing occasion. It’s going to be a deal with for Bengaluru and I’m positive they will come and watch some superb tennis as a result of the sphere is a minimum of an ATP tour occasion, and numerous these gamers may even be making ready themselves for the upcoming Doha Open and Dubai ATP 500 occasion. So I feel the expectation is that we’d love the town to have fun this occasion, come out in massive numbers and watch these gamers play and create a buzz across the sport as a result of that is how we will promote and develop the game within the nation. And I additionally hope that Indian gamers go deep and do nicely within the occasion.

Q) Any plans for Bengaluru boy Rohan Bopanna?

We are having a felicitation program for him right this moment. Since arriving in Bengaluru, he is been a busy man. We are coinciding the felicitation with the event. It can be on behalf of the Karnataka State Lawn Tennis Association and we are going to have fun Rohan. He’s been our boy, he is been our child ever, having began enjoying in U-10 tournaments right here. He has simply proven that with willpower, dedication, laborious work and perseverance, you’ll be able to obtain something. He is making India proud the world over.