The 7th edition of Tata Open India International Challenge to showcase outstanding badminton talent

Tata Open India International Challenge, the international badminton tournament is back to enthral the sports aficionados with power packed on-court excitement during the five-day long tournament. The Tata group and Tata Capital, in association with Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy (PPBA), today, announced the 2014 edition of the Tata Open India International Challenge (Tata Open), at a press conference in Mumbai.

The tournament will be held from December 10 –14, 2014 at Cricket Club of India (CCI), Mumbai. The qualifying rounds of the tournament will be held on December 10, 2014 and the main draw will be from December 11-14, 2014, with the finals taking place on December 14, 2014. Mr. Ashley George from Bahrain will be the referee for the tournament.

In line with its commitment to support and encourage the culture of sports in India, the Tata group has been holding the Tata Open badminton tournament since 2008. The tournament is organised under the auspices of Maharashtra Badminton Association (MBA) and Badminton Association of India, and is also sanctioned by the Badminton World Federation (BWF) and the Badminton Asia Confederations (BAC). Tata Open carries prize money of $15,000. It is a part of the international circuit of badminton tournaments that earns ranking points for players, and this year the points earned by the participants in the tournament will help them to qualify for the upcoming 2016 Rio Olympics.

The 2014 edition of Tata Open has received an excellent response from the badminton fraternity.

The Men's Singles category will witness high-voltage action with top seed H S Prannoy, Indonesian Open Champion and world rank 22, along with Saurabh Varma (world no. 36), Sai Praneeth (world no. 40), Gurusai Dutt (world no. 44), Anand Pawar (world no. 45) and Ajay Jayaram (world no. 73), among others, competing for the top honours.

Similarly, in the Women's Singles category, PC Thulasi (world no. 41), two times winner of Tata Open in a row, is the top seed followed by Tanvi Lad (world no. 66).

In the Men’s Doubles category, the top teams of, Manu Attri and Sumeet Reddy (world no. 37) and Pranav Chopra and Akshay Dewalkar (world no. 38) will be the star attractions. TheWomen’s Doubles will see action from Pradnya Gadre and N. Siki Reddy (world no. 50) andDhanya Nair and Mohita Sahdev (world no. 146), amongst others.

As part of the association with PPBA, the Tata group and Tata Capital supports Tata Padukone Badminton Centresin Bengaluru and Mumbai. The centres impart training and coaching to young players who are selected on merit, and to whom training and facilities are provided on a scholarship basis.

Mr. Prakash Padukone, Director, Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy said, “Tata Open started with the passion to make the Indian badminton talent ready for international circuits by providing them with a platform in their home country. From being an Indian tournament, Tata Open, over the years, has become an international tournament bringing players from across badminton playing countries to India, to compete with each other in the true spirit of the game. The seventh edition of the tournament promises to showcase gripping action from both promising and established players, and we wish them the very best.”

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Suprakash Mukhopadhyay, Chairman, Tata Sports Club said, “The Tata group’s commitment to the cause of Indian sport led to our association with the Tata Open in 2008. It’s heartening to see how the tournament has grown over the years, attracting talent from the international badminton circuit and providing a platform for Indian players to showcase their skills. We wish the players all the best.”

Mr. Amar Sinhji, Member – Management Committee, Tata Capital said, “Tata Capital believes in doing right for its stakeholders and society at large, and our commitment to the support of badminton is in keeping with this philosophy. We believe that with continued corporate sponsorship, the sport will progress into the truly mainstream arena, and budding talented players from across the country will be encouraged to participate. We are very pleased to be a part of the Tata Open for the 7th year running, and to be associated with the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy which has been tirelessly working towards the development of badminton in India.”

The Cricket Club of India (CCI), Mumbai is the venue partner and will host the tournament at its state-of-the-art air conditioned badminton courts. Leading badminton equipment manufacturer Yonex is the official equipment supplier.