Dubai: Legendary former India cricketer Suni Gavaskar will co-own the Singapore franchise in the upcoming inaugural International Premier Tennis League (ITPL).
Arriving in Dubai after attending a function in London on Wednesday that brought together owners and players of the four franchises — Singapore, Manila, Dubai and India — in the Mahesh Bhupathi-owned league, Gavaskar said: “Tennis as a sport has always been instrumental in transcending borders and catering to multiple demographics, therefore our decision to bid for the Singapore franchise in what I believe is the next big step towards the golden era of tennis.
“Singapore rivals my hometown Mumbai as one of the greatest cities of Asia and I’m confident that the cosmopolitan nature of Singapore will ensure that our franchise is a great success.”
Gavaskar has teamed up with the Dubai-based Channel 2 Group and his friends Kishan Gehlot, chairman of the Intex Group, and Shashi Shetty, chairman of the Avvashya Group, to acquire a stake in the Singapore team.
Channel 2 chairman Ajay Sethi revealed the cast list of stars who will play for the franchise. “Our tennis stars will include Andre Agassi, Lleyton Hewitt, Serena Williams, Tomas Berdych, Bruno Soares, Patrick Rafter, Daniela Hantuchova and Nick Krygios,” he said.
The IPTL is an Indian Premier League-style franchise-based tennis competition that is due to launch in November.
The Dubai franchise, led by star player Novak Djokovic, will be co-owned by Sachin Gadoya, co-founder and CEO of Musafir.com, along with five of his friends.
Djokovic said: “After winning three consecutive [Dubai Duty Free Tennis] Championships in Dubai, the city holds a special place in my heart. I’m glad to be representing this treasure of the UAE across Asia and hope it continues to be my lucky charm.”
The Indian franchise which will be owned by Micromax and will boast 14-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal and Indian stars Rohan Bopanna and Sania Mirza.
The Manila franchise is being promoted by entertainment and sports guru Francis Lumen and will have Andy Murray, the reigning Wimbledon champion, in the fray.
