Airtel Lanka dials support for 97th Colombo Championships 2012

Bharti Airtel, is sponsoring the 97th Colombo Championships 2012, one of two “Super A Grade” Tennis tournaments in Sri Lanka, which will be held from 7 to 21 July at the Sri Lanka Tennis Association – Playing Section.

Bharti Airtel Lanka CEO and Managing Director Suren Goonewardene (left) shakes hands with Ravi Perera, Tennis Captain, SLTA Playing Section to symbolize the sponsorship. Bharti Airtel Lanka Head of Brands and Marketing Communications Charith de Chickera and Pradeep Goonasekara, General Secretary, SLTA Playing Section are also present

While all matches during the weekends will be from 8am – 9pm, the weekday matches will be played from 3pm -9pm.
Speaking about the partnership, Suren Goonewardene, CEO – Sri Lanka, Bharti Airtel said “it gives us great pleasure to be associated with the SLTA, which has been growing in popularity over the years, acknowledging the best tennis players Sri Lanka has produced and the Colombo Championships which is one of the only two ‘super’ grade ranking tennis tournaments in Sri Lanka. Tennis transcends to all age groups of the society and while we see this partnership as a wonderful opportunity to help foster talent and build them up to international standards, we hope to continue our fullest support towards the growth of tennis in Sri Lanka.
“The Colombo Championships is the premier and most looked forward to tennis tournament in Sri Lanka, offering the highest prize money and attracting the highest number of player participation. We are happy to have Airtel on board as the principal sponsor for this event which will no doubt help us take the event to the next level. We look forward to the partnership with Airtel and guarantee two weeks of high quality Tennis,” said Suresh Subramaniam, President, SLTA Playing Section.
The 97th Colombo Championships 2012 will feature Boys’ and Girls’ singles and doubles events in the junior categories, while also featuring Mens’ and Womens singles and doubles in the open, veterans and the wheelchair categories plus the Mixed doubles event. Last year’s tournament saw over 650 participants enjoying the game, whilst this year, more are expected to participate.   
These participants include all age groups as well as the top ranked players in the country.
The whole Championship tournament will include over 25 events, out of which 12 will focus on the junior tournaments, thus guaranteeing 14 days of entertainment to those who have the passion for the game.
Airtel Lanka recently made its foray into the field of sports sponsorships and this marks its primary association with Tennis.
The company thus far has been involved in the development of schools rugby, as evidenced by its sponsorship of S.
Thomas’, St. Peter’s and Kingswood College’s Rugby teams as well as the Sri Lanka Navy Rugby team. While Airtel Lanka continues to invest in sports sponsorships, it is committed to developing local talent to international standards.