The Hindu Business Line : TN to co-sponsor tennis tournament

THE Tamil Nadu Government has decided to co-sponsor the ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) tennis tournament, and set up a consortium of sponsors to ensure that the event is an annual feature in Chennai.

The consortium of sponsors will fund the tournament for five years from 2005 with the Government chipping in Rs one crore every year. This follows a request from the Tamil Nadu Tennis Association and Mr Vijay Amritraj, the well-known international tennis player, according to an official release.

The ATP tournament, which will from now be known as `The Chennai Open,' has been held in the city over the last eight years. There were reports that the ATP tournament will be shifted to another State because of lack of sponsors. The Government's move is to make sure that the tournament continues to be played in Chennai.

The Government has also expressed intention to encourage sports in the State.

In the customary address to the Assembly today, the Governor, Mr P.S. Ramamohan Rao, said that Tamil Nadu would set up a new university to encourage physical education and sports. In 2004-05, sports development will be backed by a large financial outlay with focus on infrastructure development, talent identification and training.