The Hindu Business Line : Serving up a feast

It's not just TRPs, it's the quality of association. With its connotations of hip, happening and affluence, tennis is the rising favourite for big-bucks sponsorship.

VIJAY MALLYA, Chairman and CEO, Kingfisher Airlines, and Mahesh Bhupathi, MD, Globosport, unveil the event's logo in Mumbai.

Come September, it's time for world-class tennis in India. While there was only one event till last year — the Sunfeast Open for Women in Kolkata that attracted the attention of all tennis lovers, the action has now reached greater heights with nothing less than an ATP tournament for men in Mumbai. For more than two weeks the country will be immersed in the power play of leading men and women players from across the world, not to forget the passion of our own Sania, Leander and Mahesh.

For any observer of India, a country besotted with the gentleman's game and untiringly interested in the antics of star cricketers, two back-to-back tennis events would definitely come as a surprise. But not for Globosport, the sports and entertainment management company owned by tennis star Mahesh Bhupathi, who is responsible for bringing these high-profile events to India.

"Tennis without a doubt is the fastest growing sport in India. In the last five years, there has been a 300 per cent increase in enrolment in registered tennis academies across the country. The figures clearly prove the growth and popularity of tennis in India. The time was right to bring an ATP tour event to Mumbai - India's financial and entertainment capital," Bhupathi says.

The time was also ripe because corporates have been more than eager to lap up the sponsorship rights. While the biscuit brand Sunfeast from ITC Ltd has the title rights for four years in Kolkata for the women's event, Kingfisher Airlines has come on board for three years for the Mumbai event, with the option to extend it to the fourth year.

No wonder that during the last three to four years, the corporate sponsorship in this sport has risen from a meagre Rs 2.5 crore to over Rs 40 crore, not including the Chennai Open, which was the only ATP event in India till now.

For Vijay Mallya, Chairman & CEO, Kingfisher Airlines Ltd, the decision to be a partner is very clear, "The UB Group has always believed in associating with high-profile events to offer the best to the Indian consumer. I have personally encouraged international sports in India and have endeavoured to bring home the world's best, be it Formula 1 Racing or golf. It was only natural to associate with one of the biggest international tennis events in India. In fact, Kingfisher's association with tennis is not new.

Kingfisher owns a tennis stadium in Bangalore that has served as training ground for many a young talent in India."

Both Kingfisher Airlines and ITC Ltd have put in a neat packet running into a few crores for associating with these two events. These monies are well spent too.

There will be a huge array of star players mesmerizing the Indian fans during this month. Check this out.

There are two former World No.1s and Grand Slam champions in Swiss Miss Martina Hingis and flamboyant Spaniard Carlos Moya. Add to that world-beaters like Tommy Robredro from Spain, Croatian Mario Ancic and Tomas Berdych from the Czech Republic, and we have a formidable line-up that will battle for the championship. The Indian quotient is added by the star presence of Sania, Leander and Mahesh himself.

For ITC, supporting sports is not new. The company believes the involvement of the corporate sector is critical for promoting sports in the country. Says Ravi Naware, Divisional Chief Executive, ITC Ltd, Foods Business, "Internationally, women's tennis has a huge fan following and to be a women's tennis star is to be a global sports icon.

With the explosion of talent in women's tennis in India, and players like Sania Mirza, Shikha and Neha Uberoi making a mark in the international arena, this sport is growing in popularity across the country. Given the Sunfeast Open platform and uncompromising support, tennis too is getting the necessary attention and focus. We see a strong connect between our brand and the growing popularity of women's tennis in India."

According to Anirban Das Blah, Vice-President, Globosport, "I think that men's and women's tennis are different because they reach out to completely diverse audiences.

Traditionally, women's tennis is more lifestyle-driven and high on the glamour quotient. This is clearly reflected in the sponsors associated with the WTA tour — brands like Sony Ericcson, Whirlpool and P&G, among others. The ATP men's tour on the other hand reaches out to a largely male audience.

When you compare cricket vis-à-vis tennis, whilst the former is extremely broad-based and mass, tennis has an affluent appeal, cutting across all ages. That is the reason brands such as Kingfisher Airlines, Deutsche Bank and ABN Amro are associated with premium tennis activities in India."

The ABN Amro story is a classic example of ownership of an event. The bank has been involved with the ABN Amro World Tennis Tournament since the first event in 1974. In 2006, the bank sponsored the tournament for the 33rd time, which makes it the longest-running sponsorship in the ATP tour.

The bank has now extended its association to India and has been organising the ABN Amro Tennis Challenge for the last couple of years.

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