Now, tennis league in December

MUMBAI: It's an ambitious plan by the All India Tennis Association (AITA) that took a couple of years to germinate, drawing inspiration from the IPL. But the offering holds great promise for the current juniors on the national circuit and fans alike.
The inaugural Indian Tennis League (ITL) slots two weeks in December starting this year on the Indian tennis calendar.For starters, five franchise-based teams will slug it out in 20 ties played on a home-away basis for a place in the final.
Each franchisee will pick 10 members out of which, two will be foreign players, four from the national crop and another four from the junior circuit. The framework indicates five games a tie that includes men's singles and doubles, women's singles and doubles and a much-needed boost for the mixed doubles event.
The franchises will handle all financial aspects of their players, in addition to carrying out the the necessary infrastructure upgrades in their respective cities as per the required standards. The AITA will handle all the nitty-gritties of conducting the league.
AITA President Anil Khanna believes that the self-sustaining structure of the ITL is apt for the growth of tennis. ''Even with the appetite for tennis, there's been no product to sell in India. Most juniors quit the sport when they're out of their teens as finances become an issue. The ITL hopes to be an encouragement for them to make a living out of tennis. Maybe in the future, a franchise could adopt a player on a permanent basis,'' he says. The grassroots tend to gain as all revenues raised will be fed back for developmental purposes.
Sports marketing company Golazo will aid AITA's cause by roping in the players needed to draw the eyeballs. ''We've already started talks with foreign players and corporates. Let's keep the names a surprise for now,'' quips president Ivan Brixi of Golazo Asia.
The ITL will be overlooked by a six-member executive committee headed by Khanna, who's even open to the AITA coming under the purview of the Right To Information (RTI) Act. To add to the transparency, no committee member has the privilege of owning a franchisee.