Chennai: The organisers of the Aircel Chennai Open today announced that Aircel, one of India’s leading telecom players, has extended its association with the tournament as its title sponsor until 2016. Aircel has been associated with India and South Asia’s only ATP World Tour event since the 15th edition of the tournament held in 2010.


Aircel is India’s fifth largest and fastest growing GSM mobile service provider and a pan India operator. The tournament has not only given the telecom player a phenomenal platform to extend its market presence by reaching out to the youth, but has also helped make tennis as a sport more accessible, affordable and sustainable.


The announcement of the three-year extension was made at the 18th edition of the event at Chennai’s SDAT Tennis Stadium last month by the Tamil Nadu Tennis Association (TNTA), IMG Reliance, operators and organizers of the Chennai Open, and IMG, owners of the tournament at the 18th edition of the event . The event witnessed an exciting line-up of Indian and International players including four top 20 players in action.


Speaking at the occasion, Anupam Vasudev, Chief Marketing Officer, Aircel, said, “Being a young telecom company Aircel has always understood the pulse of the youth. Our four year association with the tournament has been very rewarding and has allowed us to engage directly with our key target segment. We are very happy to be extending this association till 2016 and are confident that not only will it harness the young tennis talent of India, but the property will grow further to become a global platform strengthening Chennai’s position on the international tennis map. We have been offering unique and innovative products and services to cater to the youth and believe that Aircel Chennai Open will help us gain more popularity amongst them.”


Speaking about the partnership with Aircel, M.A. Alagappan, President, Tamil Nadu Tennis Association said, “The Chennai Open is proud to announce the extension of its partnership with Aircel for three seasons starting 2014. We are privileged to have received committed assistance from a leading telecom player like Aircel and thank them for the invaluable support. The Tamil Nadu Tennis Association looks forward to continuing to give the India and the world’s leading players a great playing platform and the people of India a fantastic opportunity to enjoy quality tennis right here in Chennai.”


Fernando Soler, Head of Tennis, IMG Worldwide said, “We are pleased with the extension of Aircel’s contract with the tournament. With this, the road is now set for Chennai to witness three more seasons of exciting tennis action. Thanks to the support received from all our partners and stakeholders, we will continue to provide Indian talent with a great platform to showcase their skills and play against the best in the world. We look forward to Aircel Chennai Open 2014 and beyond.”


Ashu Jindal, Chief Operating Officer, IMG Reliance said, "We’re delighted that Aircel has extended its tournament contract for the next three seasons, this extension is a testament to the value the tournament provides its stakeholders and we are looking forward to working with Aircel to take the tournament to even greater heights. The Aircel Chennai Open has played an important role in growing the sport of tennis in India and this would have not been possible without the relentless support from our title sponsor since 2010 - Aircel, the Government of Tamil Nadu, our sponsors and all stakeholders.”