* Record breaking number of applicants register this year

* Under 10 category added to the tournament - extending the opportunity to players  at a very young age

Bharti Airtel, a leading global telecommunications services provider with operations in 20 countries across Asia and Africa, announced its sponsorship of the 100^th Colombo Championships 2015. This being Sri Lanka’s only premier clay court tennis tournament and one of the two Super ‘A’ Grade Tournaments in Sri Lanka, will be held from the 12^th -28^th of June 2015 at the Sri Lanka Tennis Association- playing section.  This year, a record-breaking of over 900 applicants have registered for the event and it includes participants from around the country.

“Having sponsored this event for the 4^th consecutive year, it is indeed a great honour to be a part of this tournament as it creates a milestone in the history of Tennis in Sri Lanka" said Mr. Suren Goonewardene, CEO- Bharti Airtel Lanka. Known to be one of the most popular tournaments in the local calendar, it has definitely been growing in popularity and has empowered many young tennis players to play the game at a professional level. Tennis transcends to all age groups of the society and throughout the years we have witnessed an exceptional display of talent in all catagories. We understand the value of createing such opportunities as it helps foster talent and build them up to international standards -  paving the road towards the success of Sri Lankan Tennis,” Goonewardene further added.

"Firstly, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Bharti Airtel Lanka for being a part of our success for the 4^th consecutive year. Through this sponsorship we have been able to keep the entry fee at a minimal level, thereby offering maximum opportunities for players to enroll themselves for the tournament. Being one of the oldest tournaments to be held in Sri Lanka, the 100^th Colombo Championships will be celebrated in a grand scale this year with attractive cash prizes and valuable tokens to be given away to the winners,” said Mr. Asoka Abeywardena, President of the SLTA Playing Section.

The 100^th Colombo Championships will feature age groups ranging from all walks of life such as the under 10-18 category for boys/girls and the veteran category that will feature men/women over 35, 45, 55 and 65. The tournament will also feature players from Pakistan and Bangladesh, thus adding more glamour to the whole event. The Championship tournament will comprise of over 27 events, of which 16 are dedicated junior events, guaranteeing 16 days of exciting entertainment for players and tennis enthusiasts alike.

The junior doubles events will be held for participants from under 10-18 categories respectively and the men’s/women’s singles, doubles and mixed doubles in the open have also been scheduled. Mr. Dinusha Wijesuriya has been appointed as the Referee for the Tournament while Mr. Udith Wickremasinghe will play the role as Tournament Director.

Airtel Lanka made its foray into the field of sports sponsorships through its associations with Manchester United and Football, Rugby, Tennis, Golf, Rowing, cricket and Basketball. The company has been involved in the development of sports, as evidenced by its various sponsorships at school, district and national levels. While Airtel Lanka continues to be involved beyond just a mere investment with all its sports sponsorships stakeholders, it is committed to developing local talent to international standards, thus fostering school sports to new heights as well as contributing actively towards the positive development of youth in Sri Lanka.