Leander Paes acquires stake in Bengal franchise ahead of Tennis Premier League 2023

Leander Paes (Pic: PTI)

Ahead of the fifth edition of the Tennis Premier League (TPL), the Indian tennis icon Leander Paes has acquired a stake in the Bengal franchise. The tournament, to be played in Pune later this year, will feature eight teams in total.

Paes has partnered with the Wardwizard Group to introduce a new team from Bengal in TPL 2023. The other competing teams are Mumbai Leon Army, Punjab Tigers, Pune Jaguars, Bengaluru Spartans, Delhi Binny's Brigade, Hyderabad Strikers and Gujarat Panthers.

The tournament is expected to be held in December this year at Balewadi Stadium, Pune in association with the All India Tennis Association (AITA) and Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association (MSLTA).

Expressing his enthusiasm on bringing a team from Bengal in this highly-anticipated tournament, Paes remarked, "The South Club in Kolkata is the most iconic tennis venue in the country that has hosted the most number of Davis Cup matches in India and has even produced legendary Indian tennis players such as Jaidip Mukerjea and Zeeshan Ali to name a few."

"I am sure that the presence of a team from Bengal will make season five of the Tennis Premier League even bigger than the previous editions," he added.

Wardwizard Group's chairman Yatin Gupte said, "In terms of recognition and popularity, TPL is the premier competition of Tennis in India, the level of competition in the league is fantastic.That prompted us to invest in a team that'll take on other competitive teams in the tournament and we are excited to be part of such a wonderful tournament."

The first and second editions of the TPL were won by the Sea Hawks and Pune Jaguars respectively. The Hyderabad Strikers have dominated the competition so far with two consecutive title wins in third and fourth editions of the tournament.

The anticipation for Tennis Premier League, one of the most popular tennis tournaments in the country, has increased with ace tennis player Leander Paes confirming his association with it.

(With PTI inputs)

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