Bharat Petroleum to Host 43rd PSPB Inter-Unit Lawn Tennis Tournament in Pune
Pune, 26th November 2024: Indian Olympians Rohan Bopanna, Sumit Nagal, Ankita Raina, and Prarthana Thombare, along with Davis Cup players Yuki Bhambri and Vishnuvardhan, will headline the Bharat Petroleum-organized 43rd PSPB Inter-Unit Lawn Tennis Tournament. The prestigious event will take place at the Deccan Gymkhana Tennis Courts in Pune from November 27 to 30.
According to Deepak Jain, General Manager of Sports at Bharat Petroleum, over 100 players representing major oil and gas corporations, including IOCL, ONGC, MNGL, OIL, NRL, EIL, HPCL, and the host BPCL, will compete in the four-day tournament. The event will feature team and individual competitions in the Men’s, Women’s, and Veterans’ categories. Lalit Watts, Advisor of PSPB, was also present during the press briefing.
Top Indian players such as Rohan Bopanna, Divij Sharan, and Sumit Nagal will represent the Indian Oil Corporation (IOCL) team. Other prominent names include Prarthana Thombare, Riya Bhatia, and Rushmi Chakravarthi. Davis Cup players Yuki Bhambri, J. Vishnuvardhan, and V.M. Ranjeet will compete for ONGC. Emerging local talent Vaishnavi Adkar will represent the host BPCL team, alongside veterans like Raj Kumar Dubey.
The matches will be conducted under ITF rules, with both internationally and nationally certified officials overseeing the event.
Jain emphasized the role of Bharat Petroleum and other oil companies in fostering a robust pool of sporting talent in India. He highlighted their contribution to India’s growing prominence in international sports.
Participating Teams
BPCL
Women’s Category: Vaishnavi Adkar
Veterans’ Category: Raj Kumar Dubey, P.V. Ravitej, N. Chandrasekhar, Munesh Sharma, Joseph Anthony Kujur, Thomas James, Khuswinder, Manish Sharma
IOCL
Men’s Category: Rohan Bopanna, Divij Sharan, Sumit Nagal
Women’s Category: Prarthana Thombare, Riya Bhatia, Rushmi Chakravarthi
Veterans’ Category: Pankaj Kumar Gangwar, Subash Rajora, Tribhuwan Kumar, Manoj Patir
MNGL
Men’s Category: Neelabh Narayan
ONGC
Men’s Category: Yuki Bhambri, J. Vishnuvardhan, V.M. Ranjeet
Veterans’ Category: S.K.P. Bhandari, Vijay P.T., Amiya Sarkar, K.S. Rawat
OIL
Men’s Category: Udit Gogoi, Sheikh Md. Iftikhar, Parthiv Kalita, Riyan Kashyap
Veterans’ Category: Diganta Kr. Borah, Dr. Siddhartha Deori Bharali, Dhruba Jyoti Hazarika, Md. Hekim Ali
NRL
Men’s Category: Subul Chandra Haloi, Siddhartha Pratim Dutta, Rahul Anand, Rituraj Saikia
Veterans’ Category: Jayanta Kamal, Bubul Jyoti Das, Krishna Kanta Dutta
EIL
Men’s Category: S. Balaji, S. Tripathi, Akshay Kumar, Mahesh Kumar
Veterans’ Category: Rajnish Malik, R.K. Singh, Ajay Jain, Saurabh Agarwal
HPCL
Men’s Category: Arun Singh, Jeswin G., Bishnoi Krishan Kumar, Sandeep Kumar
Veterans’ Category: Debashis Chakraverty, Bhupati Murli Krishna, Rashim Chawla, Satyapal, Bhimneni Shrikanth
The tournament promises thrilling action as India’s top tennis talents compete for supremacy.
