Have seen encouraging response towards Tennis Premier League in past two years: Leander Paes

After two successful years, the Tennis Premier League is all set to make a grand return for its third season. Promising to be bigger and better this year, the aim of the league is to popularise tennis as a sport in India and provide a platform to the young talented players of the country, also equipping them for global competition.

The league which was launched in 2018 by Bollywood actor Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and tennis maestro Leander Paes, gained popularity across India and this year it will host 8 powerful teams with 80 players.

The third season launched in March 2021 and the auction took place on Tuesday with the owners of the respective 8 teams in attendance. Pune Jaguars, Bengaluru Spartans, Delhi Binny's Brigade, Gujarat Panthers, Mumbai Leon Army, Chennai Stallions, Rajasthan Tigers, and Finecab Hyderabad Strikers are the eight teams in the competition.

Leander Paes commented: "The Tennis Premier League has seen tremendous growth since its inception and I'm very excited for its third season now that too with international players. We have 8 strong teams in the league and we have seen encouraging response in the past two years, which only promises that this season will be much larger at scale."

Each team with a celebrity co-owner will be competing for the title. Leander Paes, Rakul Preet Singh, Sonali Bendre Behl, and Divya Khosla Kumar were present to select the best players for their respective teams. The auctions also saw the presence of prolific director Vishal Bhardwaj who is an avid supporter of the league. Also present was actor Suniel Shetty whose company Body First is the hydration partner for the Chennai Stallions.

Founders Kunal Thakur and Mrunal Jain promised an enthralling championship this year and aim to create an environment that is the perfect amalgamation of sports and entertainment.

( With inputs from ANI )