After establishing itself as a golfing destination, Kashmir is now looking to tennis as its next sports tourism attraction, with the Valley set to host its first-ever destination tennis tournament from August 19.
The two-day event at Gindun Stadium, Rajbagh, will bring together 40 players, including 25 participants from different States and 15 local players, in an initiative aimed at promoting both tennis and the Valley as a sporting destination.
Organised under the banner of Tennis Fanatic and Friends Sports by Vijay Verma and Avnish Rastogi, the tournament has attracted players from Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai, Delhi and Moradabad.
Many participants are travelling with their families and plan to spend nearly a week in Kashmir, giving the event a tourism dimension beyond competition. The participants will be divided into eight teams of five players each. Organisers said several players have represented India at different levels of the sport.
Local organiser Abdul Rouf Bhat said the tournament was conceived to position Kashmir on the national tennis map while providing local players an opportunity to compete against experienced players from across the country.
“Kashmir has become a preferred holiday destination and we want it to become known for tennis as well. There is immense potential among local players and they need exposure so that one day they can represent the country,” he said.
Organiser Vijay Verma described the event as a collaborative effort and acknowledged the role of local stakeholders in making it possible.
“This tournament has special significance as Sajjad Bhat and Rouf Bhat have helped us immensely with the organisation and arrangements,” he said.
Participant Umesh Mitra said the visiting players were eager to engage with local players both on and off the court.
Veteran Tennis player Dr Muneer Khan said the tournament would offer valuable exposure to young players in the Valley.
“The local players will get a chance to interact with and learn from players coming from different parts of the country. Earlier, we had only one court at Amar Singh Club. Now we have three courts at Gindun Stadium, which reflects the gradual growth of tennis in J&K,” he said.
Another participant, Shahi Jehan Khan, said improved infrastructure would be key to the sport’s growth in the region.
“If we want to take tennis to the next level in J&K, we need to provide better infrastructure to budding sportspersons. The tournament will allow local players to compete with players from different states, learn new skills and gain valuable experience,” he said.
He added that the participation of players from outside J&K along with their families would further strengthen sports tourism in the Valley.
Organisers hope the tournament will become a regular feature on Kashmir’s sporting calendar, helping attract more national-level events while creating greater opportunities for local players to compete and learn from experienced counterparts from across the country.