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In a landmark moment for Indian sports, Tamil Nadu is set to host the prestigious Asian Tennis Ball Cricket Championship 2026 for the first time in history.
Organised by the Tamil Nadu Tennis Ball Cricket Association (TNTBCA) under the aegis of the Tennis Ball Cricket Federation of India (TBCFI) -- which is officially recognized by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MYA&S), Sports Authority of India (SAI), and Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT) -- the tournament will feature approximately 600 top-tier players competing across four high-intensity days from 26th October to 29th October 2026 at KCG College, Karapakkam, Chennai. The official logo and jersey of the championship were unveiled at a ceremony held at Hotel Ramada in Guindy, Chennai. The event was graced by India's celebrated badminton star and multiple-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu as the Chief Guest. Sindhu, who won a Silver medal at the Rio 2016 Olympics and a Bronze at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, added further significance to the occasion. Her presence highlighted the growing international recognition of tennis ball cricket and served as an inspiration for the participating athletes to strive for excellence on the global stage. Sindhu expressed her happiness at attending the Asian Tennis Ball Cricket Championship event and extended her best wishes to the organisers, athletes and associations. She praised the initiative for encouraging more athletes to participate and welcomed the growing support from sponsors. Sindhu also stressed the importance of greater backing for athletes to help them improve and achieve their best. "I'm very happy to be here, and of course, with that, everything is going on well. I'm here for the Tennis Ball Cricket League, which is happening, and they've asked me to come, and I'm very happy that I'm here. I wish them all the very best, and also, I also wish the Tennis Ball Cricket Association all the very best. And I'm happy that they're doing leagues like this, which will encourage a lot of athletes to come forward and also play in this league. At the same time, I'm also happy that a lot of athletes are coming forward, and a lot of sponsors are coming forward. I think there needs to be a lot of support for the athletes, and then athletes will also improve themselves and do their best. Wishing all the very best to all the cricket associations," she told reporters. Sindhu, who made history in July by becoming the first Indian to win the Japan Open Super 750 title, suffered a hard-fought defeat to China's Wang Zhiyi in the women's singles pre-quarterfinals of the BWF World Championships 2026. She said she is now looking forward to the upcoming Asian Games. "And of course, we're leaving for the Asian Games soon. Really looking forward," she said. (ANI)
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