MUMBAI: Amitabh Bachchan has hopped on board as the co-owner of The International Premier Tennis League’s (IPTL) OUE Singapore Slammers team alongside the local company UD Group, which acquired the team earlier this year.
Bachchan will make a courtside on 20 December at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on the final day of the season. He will also be interacting with fans during the course of the day.
The OUE Singapore Slammers are one of the five teams competing in the second edition of the Coca-Cola IPTL. Singapore will host the final leg of the competition from 18-20 December to determine who will be the league champion for 2015.
A massive tennis fan who has travelled the world to watch some of the best in action, Bachchan’s excitement is palpable. Says he, “My work schedule allows me to only be there for one day, but I’m confident the Singapore Slammers will be playing in the final. I’m also really looking forward to hanging out with members of our clan, the #SlammersNation. I’d like to invite my fans and tennis fans alike to come spend the day with me at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.”
With an aim on developing the sport of tennis in Singapore, the UD Group bought the OUE Singapore Slammers to help cultivate the first generation tennis stars of Singapore.
UD Group chairman Prateek Gupta said, “For us, the IPTL and the OUE Singapore Slammers is as much about entertaining the fans as it is about winning that trophy. In Mr Bachchan, we found a kindred spirit who believes in that aim. Moreover, his commitment to the sport of tennis means that he will be a crucial driver of our Junior Slammers program as well. We look forward to creating a winning team with a true Indian icon.”
Joining the OUE Singapore Slammers at the Singapore Indoor Stadium will be the UAE Royals, Indian Aces, Philippine Mavericks and Japan Warriors – the newest addition to the season – bringing 35 of the world’s top tennis stars into town for the three-day league climax.
The second edition of the IPTL, founded by multiple grand-slam winner Mahesh Bhupathi, will see Japan added to the tour, which already saw packed audiences in the Philippines, Singapore, India and Dubai. The 2015 IPTL will run from 2 - 20 December, 2015.
