35th Bangladesh World Tennis Tour Junior kicks off

The 35th Bangladesh World Tennis Tour Junior J-30, Dhaka featuring participants from 12 nations officially commenced with a grand opening ceremony at the National Tennis Complex in Ramna on Saturday.

The competition was inaugurated on Saturday evening by Md. Mahbub-ul-Alam, Secretary of the Ministry of Youth and Sports. Following the inauguration, the tournament trophy was unveiled in a festive atmosphere.

In his address, the Secretary thanked the Tennis Federation's Ad-hoc Committee for successfully organizing the event. He remarked, "Tournaments of this nature not only enhance the performance of athletes but also foster amicable relations among all. This tournament will encourage young players and contribute to the growth of tennis. The Ministry of Youth and Sports will provide all necessary support for the development of tennis in Bangladesh." He also called on the Tennis Federation to launch a talent hunt program to discover players from the grassroots level.

Other attendees at the opening ceremony included Ashrafuzzaman Khan Puton, Vice President of the Tennis Federation; Ishtiak Ahmed (Karen), General Secretary; Begum Hosne Ara Rina, Ad-hoc Committee member; and Sohel Sarkar, Tournament Director. The ceremony concluded with a delightful cultural performance. Suzuki Motorbikes, Bank Asia, and Dana Petroleum Ltd. are sponsoring the tournament.

The qualifying rounds of the tournament began on Saturday morning and will continue on Sunday. The main draw will begin on October 13th. In the Boys' division, 25 players are competing in the qualifiers, with 10 set to join the 22 players already in the main draw. The Girls' main draw will feature a total of 27 players.

On the first day of the qualifiers, Bangladeshi players Tasbid Rahman, Al Mahid, Safwan Sami, Mohammad Tanvir, and Bokul Ali advanced to the second round with a first-round 'bye'. Avinash Raj of Bangladesh also moved forward via a walkover against India's Dilip Kumar. 

Avinash later defeated fellow Bangladeshi Al Mahid 6-1, 6-2 in the second round. Safwan Sami received a walkover against Ganesh Shine of India. However, Bangladeshi players Tasbid Rahman, Mohammad Tanvir, and Bokul Ali were eliminated in the second round of the qualifiers.

Players from 12 countries are participating in this international competition: host Bangladesh, Australia, China, Chinese Taipei, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, India, Korea, the Maldives, Singapore, Thailand, and the United States.
Masfia Afrin, a Bangladeshi ITTF White Badge (Level-2) Referee, is serving as the Tournament Referee for the competition.