: The US $ 120,000 Seamaster 2017 International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) World Tour ‘India Open,’ offering the highest ever prize money in the country, will be held for the first time at the Thyagaraj Stadium, New Delhi from February 14 to 19.
The bid to host the second leg of the series (the Hungarian Open being the first and ending at Budapest, Hungary on Sunday), was won by 11Even Sports Pvt. Ltd .
“The Seamaster ITTF 2017 World Tour ‘India Open’ offers an excellent opportunity to prominently position the country on the global table tennis map,” said Mrs. Vita Dani, Chairperson, 11Even Sports. She added, “11Even Sports is committed to promoting the game. Hosting the ‘India Open’ will herald a new era for the sport in the country.”
Other cities/ countries to host the ITTF 2017 World Tour are Qatar (February 23-26); Korea (April 20-23); Tokyo (June 16-18); China (June 22-25); Australia (June 29-July 2); Czech Republic (August 24-27); Austria (September 1-3); Bulgaria (September 7-10); Germany (November 10-12) and Sweden (November 16-19).
The world’s best paddlers compete for glory and World Tour standing points at these events to determine the top 16 players for the World Tour Finals.
“We commend 11EvenSports’s efforts in winning the bid to bring the prestigious ITTF 2017 World Tour event to India. Such premier tournaments help create awareness and get the youth interested in the sport. We will continue to support 11Even Sports as it promotes the game in the country,” said Dhanraj Choudhary, Secretary General, Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI).
