Karnataka tennis stars SD Prajwal Dev and Niki Kaliyanda Poonacha were felicitated with a ?1 lakh cheque each from the Karnataka State Lawn Tennis Association (KSLTA) for their outstanding performance in the 38th National Games. The duo won Karnataka’s first gold medal in Tennis at the 38th National Games, defeating Services’ (Services Sports Control Board) Ishaque Iqbal and Faisal Qamar 6-3, 6-1 in the final.
The cheque was presented by Karnataka’s Minister for Electronics, IT/BT, and Rural Development & Panchayat Raj, Mr. Priyank Kharge, during the ninth edition of the DafaNews Bengaluru Open 2025 at KSLTA Tennis Stadium in Cubbon Park. Also present for the ceremony were Sunil Yajaman, Hon. Jt Secretary KSLTA and Tournament Director, Bengaluru Open, and Naganand Doraswamy, Hon. treasurer of KSLTA.
Mr. Priyank Kharge, who is also the Senior Vice President of KSLTA and chairman of the organising committee for the DafaNews Bengaluru Open, said, “I firstly congratulate Prajwal and Niki for their contribution to Karnataka tennis and for making the whole state proud with their gold medal at the 38th National Games. We are having the 9th edition of the Bengaluru Open here at KSLTA. This is India's biggest professional tennis tournament. We've taken a lot of effort to get this here and we've put in a lot of hard work to ensure that our players get a chance on the global arena and this is putting tennis and Bengaluru on the global map.”
“Hosting this event reflects KSLTA’s commitment to developing world-class infrastructure, nurturing young talent, and providing Indian players with an opportunity to compete against top international stars,” he added.
The felicitation ceremony highlighted Karnataka’s commitment to promoting and encouraging excellence in tennis. With the DafaNews Bengaluru Open 2025 in full swing, the recognition of these athletes further emphasized the tournament’s role in uplifting Indian tennis talent.
Organised by the Karnataka State Lawn Tennis Association (KSLTA), the Bengaluru Open is an ATP Challenger 125 tournament with a prize pool of USD 200,000. It currently holds the distinction of being India’s biggest international tennis event. The champion of this hard-court tournament will earn 125 valuable ATP ranking points.
