New dates sought for World Doubles

The World Doubles tennis championship, scheduled to be held in Bangalore next month, appears to be jinxed, as hosts Karnataka State Lawn Tennis Association have again sought a rescheduling of the event in wake of the prevailing global scenario.

Karnataka Chief Minister S M Krishna, who is president of the KSLTA, said on Friday he had spoken to ATP chief executive officer Mark Miles and appraised him of the difficulties being faced by his organisation.

''In light of the developments and the prevailing security scenario after the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States, we have asked them to reconsider their schedule (November 7 to 11). The ATP has promised to get back to us in the next four days,'' he told newspersons in Bangalore.

The chief minister, however, ruled out cancellation of the event, stating that the KSLTA is under contractual obligation to hold the event for two years.

This is the third time the KSLTA is seeking a change in the dates. After the inaugural Afro Asian Games were scheduled to be held in Delhi from November 3 to 11, the ATP had agreed to have the event from November 14 to 18.

The organisers then asked for the event to be held as planned originally after the Afro Asian Games were postponed. The KSLTA was not happy with the the November 14 to 18 dates as it clashed with tennis Masters Cup in Sydney.

Krishna said that the KSLTA are in the process of identifying sponsors for the event, which carries huge prize-money.

''We have found some. A few of them have come forward,'' he pointed out, without identifying the names.

However, sources say that the KSLTA are having difficulties in finding the sponsor in view of the recession and the prevailing security scenario. Last year, ITC had sponsored the event.