14 DAY TRIAL // Following two years of tennis sponsorship, Sony Ericsson has announced its intention to bring the Sony Ericsson International, a Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Event, to Bangalore and partnered up with the Karnataka State Lawn Tennis Association in order to further promote the sport in India.
The participation of Serena Williams and Sania Mirza has been confirmed, this being the first time the younger of the two Williams sisters plays in India. Apart from promoting the sport, Sony Ericsson has also been a major innovator in tennis, providing live scoring, instant replay, interactive mobile phone content and more.
Commenting on today's announcement, Dee Dutta, Corporate Vice President and Head of Marketing at Sony Ericsson, said: "We are very pleased to become the title sponsor of the Sony Ericsson International in Bangalore. Serena Williams and Sania Mirza are two of the most talented players on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour and we are confident that they will be joined by other top international players at the tournament in February." He added that "We are pleased with the rising popularity of tennis in India. There are many talented players in the country and this has been showcased by India's excellent performance in tennis at the recently concluded Asian Games in Doha. Sony Ericsson International showcases Sony Ericsson's commitment to the Indian market and we aim to be an integral part of the tennis movement in India."
"Our association with tennis is about enabling people to explore their passions. Throughout the past two years of our tennis sponsorship we have combined our brand expertise and innovative thinking to provide something new and something different to tennis fans of all ages, and to extend the game beyond sport. We wish to do the same in India, one of our company's most important and dynamic markets," Dutta added.