View of Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex
Doha: The Qatar Tennis, Squash and Badminton Federation (QTSBF) revealed that it is preparing a plan to upgrade the Qatar ExxonMobil Open Tennis Championship from the ATP 250 series to ATP 500 series.
The Federation's Secretary-General Tariq Zainal yesterday confirmed that the QTSBF General Assembly, chaired by Nasser bin Ghanim Al Khelaifi, discussed upgrading the championship from the ATP 250 to ATP 500, due to the importance of the tournament and its distinction among all the championships of the same category.
Zainal added that the tournament participants, including officials from the Professional Tennis Players Association and players, assured the organising committee that the Qatar Championship would be chosen as the best tournament in its category for the sixth year in a row.
Zainal revealed that the General Assembly also discussed the issue of merging Padel under the QTSBF umbrella, pointing out that the construction of six Padel courts in the vicinity of the Khalifa International Tennis & Squash Complex has been completed and equipped in preparation for the tournament that will be hosted by the federation after the completion of the Qatar ExxonMobil Open.
Zainal explained that the meeting discussed a number of issues to develop tennis, in addition to emphasising the strategy that was put in place to develop the game by organising many local, Asian and international tournaments, and providing Qatari players with more support through setting up camps and giving them opportunities to participate in international tournaments.
On the other hand, the Asian Tennis Federation (ATF) headed by Thai Kitsombat Euammongkol, held its Ordinary general assembly in Doha, in the presence of QTSBF secretary-general, ATF Vice President Tariq Zainal, and members of the Board of Directors in Doha and via visual communication technology.
During the meeting, Qatar requested to host the ATF General Assembly meeting on Dec. 2023.
