Vision Care Colombo Tennis C’ships raises prize money to Rs. 3m, eyes int’l recognition

Sri Lanka’s oldest tennis tournament, the 111th Vision Care Colombo Championships, was launched last week at the Sri Lanka Tennis Association courts at Green Path in Colombo.

For the first time in the tournament’s history, a record Rs. 3 million will be offered as prize money, Tournament Director Preshan Dissanayake said.

“Three years ago our tournament prize money stood at Rs. 500,000. Today, just three years later, I am incredibly proud to announce that we have raised that figure to a staggering Rs. 3 million. This includes a 20% increase from last year alone,” he said.

“In the world of competitive tennis, prize money is one of the biggest factors in attracting top tier talent. Last year we had around 1,500 participants and this year we expect even more players to compete.”

Dissanayake said the long term goal is to transform the Colombo Championships into a recognised international tennis destination.

“Looking ahead, our five-year vision is to elevate this prize fund to Rs. 10 million. While we are already welcoming a few international competitors, our ultimate goal is to establish the Colombo Championship as a premier destination for high ranking international players,” he added.

“Coincidentally, as we speak, the world’s best are competing at French Open at Roland Garros. Our aspiration is to make the Colombo Championship so prestigious and rewarding that players who narrowly miss out on the Paris draws choose Colombo as their next competitive destination.”

More than 1,000 local participants are expected to compete this year. Event categories include junior age groups from Under 12 to Under 18, Men’s and Women’s Open events, and Masters/Veterans categories for Over 35, 45, 55 and 65 age groups.

The title sponsor for the event is Vision Care, which has supported the tournament for the past 11 years. Official Ball Partner for this year’s tournament is Wilson while co-sponsorship is provided by Thambapanni Leisure.