The prestigious Sri Lanka Tennis Nationals, one of the most historic annual sporting events in the country which is held in its 94th year this time, will be sponsored by ‘Kohler,’ an international manufacture company centred in Kohler, Wisconsin, USA, and best known for its plumbing products.

The Rs.600,000 worth sponsorship was ceremonially presented to the Sri Lanka Tennis Association (SLTA) at a media briefing held at the SLTA headquarters in Colombo on Wed. (19) by Pashupati Kundu, Regional Sales Manager of ‘Kohler,’ which has been founded in 1873, only decades before the Lankan tennis Nationals began in Nuwara Eliya, by an Austrian immigrant named John Michael Kohler.

Kundu, addressing the gathering on Wednesday, said their association with the SLTA would be a long lasting one while expressing his company’s desire to collaborate with the SLTA on its future endeavours, such as conducting international tournaments and spreading tennis out of Colombo.

Meanwhile, Maxwell de Silva, President, SLTA, said they were ready for a long journey with their new sponsor so as to achieve greater heights in local tennis.

"This (the union between the SLTA and ‘Kohler’) won’t be a short term affair but an association which would end up in marriage one day," quipped de Silva.

Rasika de Silva, Sales Manager of Sri Lanka for ‘Kohler,’ reiterated their ambition to help Sri Lankan tennis in years to come.

Aasiri Iddamalgoda, one of the SLTA Vice Presidents and Tournaments & Matches Committee head, Boshan Dayaratne, Gen. Secretary, SLTA, and Lt. Col. Shiran Abeysekera, one of the Vice Presidents of the SLTA and the Tournament Director of the forthcoming Nationals, were also present.

This year’s Nationals will begin on Aug. 29, following the completion of the ongoing Junior Nationals held at the same venue, and will go on till Sep. 13. The entries will close on Aug. 21 before the draw scheduled for Aug 26 at the SLTA. There will be handy prize money for winners and runners-up of all major winners. High on the list are Rs.70,000 and 40,000 which will be on offer for the Men’s and Women’s Singles winners.

The Referee of the Tournament will be Avantha Suranimala. Dunlop will be the official ball of this year’s Nationals. Harshana Godamanna and Jithmie Jayawickrema were the winners of the Men’s and Women’s Singles titles respectively in last year’s Nationals.

Karandeniya Central College shocked prestigious Musaeus College, Colombo, Under-15 tennis team by thrashing them by 3-2 in this year’s Inter-school Tennis Championship 2009 semi-final encounter held last Friday (Aug. 14) at the SLTA hard courts in Colombo.

Karandeniya CC girls began playing tennis barely two years earlier when the SLTA intervened to build a clay court in that southern city as part of a Tsunami reconstruction programme. Karandeniya’s victory therefore holds a symbolic value as Musaeus has a better tennis background with the school’s far more accomplished history.

Musaeus won the 1st and 2nd Singles of their semi-final tie while Karandeniya won the 1st and 2nd Doubles and the 3rd Singles. Karandeniya CC were to meet Bishop’s College at the finals.