KSLTA stadium renamed after former Union Minister S.M. Krishna

KSLTA Stadium named after S.M. Krishna, honoring his contributions to tennis in Karnataka, with scholarships awarded to young players.

The Karnataka State Lawn Tennis Association (KSLTA) Stadium inside the leafy and pristine Cubbon Park was on Friday named after former External Affairs Minister and Chief Minister of Karnataka S.M. Krishna, who passed away in December.

Krishna, a tennis enthusiast as well as the KSLTA president from 1999 to 2020, was instrumental in sprucing up the venue at the turn of the millennium and is credited to have widened the footprint of the game to different districts of Karnataka.

Former doubles World No.1 Rohan Bopanna recollected his excitement as a youngster when he watched the world’s best players compete in the 2001 World Doubles Challenge Cup, among the first events under Krishna’s stewardship.

“To watch worldclass tennis live was an inspiration,” Bopanna said. “Having this stadium in his name is a fitting tribute. He took the game to all districts, and I as a player went to all these districts. I hope we have that in the future too.”

On the occasion, scholarships worth ₹12 lakh were awarded to young upcoming players, and Krishna’s wife Prema, while thanking the KSLTA for honouring her late husband, called on tennis lovers and industrialists to help further improve infrastructure and support for players.

Minister for Information Technology and Biotechnology Priyank Kharge, also the KSLTA senior vice-president, Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka, also the KSLTA president, C.S. Sunder Raju, former KSLTA secretary and K. Govindaraj, MLC and president, Karnataka Olympic Association were present.