DLTA Honors Davis Cup Heroes, Vows to Boost Indian Tennis Growth

India, then ranked 33rd, defeated the sixth-ranked Dutch team 3-2 in an exciting match in Bengaluru earlier this month, securing their spot in the second round of the Davis Cup Qualifiers scheduled for September.

Kunal, IAS, AGMUT 2005, who is the Joint Secretary of Sports Development at the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India, attended the event.

Also present were Rohit Rajpal, President of DLTA; Sanjeev Kassal, President of the International Lawn Tennis Club of India; Deepak Gupta, Secretary of DLTA; Col. Ranbir Chauhan, General Secretary of Operations at DLTA; Satish Upadhyay, Senior Vice President of DLTA; John Blom, ATP Supervisor for the Delhi Open 2026; and India No. 1 Sumit Nagal, a member of the winning team.

During the felicitation, Rajpal emphasised the association's dedication to expanding the sport in India. "At DLTA, we remain committed to supporting and strengthening Indian tennis at every level. Celebrating our Davis Cup team is part of that larger vision."

Nagal, who reached the second round of the Delhi Open, talked about his win during a media interview at the ceremony.

"I think everyone did a fantastic job. You go out there, you win your match, it gets easier and easier. In Switzerland, I got two points and this Bangalore tie, Yuki Bhambri and Dhakshineswar Suresh got all the points. At the end of the day, Davis Cup is about the team and like I said, everybody performed."

Nagal also praised his teammate Dhakshineswar Suresh, who won both of his singles matches against the Netherlands.

"I met him in 2016, so I know him for a decade. I have always supported him in any way, whatever way I could. DK is also a very nice guy, very calm and smart on the court. I really believe he can do well and I really wish him the best. Whenever he thinks something is missing or wants an advice, he's very quick to ask. Even in the Davis Cup match, I tell him what I feel like."

Nagal mentioned that India's upcoming match against Korea in September will be challenging.

"You are playing a top 16 match; you can't really get an easy match now. They've always played well, always performed well under Davis Cup. I know it's going to be a hard match, but if you're playing well and you can always give yourself a chance to win."

- IANS