MANILA, Philippines – Coca-Cola International Premier Tennis League (IPTL) unveiled on Thursday the trophy that will be presented to the winning team of the USD 1 million prize money professional team tennis competition.
Conceptualized, designed and handcrafted by VELVETCASE.com, the elegant Coca-Cola IPTL Challenge Trophy features a life-size tennis racquet 24 inches in length, completely gilded on a base of pure silver and decorated with genuine diamonds. This rolling trophy also features a tennis ball exquisitely crafted with gemstones and diamonds accompanies the racquet perfectly representing the global presence of the sport.
“I think the trophy looks absolutely sensational! Having the mix of diamonds on the tennis racket makes it all the more interesting and it will certainly be treasured by the winning team! I congratulate VELVETCASE.com for putting this piece of art together,” IPTL CEO Mahesh Bhupathi said.
The 28 inch x 16 inch rectangular base of the trophy symbolizes a tennis court and is made of rich teak wood with a thick sheet of silver on the top. The inscription on the base reads ‘International Premier Tennis League’. Around the base, the dates and names of the winning teams will be engraved.
“We are thrilled to partner with the Coca-Cola IPTL in its inaugural season and provide a special and unique trophy to celebrate the champions participating in the league. The trophy has been conceptualized in collaboration with our designers in New York, Milan and Mumbai and crafted using diamonds, gold, silver, teak and gemstones to exquisite precision. We’re pleased with the outcome and take immense pride in being associated with the Coca-Cola International Premier Tennis League”, said Kapil Hetamsaria, Co-Founder & CEO, VELVETCASE.com.
In its inaugural season, the Coca-Cola IPTL Challenge Trophy will be disputed by four franchises in the Philippines, Singapore, India and the UAE that will feature top stars such as Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, Andy Murray, Serena Williams, Maria Sharapova.
The star-studded teams include - Micromax Indian ‘Aces’, DBS Singapore ‘Slammers’, Manila ‘Mavericks’, and the UAE ‘Royals’.
The new multi-million dollar league will run from November 28 until December 13 with the inaugural leg to be played at the Mall of Asia Arena from November 28 to 30.
In its quicker and more exciting format that’s never been seen before, the League will ‘Break the Code’ of the traditional etiquette of tennis in the world. First time features such as time-outs, Happiness PowerPoints, shoot-outs, a running shot clock and exciting live in-game entertainment will be an essential part of all matches. Tennis’ traditional scoring format has been changed to single-set no-add scoring, which will speed up the games and enable the fans to experience up to 24 different players in one exhilarating evening.