Pune, April 16, 2026: The Asia Oceania B1 Junior Tennis Championships will return to India after five years, with Pune selected to host the event. The championship will be played at the Deccan Gymkhana tennis courts from April 20 to April 25, organised by the Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association (MSLTA) along with Deccan Gymkhana.
“The tournament is being organised in Pune for the sixth time and for the second time at the Deccan Gymkhana. We would like to thank the Asian Tennis Federation and the All India Tennis Association for allotting this prestigious championship — a closed B1 category tournament open only to players from the Asia and Oceania region — to India and Maharashtra, despite stiff competition from other Asian countries,” said Mr. Sunder Iyer, Hon. Secretary of MSLTA and Tournament Director, and Dr. Vikrant Sane, Joint Tournament Director and Tennis Secretary of Deccan Gymkhana.
Players from 15 countries (including Australia, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Japan, South Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, Hong Kong, China, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, and India) are participating in the championship. Offering 300 ITF points, the tournament provides top Indian players the opportunity to compete against their regional counterparts while earning valuable ranking points, and is considered an important landmark in the career of any junior player.
The winners of the Asian Championships are eligible for direct entry into any Grand Slam junior event in the following year, Iyer informed. Each category draw will comprise 32 players, with the top 22 — based on ITF ranking — receiving direct entry into the main draw, and the remaining spots filled through qualifying matches and wild cards. The winner will receive 300 points, the runner-up 210 points, and players entering at the Round of 32 stage will receive 30 points.
Held under the aegis of the International Tennis Federation (ITF), the Asian Tennis Federation (ATF), the All India Tennis Association (AITA) and the Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association (MSLTA), the six-day championship will see participation from over 120 Indian and international players across the singles and doubles categories for both boys and girls.
Nirupama Mankad, Sandeep Kirtane, Isha Lakhani, Rutuja Bhosale, Mihika Yadav, Siddanth Banthia and Manas Dhamne from Maharashtra are among the elite former Asian Juniors champions.
ITF White Badge referee Leena Nageshkar has been appointed as the ITF Supervisor for the event.
Following are the probable top players:
Boys:
1. Hyu Kawanishi (JPN, 37)
2. Arnav Paparkar (IND, 45)
3. Kunanan Pantaratorn (THA, 58)
4. Jake Dembo (AUS, 72)
5. Min Hyuk Cho (KOR, 77)
6. Cooper Kose (AUS, 92)
7. Nikolas Baker (AUS, 106)
8. Aradhya Kshitij (IND, 109)
Girls:
1. Riyo Yoshida (JPN, 77)
2. Mailuodi Lei (CHN, 101)
3. Jizelle Sibai (AUS, 121)
4. Miku Kitaoka (JPN, 127)
5. Sakino Miyazawa (JPN, 128)
6. Siyoen Sim (KOR, 131)
7. Diya Ramesh (IND, 170)
8. Albina Kakenova (KAZ, 203)