Shekhawat joins World Tennis Masters Tour event in Jodhpur
Synopsis
Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat attended the World Tennis Masters Tour MT100 at Jodhpur's Sardar Club on 27 September 2026, cheering international players, playing badminton, and reuniting with former university sporting companions.
Key Takeaways
Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat attended the World Tennis Masters Tour (MT100) at Sardar Club, Jodhpur on 27 September 2026 .
The minister encouraged players who had come from India and abroad to participate in the tournament.
Shekhawat also played badminton during the event, going beyond a ceremonial visit.
He met former university teammates and fellow players in a personal reunion on the sidelines.
Hosting an MT100 leg places Jodhpur on an international masters sports circuit, beyond its heritage tourism profile.
A Sunday morning at Jodhpur's historic Sardar Club turned into a reunion of rackets and old friendships, as Union Culture and Tourism Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat stepped onto the courts to cheer on competitors at the World Tennis Masters Tour (MT100) on 27 September 2026.
Shekhawat, who represents Jodhpur in the Lok Sabha, shared that he not only encouraged players who had travelled from across India and abroad to participate in the tournament, but also picked up a badminton racket himself. 'देश-विदेश से आए खिलाड़ियों का उत्साहवर्धन किया और बैडमिंटन भी खेला' ('I cheered on players who came from home and abroad, and also played badminton'), he wrote, capturing what was clearly a hands-on morning rather than a ceremonial drop-in.
Sardar Club on the MT100 calendar
The World Tennis Masters Tour MT100 is a competitive circuit catering to masters-category players — typically athletes aged 35 and above — who continue to compete at an organised international level. Hosting a leg of this tour at the Sardar Club places Jodhpur on an international sports map that extends well beyond the city's more familiar draw as a heritage tourism destination. For local sporting infrastructure and clubs, such a tournament signals growing confidence in Rajasthan's capacity to host international multi-participant events.
A constituency moment that goes beyond politics
For Shekhawat, the visit carried a distinctly personal dimension. He noted a warm meeting — 'आत्मीय मुलाकात' (a heartfelt reunion) — with former university teammates and fellow players, spending time with them on the sidelines. It is the kind of constituency engagement that blends the personal and the public: a minister who grew up and studied in this city, returning to the same courts and the same company.
Elected representatives in India routinely attend local sports events as a way to stay embedded in their constituency's social fabric, but physically playing alongside participants — and reuniting with university-era sporting companions — adds a texture that goes beyond ribbon-cutting. The morning at Sardar Club was, by his own account, as much about old bonds as it was about the tournament itself.
For Jodhpur's sports community, having a Union Minister in the stands — and on the court — is a quiet signal that the constituency's athletic ambitions have a voice at the centre.
Point of View
Personal, and low-controversy. For a minister whose portfolio centres on culture and tourism, associating Jodhpur with an international sporting event also subtly reinforces the city's brand as a multi-dimensional destination. The reunion with university teammates adds an authenticity that scripted events rarely deliver. Whether the MT100's presence here translates into sustained sports infrastructure investment is the question worth watching.
NationPress
27 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the World Tennis Masters Tour MT100?
The World Tennis Masters Tour MT100 is an international competitive tennis circuit for masters-category players, typically aged 35 and above, who continue to compete at an organised international level.
Where was the tennis event held in Jodhpur?
The event was held at the Sardar Club in Jodhpur, Rajasthan on 27 September 2026 .
What did Gajendra Singh Shekhawat do at the event?
He encouraged players from India and abroad, played badminton, and met former university teammates and fellow players in a personal reunion.
Why did Shekhawat attend a tennis tournament?
As the Lok Sabha MP from Jodhpur, Shekhawat regularly engages with constituency-level events. The MT100 also had personal significance, as it brought together former sporting companions from his university days.
Is Jodhpur known for hosting international sports events?
Jodhpur is primarily known as a heritage and tourism destination, making the hosting of an international masters tennis tour leg a notable addition to the city's sporting calendar.
