Bhutanese tennis player Pema Norbu has become the first player from Bhutan to earn a world ranking from the International Tennis Federation. Following solid performances in two recent international tournaments, he is now ranked 662 in the ITF Masters 30-plus category and 1210 in the 35-plus category.
Pema made his international debut at the ITF World Tennis Masters Tour MT100 tournament in Assam in August this year, competing in both the 35-plus singles and doubles categories.
He advanced to the singles final and reached the semifinals in doubles, which earned him an initial world ranking of 1208 in the 35-plus age category. This marked Bhutan’s first-ever entry in the ITF world rankings.
This month, Pema continued his strong run at the MT200 tournament in Jharkhand, India, competing in the 30-plus age group. He once again reached the singles final and finished runner-up in doubles with an Indian partner. This improved his ITF standing to 662.
The ITF Masters Tour is structured in levels, including MT50, MT100, MT200, MT400, MT700, and MT1000, with the number indicating the number of ranking points awarded to the tournament winner. Higher-tier events offer more points and typically feature stronger competition.
Pema Norbu said, “The ITF ranking comes from competing in international tournaments and earning points based on performance. Since August, I have played in MT 100 and MT 200, where I reached finals in both tournaments. Those results gave me my ranking points and placed Bhutan on the ITF list for the first time.”
Speaking about his progress, Pema expressed his ambition to break into the ITF Top 100 by next year.
To achieve this, he plans to compete in more high-level tournaments, including the MT400 in Thailand later this month, followed by the MT700 in Japan next month.
He said, “My preparation focuses on improving both fitness and match experience. I am training consistently, working on recovery, and learning from every tournament. Competing abroad also teaches me to adapt to different conditions and opponents, which is crucial at this level.”
According to the Bhutan Tennis Federation, Pema’s success is expected to inspire a new generation of tennis players in Bhutan. The federation added that this will also draw attention to the need for improved facilities, coaching, and sponsorship to develop the sports nationally.
“This is a beginning for our tennis. The Bhutanese tennis has been struggling for a long time. But we are just waiting for somebody to win a championship, so that people are inspired. And what he did will inspire all the players, and our children are very much interested in tennis,” said Ravi Sankar Singh, the coach.
As Pema continues to rise in international rankings, his journey marks a significant step forward for Bhutanese tennis on the global stage.
Namgay Wangdi
Edited by Kipchu
