LUCKNOW, March 28 -- Around 180 players, including 18 women's, will be seen in action in the Friends Cup ITF MT100 Tennis Tournament, presented by Aplomb, beginning Saturday, at the Tennis Facility at the Vijayant Khand Stadium here. 'The Friends Cup' is a platform designed with the objective of extending the scope of tennis beyond mere competition, linking it instead with health, friendship, and an active lifestyle. This tournament provides an opportunity for masters and senior players to compete at both national and international levels. "The participants include four foreigners, including two from Germany, one from China and one from the United States," Pushkar Mishra, tournament director and president of the Friends Club Association said on Friday while addressing media persons. "The event is being organised in 15 different categories and we are excited to see many top guns in different categories in the country, battling out for crucial points," he added. Nitin Gupta, tournament chairman, said that participation of four foreign players is a fact that underscores the global stature of the event. "Players from several prominent states across the country have confirmed their participation. So far we have confirmation of players from Mumbai, Odisha, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Rajasthan, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh," he added. "This extensive participation establishes 'The Friends Cup' as a truly national-level tournament. This diverse format provides players with the opportunity to play according to their ability and experience and makes sports more inclusive," he added. Event organizer, Swarnesh Chaturvedi said that the participation of female athletes reflects the inclusive and progressive ethos of 'The Friends Cup'. The primary objectives of 'The Friends Cup' is to provide a competitive platform for athletes, promote fitness and an active lifestyle And also to strengthen national and international friendships through sports." Asvik Srivastava and Anya won the boys and girls singles titles, respectively at the AITA Under-12 Talent Series, notching up thrilling wins, at the KD Singh 'Babu' Stadium here. Asvik defeated Rudra Chaurasiya 7-6 (4), 6-2 in the boys singles final, whereas Anya brushed aside Hiya Chauhan 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 in the girls singles final. Rudra put up a tough challenger for Asvik in the first set as it was decided in tie-break. But in the secdond set, he raced to 3-0 lead with a break before clinching the issue at 6-2. In the girls singles final, spirited Anya came from behind to win the battle. She lost the first set by 4-6 with Hiya showing good court coverage. But after a shrt break, Anya came back strongly and put her rival Hiya at bay, winning the set by 6-1 and drew the parity. In decider, Anya looked in total control, smashing the ball with power in all parts of the court. She raced to 4-0 lead with two break points before losing two games to finish the match at 6-2. There was some consolation for Rudra Chaurasiya after losing in the singles final as he, while pairing with Shivansh, won the boys doubles title. The duo defeated the pair of Arnav Srivastava and Hamdaan 7-5, 7-5. In the girls doubles final, the pair of Hiya Chauhan and Anya defeated the duo of Aarika Raj Singh and Sanvi Jaiswal 6-4, 6-3....