ITF announce regional qualifying venues for 2016 BNP Paribas World Team Cup

The ITF have announced regional qualifying venues for the 2016 BNP Paribas World Team Cup ©ITF

Dates and venues have been announced by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) for the regional qualifying events for the 2016 BNP Paribas World Team Cup.

Japan are set to host the ITF’s flagship wheelchair tennis team event for the first time, with the Ariake Colosseum, the venue for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic competitions, having been confirmed as the venue in June.

Over 100 teams from around 50 countries are set to take part in the 2016 edition of the event, with four regional qualifying tournaments determining the six men’s and four women’s teams who will join the direct entrants in the finals.

Regional qualification for the event, which celebrated its 30th anniversary this year, is set to begin at Nairobi Club in Kenya’s capital city from February 18 to 21, where African teams will seek to book their places.

The Sri Lankan Tennis Association are then due to hold the Asian qualifier from February 27 to March 1, before Americas qualification will be decided between March 5 and 8, at the Cuenca Tennis and Golf Club in Ecuador.

Antalya’s Kaya Belek Resort Hotel will host the European Qualification from March 22 to 26, with the event in Turkey set to determine the final teams who will advance to Tokyo.

“We are pleased to see the continued growth of the BNP Paribas World Team Cup, which is the most prestigious team competition on the ITF’s wheelchair tennis calendar,” said David Haggerty, ITF President.

“The ITF is delighted that the main event will be staged for the first time in Japan, a nation with a long tradition of wheelchair tennis and some of the sport’s most recognisable stars.”

Britain earned the men's team title in 2015 ©Getty Images

The 2016 edition of the event will only be the second in the competition’s history to be held in Asia, following South Korea’s staging of the tournament in 2012.

Twelve nations will feature in both the men’s and women’s World Groups, while eight teams are set to make up the quad and junior events.

A further 12 teams are scheduled to compete in men’s World Group II at the finals, which were first held in California in 1985.

The 2015 edition of the World Team Cup saw Britain earning the men’s title and The Netherlands the women’s crown, while the United States won the quad title in Antalya.