Monday, September 1 2008 -- Bangalore Open, slated to start in September is canceled, according to the ATP Board. Owing to security reasons, the tournament which was scheduled to open on September 29 has been suspended after local promoters voiced out their security concerns, according to ATP vice president of media and marketing operations Nicola Arzani.

The tournament, originally held in Mumbai for the past two years was scheduled to be held at Bangalore’s Karnataka State Lawn Tennis Association’s court this year. However, the series of bomb blasts which rocked Bangalore on July 25 and which resulted to one fatal casualty, as well as the series of deadly blasts which followed in the city of Ahmedabad a day later, forced the decision. The attacks in Ahmedabad killed 50 people and were blamed by state authorities on homegrown Islamic militants.

The event organizers who also successfully hosted a Tier III WTA event in March were hoping that the event will be postponed, not canceled. The disappointing news has come in the wake of another canceled tournament, the Champions Trophy which was supposed to be held in Pakistan. The Champions Trophy is now being scheduled for 2009 by the International Cricket Council.

According to the ATP, the $400,000 event prize money for the Bangalore Open will now be added to the ATP Player pension fund.