Bangalore: With big dreams in his eyes, India's international disabled athlete and wheelchair tennis player Boniface Prabhu is flying to France this week to take part in the 2003 French Open Wheelchair Tennis Championship.

Bangalore-based Prabhu is the first Indian wheelchair tennis player to reach the prestigious US, British and Australian Grand Slam finals and has represented the country 13 times.

McDowell's Signature has come forward to sponsor Prabhu at the French Open being held in France from June 30 to July 6, where he has promised to do his best.

He has been practising at the Karnataka State Lawn Tennis Association courts for the past one month in preparation for the championship.

"It's going to be pretty tough, but I am confident of winning the championship in whichever group I am placed," he told reporters in Bangalore, where McDowell announced the sponsorship.

Prabhu said in international wheelchair tennis arena, he was earlier figuring in "A" division, but has now been upgraded to second division, just below the main draw.

The first Indian to feature in the world wheelchair tennis ranking list, Prabhu is a winner of Japan Open as well as Sydney International Wheelchair Tennis Championships.

PTI