New Delhi: A persistent All India Tennis Association (AITA) on Tuesday scored a moral victory, while Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna were snubbed after the Sports Ministry left the selection of the men’s doubles pair for next month’s Olympics to AITA’s discretion.
Requested by Bhupathi and Bopanna, who want to be sent to the London Games as a team, the Ministry decided against interfering in the selection process and asked the body to take a call keeping in mind the national interest.
The ministry’s stand, which delivered a big blow to Bhupathi and Bopanna, came after AITA dashed off a detailed reply which outlined the logic behind pairing the feuding duo of Leander Paes and Bhupathi despite the latter’s opposition.
The Sports Ministry had sought an explanation from AITA after Bhupathi questioned the selection and asked why AITA was insisting on sending just one team when India was entitled to two slots.
Bhupathi and Bopanna want AITA to choose another partner for Paes, who has gained direct individual entry to the London draw based on the basis of his top-10 ranking.
AITA, in its reply to the ministry said, “it should be understood that two players cannot make a pact with each other to keep the number one player out and publicly suggest in media that No.1 player should go to Olympics with No.5.”
AITA explained that if it lets Bhupathi and Bopanna pair, Paes will be forced to play with either Yuki Bhambri (ranked 306) or Vishnu Vardhan (207), as the more experienced Somdev Devvarman is injured.
Sending Paes to the Olympics partnered with someone who has not featured in a single grand slam would, according to the tennis body, be “meaningless”.
AITA presented five options to the ministry: (1) Paes partners Bhupathi, (2) Bopanna partners Paes, (3) Paes partners a lower-ranked player, (4) Bhupathi-Bopanna play together and Paes doesn’t participate, (5) Bhupathi-Bopanna don’t play due to disciplinary reasons.
AITA asked the ministry to help in deciding which one to follow but Sports Minister Ajay Maken refused to intervene in the selection crisis.
“The Sports Ministry does not wish to be part of selection process. We had raised certain issues because of requests from certain iconic players,” Ajay Maken said in a statement, which came less than 24 hours after he seemed to question AITA’s decision on Twitter.
It is now clear that, either Bopanna or Bhupathi will have to agree to play with Paes or miss out on participating in the Olympics and possibly face disciplinary action.
“We had a cordial meeting with the ministry officials. Lot of suggestions were made and the five possible options were outlined in our reply to the ministry,” said AITA President Anil Khanna.
“We have only three doubles players and only two out of three can go and the selection committee has already decided that Paes should partner Bhupathi and in case Mahesh declines, it should be Bopanna.
“The government is supportive. The sentiments of Paes have to be kept in mind,” he added, referring to the fact that Paes has individual entry to the Olympic draw due to his top-10 ranking while Bhupathi and Bopanna make the cut on the basis of their combined ranking.
Khanna said that sending one pair would be India’s best hope of winning a medal and again expressed hope that Bhupathi would be willing to partner Paes.
This hope may come to nothing, however, as Bhupathi once again reiterated his stand soon after Maken’s statement. (Agencies)