New Delhi: The tennis imbroglio worsened on Wednesday with Leander Paes threatening to withdraw from the London Olympics if he is paired with a lower-ranked player, forcing AITA to defer the announcement regarding team selection until Thursday.
Paes has communicated to the All Indian Tennis Association (AITA) that as he is India’s top-ranked player, placed number seven in the ATP doubles rankings, he is not ready to pair with a junior player just because Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna have refused to team up with him.
“If Mahesh or Rohan refuse to play with me for our country, then I am happy to play with the next best player that the AITA decides on.
“However, it would not be acceptable, if with my ranking as the best Indian tennis player, I give up the best option of partner for winning a medal for my country and am made to play the Olympics with a player ranked 207/306 in the world while the No.13 and No. 15 ranked players form another team together based on their refusal to play with me,” he wrote in his letter to the Indian tennis body.
The junior players referred to in the letter are Vishnu Vardhan (ranked 207th) and teenager Yuki Bhambri (306th).
“If this is the case then for the sake of Indian Tennis and to relieve the AITA in regards to the selection of the team, I have no other option but to withdraw from the Olympics.
“This decision is not taken lightly and with any rancour. We cannot be condoning or rewarding the drama enacted by Mahesh and Rohan. This would be a bad precedent for current and future sports persons (particularly tennis players) in our country,” he added.
AITA was all set to announce the final pairing on Wednesday evening after Sports Minister Ajay Maken made it amply clear on Tuesday that it was the prerogative of AITA to select the pairing for the Olympic Games.
Top brass then held a marathon meeting until late Tuesday night and, according to sources, felt sending two teams was the best option. They decided Bhupathi and Bopanna, who have qualified as a team, should be allowed to participate and Paes should tie up with Vishu Vardhan or Yuki Bhambhri. Paes’ letter seems to have put another spanner in the works and therefore the final selection will only be made on Thursday, with last ditch efforts to resolve the issue still underway. As it happens, all three players concerned are currently in London.
A final decision will have to be made by then, as Thursday is the last day for submitting entries for the London Olympics to the International Tennis Federation (ITF).
Paes, though, reiterated that he is ready to partner Bhupathi or Bopanna, something that both have made it clear that they are not comfortable with.
The two players insist that their combination is the best option for the country as they have prepared together for over six months.
Meanwhile, S M Krishna, the External Affairs Minister and Honorary Life President of AITA, has appealed to India’s top tennis players to forget their personal disparities and play in the “interest of the nation”.
He said the players should never compromise the image of India for personal issues.
Krishna stepped in a day after Union Sports Minister Ajay Maken backed out of the ongoing tennis impasse.
Paes said “representing India at the Olympics is a cherished dream, and one in which I have agreed to participate unconditionally, with the understanding that we would aim to put our best team forward and target a medal.
“I have been ATP ranked at No. 1 in the world as a team and No.seven in the world individually, for the first sixth months of 2012. By virtue of this I have got a direct entry into the men’s doubles at the Olympics with the right to choose my partner.
Mixed doubles tussle
Another probable point of contention is the possible mixed doubles pairing.
Bhupathi wants to pair with Sania Mirza for the event, but that can happen only if Mirza gets a wildcard entry; they recently won the French Open mixed doubles title together.
According to Paes, however, a wildcard would not be required if he was Mirza’s partner, saying, “Sania and I, by virtue of our combined ranking of No. 19 on the ATP Tour have got a direct entry in the Mixed Doubles at the Olympics.” (Agencies)