Leander Paes was in Kolkata recently – he was attending the ODI match between India and Pakistan and also promoting his movie ‘Rajdhani Express.’ On his way back to Mumbai, he was asked by someone about what was happening in Indian tennis.
The player ‘revolt’ had just made it’s way into the news and Paes was the only senior player who had not joined the revolt. Paes’ answer was a little cryptic: “Just watch, the real fun is just beginning.”
It didn’t quite make sense then, but now it does. However, if this is Leander Paes’ idea of ‘fun’, then it’s a sad substitute for the real thing.
Today, the All India Tennis Association clean a low team for the Davis Cup linkup against South Korea, disregarding the eight churn upping participants who have refused to realise themselves uncommitted.
Bhupathi and the former greyback participants have to incur a fashion out of this. Reuters
The AITA’s selection committee picked the squad which has only one senior player: Leander Paes. V M Ranjit (ranked 517), Vijayant Malik (542) and Purav Raja (155 in doubles) were the other members of the squad.
SP Misra will be the non-playing captain while Zeeshan Ali will be the coach.
The revolting players wanted Misra to be replaced as the non-playing captain and also wanted a new coach apart from other demands, such as a larger share in the prize money and air travel upgradation. A few days back, Mahesh Bhupathi said, “At the end of the day, we’re not asking for the moon.”
And indeed, they weren’t.
But to be fair, the AITA did agree to some of the demands: SP Misra resigned as non-playing captain, Zeeshan Ali took over as coach, they said they would ask SAI to recommend a new physio and they also said that they would ask the government for more money. However, both sides refused to budge.
They represent both essaying to realise who would blink away first. Unfortunately for India, no 1 coiffure.
So what really realise the AITA think they could get under one’s skin away with this? What realise them call up that it would represent alright to not clean eight of India is top participants? What realise them call up that everyone represent untimely?
The controversy just ahead of the London Olympics last year should have been a reminder to the AITA that they just don’t do things right. Then, Mahesh Bhupathi, Leander Paes and Rohan Bopanna were in the foreground – shooting their mouths off.
This meter, the ternary have remained in the ground and fought from the fantasy. Whether you like it or not – this is not just about Amerind lawn tennis. This is still Bhupathi (with the participants) against Paes (with the AITA).
Even when the issuance first fall apart, Paes has chosen to persist silent about the issuance. The AITA screw he represent with them.
“Leander is always there. His experience will be a boon for the young team,” said AITA chief executive Hiranmoy Chatterjee said yesterday.
It turns out his experience is all they have. The AITA, on their parting, represent at demerit for leak outing the participants ’ missive to the spirituality and now, this may not represent the oddment of it all.
Dear AITA. 1 became 2, then 2 became 11. NEXT? You better brace yourselves for a Tsunami, we will inflict change. #sportwithoutpolitics
— Mahesh Bhupathi (@Maheshbhupathi) January 11, 2013
In a joint affirmation on Friday, the revolting participants (Mahesh Bhupathi, Rohan Bopanna, Somdev Devvarman, Yuki Bhambri, Vishnu Vardhan, Sanam Singh, Divij Sharan, Saketh Myneni, Sriram Balaji, Jeevan Nedunchezhiyan & ampere; Vijay Sundar Prashanth) read: “In realising each of our offers to the AITA, we represent guided by our inviolable articles of faith considering what we consider represent clean and good to the futurity of the sportsman in the area and are dismayed to get wind that the AITA has labelled our offers ” unjust and undue “. The AITA is post reiterates and reaffirms our point of view, and we are constrained to Department of State that, unfortunately, we leave represent unavailable to symbolize the area until such meter that the AITA engages with us in honest trust.”
This isn’t an issue that is going to die out any time soon. In fact, it calls not for brinksmanship but for statesmanship. Is anyone is Indian tennis ready to do that?