Players ticked off over doubles spat
Source: AFP |
June 20, 2012, Wednesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
INDIAN tennis officials yesterday criticized two players for refusing to team up with Leander Paes, the country's top doubles seed, at the Olympics.
Rohan Bopanna and Mahesh Bhupathi have both turned down the offer to play with Paes, with the All India Tennis Association facing a deadline to name its final pairings by today.
Paes and Bhupathi have represented India at four previous Olympics, but fell out in a public row.
Bopanna and Bhupathi want to play together but the AITA said in a statement that it was wrong for them to reject the chance to play with the higher ranked Paes.
"Two players cannot make a pact with each other to keep the number one player out," it said in response to criticism from the sports ministry over the selection dispute.
"It would be meaningless to send Leander with a junior player... Leander being the best player must be paired with either Rohan Bopanna or Mahesh Bhupathi."
Rohan Bopanna and Mahesh Bhupathi have both turned down the offer to play with Paes, with the All India Tennis Association facing a deadline to name its final pairings by today.
Paes and Bhupathi have represented India at four previous Olympics, but fell out in a public row.
Bopanna and Bhupathi want to play together but the AITA said in a statement that it was wrong for them to reject the chance to play with the higher ranked Paes.
"Two players cannot make a pact with each other to keep the number one player out," it said in response to criticism from the sports ministry over the selection dispute.
"It would be meaningless to send Leander with a junior player... Leander being the best player must be paired with either Rohan Bopanna or Mahesh Bhupathi."
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