NEW DELHI: The All India Tennis Association (AITA) has sought the inclusion of in the Target Olympic Podium Scheme, keeping next year’s Asian Games in mind.
On Tuesday, AITA asked for top women’s singles player Ankita Raina and three men’s players to be included in the list. Veteran player Leander Paes has however been left out of the list.
The first list of tennis players selected for financial assistance under the TOPS announced by the government included doubles stars such as Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna. Second-best ranked player Karman Kaur Thandi and Prarthna Thombare were included, but Raina was a surprise exclusion. AITA has also requested the ministry to include Divij Sharan, Purav Raja and Saketh Myneni, says a PTI report. The decision to include the names was taken at AITA’s executive committee meeting in Kolkata recently.
The All India Tennis Association (AITA) Secretary General Hironmoy Chatterjee said the Federation had given these four names before also but it was the government and national observer Somdev Devvarman who had finalised the list. “We had given names of these players before also, keeping the rankings in mind, but these players were left out. We have Asian Games lined up next year and all these players, we believe, are medal prospects for India,” Chatterjee told PTI.
Asked if Paes’ name was discussed for addition to the list, Chatterjee said, “He (Paes) has not played Asian Games in the last few years, so his name was not discussed.”
Both Paes and Bopanna had missed the 2014 Incheon Games, citing the need to play on the professional Tour to defend crucial points. Sania had also initially expressed inability to play but eventually turned up and won the mixed doubles gold with Myneni and women’s doubles bronze with Thombare.
