NEW DELHI: Amid rising diplomatic tensions with Pakistan, the All India Tennis Association is expected to approach the International Tennis Federation seeking a neutral venue for the upcoming Davis Cup tie against the “enemy nation” which is scheduled to take place in Islamabad on September 14 and 15.
Following the revocation of the provisions of Article 370 from Jammu and Kashmir by the BJP-led Union government, which took away the state’s special status, Pakistan on Wednesday downgraded diplomatic ties with India. The Indian envoy in Pakistan was asked to leave the country.
“It might affect the tie. It’s too early to say but what I intend to do is to wait for one or two days to see what turn the situation takes. Then we will ask ITF to look into the situation and take a call. And if required, consider a neutral venue,” AITA secretary general Hironmoy Chatterjee told PTI.
“If they (Pakistan) don’t issue visas, how do we go to Pakistan? They might not issue the visas. And if they give visas, will they be able to give us proper security so that we feel comfortable?” he elaborated on the many predicaments that AITA is dealing with right now.
No Indian Davis Cup team has travelled to Pakistan since 1964 and bilateral cricket ties between the two countries have been dormant since the 2008 terror attack in Mumbai.
“Pakistan has played a lot of ties at neutral venues. So we will definitely approach the ITF for a neutral venue because the situation is very sensitive at the moment. They have to take a call.
“But we will not say that we will not go to Pakistan. I don’t want to take that road, I don’t want the team to be penalised,” added the AITA official.
When Hong Kong had refused to travel to Pakistan in 2017 for the Group II semifinals, their federation was fined $10,000 by the ITF, which also demoted the team to a lower Group in Asia/Ocean zone.
If India forfeit the tie, the team will be left to fight it out in Group II next year and make its way up in the following years.
