Davis Cup | AITA secretary confident of Indian team travelling to Pakistan
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AITA secretary general Hironmoy Chatterjee is confident that the national team will travel to Pakistan for their Davis Cup away tie as a forfeiture can lead to a two-year suspension from the global governing body ITF. India last travelled to Pakistan in 2006 where they won by 3-2.
A day after the Indian Davis Cup team was drawn to play Pakistan in an away tie, the All India Tennis Association (AITA) secretary Hironmoy Chatterjee expressed confidence that it will be able to send the contingent to the neighbouring country despite Indian government's policy of not allowing sports teams to travel there since 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks. The tie is scheduled to be played in September 2019.
“We are affiliated to the International Olympic Council (IOC). Tennis is an Olympic sport. According to the Olympics solidarity programme, anybody, which is under IOC is supposed to participate in all the events. This is the World Cup of tennis," Chatterjee was quoted as saying to PTI.
He further mentioned Pakistan's recent involvement in the Hockey World Cup in Bhubaneswar and at the 2016 South Asian Games in Guwahati and Shillong and stated that if the Pakistani sportspersons can come here then the Indians should be able to go there as well.
"If they can come here, why can't we go? Our Ministry of External Affairs only allowed them to come here and participate in Hockey World Cup and South Asian Games,” explained Chatterjee.
"Similarly, when we apply, they will allow our team. There's a lot of time left. We have our fixtures scheduled in September. We will make the visa and ticket arrangements once they decided on the venue by 25 June."
Pakistan have not hosted their neighbours in a Davis Cup match since March 1964. India had won that tie 4-0 in Lahore. India had also hosted Pakistan in Mumbai in 2006 with the likes of Mahesh Bhupathi, Leander Paes, Prakash Amritaj & Rohan Bopanna being a part of the team that won 3-2.
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