AITA snubs Bopanna’s choice, selects Paes as his partner
The All India Tennis Association on Saturday decided to reject Bopanna’s preference for the men’s doubles event in Olympics and decided to send Leander Paes as his partner to Rio. Bopanna had reportedly picked Saketh Myneni as his partner in an apparent effort to preempt Paes' selection.
After AITA’s selection committee meeting today to select the teams for the Olympics, president Anil Khanna announced at a press conference that Leander Paes will get to play in his seventh straight Olympics. Despite Rohan Bopanna reportedly choosing Saketh Myneni as his partner for the 2016 Games in Rio, the AITA decided to over-rule him and send Paes along with him.
According to Indian Express, Khanna mentioned at the presser that Bopanna’s highest priority was representing India in the best way possible. Bopanna, on Friday, had said on his website, “I am delighted and proud to have earned a Direct Acceptance to the Men's Doubles event at the Games of the XXXI Olympiad - Rio 2016 by virtue of my top-10 ATP ranking on 6 June 2016. I look forward to representing India at my second Olympics and consider it a privilege, responsibility and honour.
“A Direct Acceptance provides me the right to nominate my Men's Doubles partner, an opportunity for me to exercise my judgment as to the best possible partner for me. I have, earlier today, communicated my decision to the AITA. I am looking forward to the support and good wishes of all concerned in the lead up to the Olympics.”
Breaking into the top-10 of the men’s doubles ranking meant the Bangalorean had the freedom to pick any Indian as his partner. If Bopanna had been ranked outside the top-10, AITA would have had to send his and Paes’ names as the best-ranked Indians and hope that their combined rankings would get them into the draw.
In the run-up to the 2012 London Olympics, Rohan Bopanna and Mahesh Bhupathi refused to play with Paes as partner, prompting the 42-year old to sulkingly partner Vishnu Vardhan. To appease the 18-time Grand Slam champion, AITA decided that Sania Mirza would partner Paes in mixed doubles - a decision that did not go down well with the World No.1. AITA was hoping there would be no repeat of the fiasco this time around, but with Bopanna allegedly opting for Saketh Myneni, another round of drama has ensued.
In the press conference, Khanna also announced that Sania Mirza will partner Rohan Bopanna in the mixed-doubles event while Prarthana Thombare, ranked 209 in the world, will partner Sania in the women’s doubles.s.
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