All India Tennis Association (AITA) has reacted to Rohan Bopanna and Sania Mirza taking to Twitter to say that the association is feeding false information to the “players, government, media and everyone else” regarding Sumit Nagal’s name being sent out for men’s doubles with Bopanna as a last-minute change. Nagal made the cut for the men’s singles event of the Tokyo Olympics as large-scale withdrawals pushed him inside the qualification mark. The AITA then promptly paired him with Bopanna for the men’s doubles competition by withdrawing Divij Sharan’s nomination.
Bopanna then took to Twitter to rebuke AITA and said that the association was misleading everyone by saying he and Nagal had a chance to qualify. “ITF has never accepted an entry for Sumit Nagal & myself. ITF was clear that no changes were allowed after the nomination deadline (22nd June) unless Injury/Illness. AITA has mislead the players,government, media and everyone else by stating we still have a chance,” he tweeted.
Mirza reacted to the Bopanna’s tweet by calling it “ridiculous and shameful” and said they may have sacrificed a shot at a mixed doubles medal. “Whaaattt???If this is true then it’s absolutely ridiculous and shameful..by this it also means that we have sacrificed a very good shot at a medal in the mixed doubles if you and I would have played as planned. We were both told that you and sumit’s names hav been given,” she responded.
On Monday, AITA’s Honourary Secretary General Anil Dhupar expressed his displeasure over the comments made by Bopanna and Mirza and said it was inappropriate. “Twitter comments by Rohan Bopanna and then Sania Mirza are inappropriate, misleading and without knowledge: they should have checked the rule book of ITF regarding qualifications,” he said.
Former Indian tennis player Somdev Devvarman also reacted to Bopanna’s post calling it sad but not surprising. “Nothing will change until incompetence gets the boot.”
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