India’s tennis crisis
India will be fielding a severely depleted team in its next Davis Cup engagement, against South Korea in New Delhi, next month. Led by stalwart Leander Paes, who in his chest-thumping, flag-waving ways symbolises a keenness to represent the nation in any circumstances, India will, however, have such juniors in its ranks as to start as the underdogs against a none-too-strong opponent.
The crisis is of Indian tennis’ own making, with the administration and the players to blame, perhaps in equal proportions. The way they rowed publicly over money and perquisites, besides playing requirements in terms of coach, doctor and physiotherapist, showed the entire lot in poor light.
The fact that so many players decided to revolt in unison suggests they now perceive the administration as having become weak after the ugly spat ahead of the Olympic Games, in which the players did finally have their own way. But that was because national interests were involved and the government also took a keen interest to solve the issue. Left to fend for themselves, players and the tennis establishment are in a no-holds-barred contest in which both will be the losers.
As a sporting principle, the supremacy of representing the nation is not to be contested. But when the odds are loaded against a settlement it’s time well-known arbitrators interceded to bring back a modicum of respectability to the nation’s tennis affairs. A power struggle is an obvious cause of the wrangle and the only solution lies in AITA first setting its house in order.
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