Date:10/03/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/03/10/stories/2008031059662100.htm

Sport - Tennis

Protesting trio to play in tie against Japan

Special Correspondent

Bangalore: Tennis legend Vijay Amritraj on Sunday said that the three Indian players — Mahesh Bhupathi, Rohan Bopanna and Prakash Amritraj — who had earlier revolted against Leander Paes’s captaincy in a letter to the AITA, had agreed to go through with the Davis Cup match against Japan but reiterated that the earlier issues raised by them still stand.

Vijay said that this decision of the trio was taken after his prolonged discussion with each one of them and they had said that playing for the country was of paramount importance and they did not want to shirk their National duty. Vijay said that he also spoke at length to AITA chief Anil Khanna on the issue.

He said that the bottomline of all these discussions was that there was a full Indian team to play the crucial tie against Japan, irrespective of who sits in the chair as the captain.

Sorting out problems

He also added there were “irksome issues” which still needed to be sorted out and he hoped that it would be done after the tie against Japan.

He also added that all of them including Paes were professionals who wanted to play and win for their country. He also admitted that he was yet to have a direct discussion with Paes on the matter and he intended to do so in the course of time.

“Personally I was pained by the whole issue and I didn’t know the exact contents of the first letter and as a player of two decades standing in the Davis Cup, I know the importance of playing with India on your back,” Vijay said.