selection committee and Leander should decide on his choice of partner

Jun 15, 2012v 

New Delhi:The AITA selection committee, scheduled to meet in Bangalore to pick India’s best doubles combination for the Olympics on Friday, is caught in a Catch-22 situation. Hours before the all-important meet, Leander Paes’s father Vece Paes has entered the warzone. Paes Sr has conveyed to the AITA that his son, by virtue of being India’s No 1 doubles player as per the latest rankings, should decide his partner.

In the meantime, the sports ministry has asked the AITA to select two teams instead of one, so as to use the full quota available to India. An impression is being created that India is entitled to just one team entry for the Olympics, where, in fact, the AITA is allowed to send two in the men’s doubles. The sports ministry, apparently, has urged the selection committee comprising Jaideep Mukherjea, SP Misra, Rohit Rajpal, Zeeshan Ali and Sai Jayalakshmi to not succumb to rumours.

Sources within the AITA are also questioning the timing of Paes Sr’s mail. A part of his letter reads: “Leander is the only Indian player, male or female, in the top 10 of the rankings, thus qualifying him for a direct entry with the option of choosing his partner. The selection committee and Leander should decide on his choice of partner... It makes no sense if Leander is manoeuvred to partner Somdev, who is still recovering from injury, or one of the juniors who have never experienced this level.

Leander, Mahesh and Rohan are professional players and would give their best for themselves and the country if asked to do so.”

However, an official in the know said, “If Leander is given a free hand to choose his partner, why was the same rule not enforced in 2008 when Mahesh was the country’s No 1 doubles player. Mahesh and Rohan have been playing together and should be sent to Olympics as a team, while Leander could be paired with either Somdev or Yuki Bhambri.”

In the mixed doubles, the rankings will only be taken into account after the Wimbledon. The top 16 pairs will get a direct entry into the Olympics. With Mahesh and Sania Mirza winning the French Open doubles, the chances of their making it to the Games would solely depend on whether AITA will try and get Sania a wild card for the singles event.