Mahesh Bhupathi and Sania Mirza have entered the race for representation in the All India Tennis Association ahead of the November polls. Leander Paes, whose presidential ambitions were backed by the Bengal Tennis Association, is conspicuous by his absence from the Sports Person of Outstanding Merit nominations.Indian tennis stars seek a bigger role in AITA administration.
Indian tennis greats Mahesh Bhupathi and Sania Mirza have entered the race for representation in the All India Tennis Association (AITA), filing nominations for the Sports Person of Outstanding Merit (SOM) elections ahead of the November 7 polls. However, Leander Paes, whose Bengal Tennis Association had backed his candidature for the AITA presidency, was missing from the list of nominees, effectively ending his hopes of contesting for the top post under the current eligibility rules.Paes' absence is particularly notable because he is the only player placed in Tier I of the 40-member roster.
To be eligible to contest the presidential election, he needed to secure a place through the SOM process, having not completed the required term as an office-bearer in a state association.Under the National Sports Governance Act and Rules, a candidate must have served at least one term as an office-bearer in a state association to contest for a position in the national body. Although Paes can still represent Bengal at the November 27 AITA elections, he cannot run for the presidency through that route.Bhupathi, meanwhile, stressed the importance of bringing elite players into sports administration, pointing to the impact former players can have on their respective federations. “I think every federation needs players who have played at the highest level to help transform the sport.
A case in point is what Gopi (P Gopichand) has done for badminton, which has been transformational,” Bhupathi told PTI.EIGHT FORMER PLAYERS IN THE FRAYAlongside Bhupathi and Sania, six other former players have filed nominations for the SOM elections. They include Ankita Bhambri, current Davis Cup coach Ashutosh Singh, Gaurav Natekar, Janaki Krishnamoorthy, Shalini Thakur Chawla and current Billie Jean King Cup captain Vishal Uppal.
The Executive Committee nominations list features five candidates: Bhupathi, Sania, Ankita, Janaki and Uppal.The amended AITA Constitution provides for four SOM representatives on the General Body, split equally between men and women. Two SOM representatives, one man and one woman, will also be elected to the 15-member Executive Committee.PLAYERS SEEK GREATER SAY IN AITAThe SOM framework is part of a wider push under the new sports governance rules to give accomplished athletes a greater role in the administration of national sports federations.Bhupathi, a former world No.
1 in doubles and multiple Grand Slam champion, was among India's leading players on the international circuit. Sania, also a former world No.
1 in doubles, won six Grand Slam titles across women's and mixed doubles and became one of Indian tennis' most recognisable figures.Their nominations offer two prominent names in Indian tennis a chance to enter the sport's administration, even as Paes' absence leaves a major question mark over the presidential contest ahead of the November 27 polls.- Ends