NEW DELHI, Aug 25: The controversy surrounding India’s tennis squad for the 2026 Asian Games intensified on Tuesday after the All India Tennis Association (AITA) rejected claims that it had failed to recommend five excluded players.
AITA said it had formally approached the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) on July 3, seeking the inclusion of players left out of the final contingent.
The players at the centre of the dispute are Manas Dhamne, Sahaja Yamalapalli, Vaishnavi Adkar, Vaidehee Chaudhari and Prarthana Thombare.
The tennis body maintained that its selection committee had recommended the players and argued that India should send its strongest possible team to maximise its medal prospects at the continental event.
The issue gained further attention after two-time Asian Games gold medallist Rohan Bopanna questioned the selection approach. He argued that sporting outcomes should be determined on the court rather than through rankings and statistical projections alone.
The Sports Ministry’s approved seven-member tennis contingent includes Sumit Nagal and Dhakshineswar Suresh in men’s singles, while Yuki Bhambri, N Sriram Balaji and Anirudh Chandrasekar will compete in men’s doubles. Ankita Raina and Rutuja Bhosale have been selected for women’s doubles.
Notably, India has no women’s singles player in the approved squad. AITA has continued to press for reconsideration, saying every legitimate medal opportunity should be preserved.
The selection dispute has also drawn criticism from the affected players, who have stressed that athletes should at least receive the opportunity to compete before their medal prospects are assessed.