India’s tennis selection for the upcoming Asian Games has turned into a major controversy, with the All India Tennis Association (AITA) and the Sports Authority of India (SAI) giving completely different versions of how five players were left out of the final squad.
In an conversation with a source close to SAI it was revealed that the names of the five players were never part of AITA’s final list, but according to documentation shared by the federation with the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) on July 3, it sought a review of their exclusion.
The issue involves Manas Dhamne, Vaishnavi Adkar, Sahaja Yamalapalli, Vaidehee Chaudhari and Prarthana Thombare. AITA initially proposed a 12-member squad, but the Sports Ministry approved only seven tennis players on August 22.
SAI stated that the five players could not have been considered because their names were not included in the final recommendations.
“Their names were not received by the Sports Ministry in the final list shared by the IOA,” said the source. “In fact, their names were not there in the long list sent by the All India Tennis Association (AITA).”
The source also defended the decision to leave them out, saying they did not meet the required selection benchmarks. “They knew the names were not eligible as per the selection criteria and were told that they could not be on the shortlist, which was what eventually happened,” he said.
However, AITA has rejected the claim. The federation said its July 3 representation to IOA CEO Raghuram Iyer specifically mentioned Dhamne, Yamalapalli, Chaudhari, Adkar and Thombare, along with Ankita Raina.
In an official statement, AITA secretary general Sunder Iyer said, “AITA stated that the matter was not merely about individual athletes but about ensuring that India fields its strongest possible tennis contingent.”
They added, “Any suggestion that the AITA did not provide names or did not seek the inclusion of its selected players is factually incorrect and contradicts the Association’s written representation to the IOA dated July 3, 2026.”
AITA also highlighted that tennis could not be judged through one common filter because the Asian Games feature five medal events. They wanted consideration on the basis of singles, doubles and mixed doubles separately, especially with India having strong mixed-doubles combinations.
“We tried our best to convince the authorities to send all the selected players, but they are citing the criteria of sending only the top-8 players in Asia,” he said. “It’s disappointing but the criteria is the same for all sports, what to do.”
The decision has also drawn strong criticism from former tennis player Rohan Bopanna, who questioned the idea of deciding players’ chances purely on paper.
“Five players, including India’s No.1 and No.2 in women’s singles, earned their rankings the hard way,” Bopanna wrote, as quoted by Hindustan Times. “No shortcuts. No favours. They competed internationally, qualified and proved where they stand. Now a committee that never stood where they stood has decided their fate on paper, before a ball is struck.”
However, the government has refused to relax its criteria. “Creating discretionary back-channel clearances for tennis players ranked 25th to 40th in Asia would destroy administrative integrity and trigger widespread litigation from other National Sports Federations,” the source said.
For latest sports updates: Follow RevSportz
The post Asian Games 2026: Asian Games Tennis Selection Sparks Fresh Controversy appeared first on Sports News Portal | Revsportz.
