'Let Sport Decide, Not Spreadsheet': Rohan Bopanna Slams Asian Games Tennis Decision
Rohan Bopanna slammed the country's trimmed squad for the upcoming Asian Games 2026 after 5 players were removed by the Sports Ministry from the list of 12 submitted by All India Tennis Association (AITA).
Legendary Indian tennis player Rohan Bopanna slammed the country's trimmed squad for the upcoming Asian Games 2026 after 5 players were removed by the Sports Ministry from the list of 12 submitted by All India Tennis Association (AITA). In a post shared on Linkedin, Bopanna said that athletes should be given the chance to prove themselves on the court and their chances should not be determined on paper. “I'm a proud Indian. And today, I want to speak up for these tennis players who deserve better. They didn't ask for mercy. They asked for a chance,” Bopanna said in the post.
The Sports Ministry removed the names of Manas Dhamne, Vaishnavi Adkar, Sahaja Yamalapalli, Vaidehee Chaudhari and Prarthana Thombare from the list submitted by the AITA."The move reduced India's women's singles options, including the exclusion of Sahaja Yamalapalli, currently the country's highest-ranked women's singles player."
Bopanna pointed out that the five players already proved themselves on the court thanks to their performances.
“Dhamne. Adkar. Yamalapalli. Vaidehee. Thombare. Five players — including India's No. 1 and No. 2 in women's singles, who earned their rankings the hard way. No shortcuts. No favors. They competed internationally, qualified and proved where they stand.”
The final squad featured 7 players - Sumit Nagal and Dhakshineswar Suresh in men's singles, Yuki Bhambri, N Sriram Balaji and Anirudh Chandrasekhar in men's doubles, while Ankita Raina and Ruturaj Bhosale were the two women who found a place.
“If outcomes are already decided, why have qualifications at all? Why rankings?” Bopanna said.
“This isn't just a call about five athletes. It's a message to every parent, every sponsor who backed them before the country did, who bet on merit and results, not on being pre-approved,” he added. “Telling these players they're ‘not medal prospects' tells every one of those parents and sponsors: your judgment doesn't matter here.”
Bopanna further said that the authorities need to look beyond just medal potential on the paper.
“Let them walk onto the court. Let their years of work count for something. Let sport decide. Not a spreadsheet.”