Indian tennis star Rohan Bopanna has criticised changes to India’s tennis squad for the 2026 Asian Games, questioning why players who earned their rankings through international performances were left out after the selection rules were revised. Five players, including Manas Dhamne, Vaishnavi Adkar, Sahaja Yamalapalli, Prarthana Thombare and Vaidehee Chaudhari, were affected by the changes.
The Sports Ministry’s rule requires athletes to be considered realistic medal prospects, including being ranked among Asia’s top eight. Bopanna argued that the decision undermines merit based selection and could discourage young athletes, their families and sponsors who invest heavily in their careers.
He said sporting outcomes should be decided on the court rather than by predictions made before competition. India’s final tennis squad includes players such as Sumit Nagal, Yuki Bhambri, N Sriram Balaji and Ankita Raina. The Asian Games will be held in Japan from September 19 to October 4.
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