Sumit Nagal refused to play for country in Davis Cup: AITA slams India star

On Tuesday, the All India Tennis Association (AITA) raised concerns that Sumit Nagal, India's top player, might have intentionally skipped the Davis Cup tie against Sweden last week. While Nagal cited an injury as his reason for missing the match, he is now set to compete in an ATP tournament in China.

India suffered a heavy 0-4 defeat to Sweden, and AITA Secretary Anil Dhupar pointed out that the absence of key players like Nagal and Yuki Bhambri significantly impacted the team's performance in the World Group I clash in Stockholm.

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Captain Rohit Rajpal had to rely on doubles specialist N. Sriram Balaji for the opening singles match. With Ramkumar Ramanathan being the sole experienced player, the squad also included debutants Aryan Shah and Siddharth Vishwakarma.

Niki Pooancha, who has only participated in one tie so far and mainly focuses on doubles, added to the lack of singles depth. Nagal had pulled out citing a back issue, while Yuki Bhambri did not provide a reason for his absence.

Nagal is now scheduled to compete in the ATP250 event in Hangzhou, where he will face a qualifier in his first round.

"Definitely if Sumit and Yuki had played, we would have had far better chances. They questioned the management of AITA, the captain and team. Sumit Nagal said he had some back problem, but (is) that problem okay (now)? He is playing a tournament in China, so somebody has to make people understand the right thing," Dhupar said.

Dhupar mentioned that although Mukund Sasikumar was already suspended by the AITA, captain Rajpal still made efforts to include him on the team.

"The captain called 10 times and that he will request the executive committee to revoke the decision (suspension). It's time for you to play. If there is a decision against you, he will request the executive committee. But he refused."

‘Nagal, Bhambri and Mukund refused to play for country’

Following India's heavy loss, Nagal, along with ex-players Somdev Devvarman and Purav Raja, criticised the functioning of the AITA. Nagal specifically questioned why AITA officials were positioned in the front row while the players were relegated to the back row before the tie against Sweden. In response, the AITA issued a statement on Twitter, asserting that the Davis Cup represents more than just tennis.

"Representing India in Davis Cup is more than just tennis -- it's about honour, national pride and inspiring the next generation of athletes. Players like Sumit Nagal, Yuki Bhambri and Mukund Sasikumar refused to play for country even though they were participating in other tournaments elsewhere.

"AITA management, including the captain of the Davis Cup team, tried to convince each of them to play for country, but they simply refused," the tennis body said in its statement.

AITA also shared an overview of its activities, revealing that it organized up to 829 tournaments for players during the 2023 season. Additionally, the organization conducted several training programs for aspiring coaches, resulting in 130 new coaches joining the sports body for the 2024 season.

Published By: sabyasachi chowdhury Published On: Sep 17, 2024

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