Asian Games tennis row deepens as AITA rebuts SAI's omission allegation
The All India Tennis Association (AITA) is disputing claims by the Sports Authority of India that it failed to submit a list of excluded players for the 2026 Asian Games. AITA maintains it formally requested a review of the exclusion of several players in a July 3 letter to the Indian Olympic Association.
Why it matters
The dispute highlights ongoing tensions between national sports federations and government bodies regarding selection transparency and athlete representation in major international events.
NEW DELHI: The row over India's tennis squad for the 2026 Asian Games intensified on Tuesday after the All India Tennis Association (AITA) categorically rejected claims that it failed to submit the names of excluded players to the Indian Olympic Association (IOA).The national federation denied a claim made by Sports Authority of India (SAI) source to news agency PTI that the omitted players — Manas Dhamne, Sahaja Yamalapalli, Vaishnavi Adkar, Vaidehee Chaudhari and Prarthana Thombare — did not feature in the shortlist forwarded by AITA to the IOA, and therefore were absent from the final list considered by the Sports Ministry.However, TimesofIndia.com has accessed the letter dated July 3 which was sent to the IOA CEO Raghuram Iyer where merits of each player, including recent history, was mentioned.AITA stated that Secretary General Sunder Iyer had written to Iyer on July 3, making an "urgent representation seeking review of the exclusion…
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