Sahara group chairman Subrata Roy comes out in support of Paes, appeals PM to intervene

The Great Indian Tennis Drama took a new turn on Saturday when Sahara group chairman Subrata Roy came out in open in support of Leander Paes and lashed out at the All-India Tennis Association (AITA) decision to team up Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna' for the London Olympics and partner Leander Paes with a junior player.

Roy, whose group is a big sponsor and promoter of sports in the country, launched a scathing attack on AITA by suggesting backroom politicking had resulted in the AITA pairing Paes, a direct entrant for the Olympics by virtue of his No. 7 doubles ranking, with rookie Vishu Vardhan, says a report in The Times Pf India.

"He (Paes) has been sacrificed at the altar of egos, dirty politicking and unnecessary political intervention," Roy said, "He is one of India's most revered sportspersons. He broke the jinx in 1996 of India not winning an Olympic medal for 16 years."

Appealing to the Prime Minister to intervene in the matter and find out why AITA reversed its decision, Roy said, "Indian tennis may have treated him (Paes) badly but the nation will not. I appeal to our Prime Minister to do justice for the country and Leander Paes."

Meanwhile a report in Business Standard too reports that Sahara Group chairman Subroto Roy has said "nasty politics" has dented India's chances of winning a medal in tennis at the London Olympics and sought the intervention of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in AITA's controversial selection process.

"A best bait of getting a medal in Olympics has been smashed due to nasty politics of some irresponsible big individuals of India," Roy said in a statement.

Roy expressed his disappointment at the last-minute changes in the selection process by All India Tennis Association and appealed to the sports lovers to join hands and take up the issue in a big way to curb politics in sports. Roy said Paes has been "sacrificed at the altar of egos, dirty politicking and unnecessary political intervention", despite being ranked seventh in the world which "allows Leander a direct entry into the London Games and also allows him to choose his partner."

The Sahara group chief also said that "AITA, Sports Ministry supported personal benefit at the cost of country's interest"