12 grand slams, 25 yrs playing for India: Why Bhupathi won't sit back

Indian tennis legend Mahesh Bhupathi said that that he does not mind being fired as the Indian Davis Cup team’s captain but said termed the tennis federation’s allegation that he refused national duty as unacceptable. "I am not going to sit back after winning 12 Grand Slams and playing for country for 25 years to allow someone to say I am fired because I did not show up for national duty," a fuming Bhupathi told PTI in an exclusive interview.

READ | Mahesh Bhupathi: All You Need To Know About The Davis Cup Controversy

'I don't mind being fired'

The Indian tennis legend who is one of the most successful players in India's tennis history insisted that he never made himself unavailable for the Pakistan tie, which has now been shifted out of Islamabad by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) due to security concerns. "I don't mind being fired. They can say it's time for a new captain. But nobody can say that I refused national duty. I genuinely thought it's unsafe to travel to Pakistan which the ITF has validated. So, they are going to penalise me and players for this, it's not going to work," Bhupathi stated. 

The All India Tennis Association (AITA) did not have the courtesy to inform him that he won't continue as captain, Bhupathi added, "I need some form of communication from AITA that I am not the captain anymore. I have not heard anything from them except that since Rohit is fine to travel to Islamabad and I am not, they will take him for this tie. And this was hours before the neutral venue was announced."

AITA secretary general Hironmoy Chatterjee responding to the allegations levelled by Bhupathi said he did call Bhupathi to inform him about the change in captaincy."I personally called him on the evening of November 4 to inform that we have opted for a new captain," Chatterjee said. Bhupati responding to this stated that the communication to him was that Rohit Rajpal was being appointed as the Captain for the Davis Cup tie in Islamabad as he (Bhupathi) was unavailable and it was never conveyed that he was being removed from the post permanently. "I have personally been involved with the sport at a macro level in India. Be it the Mittal Champions Trust or JSW's IIS. I have raised money for Karman Kaur (Thandi), Sumit (Nagal). If these guys (AITA) don't want me, I can disconnect but don't tell the country that I did not show up for national duty. That's unacceptable," Bhupathi said. 

READ | India Wins Sports Diplomacy; ITF Shifts Davis Cup Tie To Neutral Venue

'Don't take my name through the mud'

Bhupathi further said it defies logic that AITA first announced him as captain for the tie against Pakistan, involved him in selection discussions followed by deliberations with the ITF before suddenly announcing his sacking. "I am not worried about getting fired. If I am not the right man for the job, so be it. But don't take my name through the mud because I worked my whole life to get my name in tennis. I did not say I am unavailable, I said no one is comfortable going to Pakistan." Bhupathi feels that AITA sacked him because the body thought he was instigating the players to not to travel Pakistan. "The way AITA has operated in the last 25 years, they want to call all the shots. They think I am rallying the players to talk in one voice, so they thought to cut the head of these boys," he alleged.

The controversy:

Bhupathi had written to the AITA earlier, raising security concerns for the players travelling to Pakistan and seeking clarity on the same. This came amid flaring tensions between India and Pakistan, with the former boycotting the latter and not sending the teams to play there over security issues. Bilateral series of any sport between India and Pakistan was suspended over Pakistan-backed terrorism and it's involvement in terror attacks on India. However, the AITA had earlier maintained that the Home Ministry and the Sports Ministry did not raise an objection with the venue of the tie. However, AITA decided to seek ITF's intervention to shift the venue to a neutral venue, citing security concerns and possible threats to the lives of the players.

READ | Mahesh Bhupathi Raises Security Concern Over Clash In Pakistan

READ | 'Shocked' Bopanna Blasts AITA For Bhupathi's Removal As Captain

(INPUTS FROM PTI)