Would parent fix concern or spin it around?: Bhupathi calls AITA out

Ace tennis player Mahesh Bhupathi in an exclusive conversation with Republic TV on Wednesday said that as a captain it was his job to think of the best of the team and all he did was just put forth the team's security concerns. He reflected upon his meeting with All India Tennis Association (AITA) in Delhi a few weeks back, and alleged that he was not allowed to speak much. Bhupathi also said that no one disagreed on going to Pakistan, 'we just put forth our security concerns.' 

'My job is to think of the best for my team'

Mahesh Bhupathi, in an exclusive conversation with Republic TV's Sports Editor Suman Ray, said, "Everybody is available now. As a captain, my job is to think of the best for my team all the time. If I had a captain who asked me to go to Pakistan under these circumstances, I would be quite upset. All we raised is a security issue which is validated by the ITF by giving a neutral venue. So now all the players are available.  We did not say that we are not going. If you see our e-mail on October 6, we just said security concerns. So you know AITA's job was to address those concerns not take it in a negative way. When you go to your parents and say you have a concern, they try to fix the concern. They don't take it and spin it around." 

READ | AITA Sec Gen Slams Rohan Bopanna On His Post After Bhupathi's Removal

'They like to Divide & Rule'

Bhupathi also alleged that the AITA likes to 'Divide & Rule' and that is how they have been operating since the past 20 years. "They don't like it when people raise voices, they like to divide and rule and that is how they have been doing it for the last 20 years within Indian tennis. All the players speaking a single voice kind of flustered them a little bit and they thought let's get rid of the captain and suddenly everybody is looking around wondering what the hell happened?" Bhupathi said in the telephonic conversation.

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

What is the controversy all about?

Former tennis ace and India's non-playing Davis Cup captain Mahesh 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 | India Wins Sports Diplomacy; ITF Shifts Davis Cup Tie To Neutral Venue

READ | BIG: India-Pak Davis Cup Tie Shifted From Islamabad To Neutral Venue