City
Epaper

AITA to wait for 2 days before taking call on Davis Cup tie in Pak

By IANS | Updated: August 8, 2019 13:20 IST

A cloud of doubt has gathered over the upcoming Davis Cup tie between India and Pakistan slated to be held in Islamabad next month as tension has mounted between the two Asian neighbours over the decision to revoke Article 370 which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

Open in App

On Monday, the All India Tennis Association (AITA) selection committee had named the squad which will travel to Pakistan for the Group I tie scheduled to be held in Islamabad on September 14-15.

However, after the Parliament scrapped Article 35A and Article 370 of the Constitution on Tuesday, Pakistan has decided to downgrade relations with India.

AITA Secretary General Hironmoy Chatterjee on Thursday said that presently, the conditions are not conducive to play in Pakistan and that's why they will wait for a couple of days and will then request the International Tennis Federation (ITF) to shift the Davis Cup tie from Islamabad to a neutral venue.

"We will wait for two days to see how the situation is and will then approach the ITF to if possible, shift the venue to a neutral place so that players can play comfortably. Right now, the situation is not very conducive for the players to go and play in Pakistan," Chatterjee told .

If India don't play the ties, they will be slapped with a fine like Hong Kong were after they refused to play an away tie in Pakistan. They were not only fined but also relegated to a lower division.

An Indian tennis team last went to Pakistan in 1964, with the visitors securing a 4-0 victory.

Since the draw was out in February, there was a lot of talk around India going to Pakistan in the wake of the Pulwama attack and the strained political ties between the countries.

But after the ITF gave Pakistan the green signal to host the Davis Cup tie at the grass courts of the Pakistan Sports Complex in Islamabad, AITA started the process of checking player availability and sorting visa applications.

The sports ministry also cleared the Indian team's participation in the tie.

Both the teams have not met each other since 2006 in the Davis Cup.

(Aakash Kumar can be contacted at aakash.k@.in)

( With inputs from IANS )

Tags: pakistanindiaDavisITF
Open in App

Related Stories

NationalChandigarh BJP Office Blast: Two Suspects Arrested for Grenade Blast; Drone Used to Smuggle Chinese Hand Grenade From Pakistan

InternationalIranian President Calls for Constructive Role of Brics to Halt West Asia Conflict During Talks With PM Modi

LifestyleEid 2026 Date: When Will Saudi Arabia, UAE and India Celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr?

MaharashtraMaharashtra CM Devendra Fadnavis Unfurls 200-Foot National Flag at Nagpur’s Kasturchand Park

InternationalUS State Department Announces Permanent Closure of Peshawar Consulate in Pakistan

टेनिस Realted Stories

TennisAll you need to know about Billie Jean King Cup 2026 Asia and Oceania Group I Qualifiers

TennisPrepared and confident India ready to begin Billie Jean King Cup campaign against Thailand

Tennis"Big event": DLTA President Rohit Rajpal on hosting Billie Jean King Cup 2026 Asia/Oceania in Delhi

Tennis"Tough group": India's Vishal Uppal on challenge in Billie Jean King Cup Asia/Oceania

Tennis"Going to be tough": Matthew Hair on India challenge in Billie Jean King Cup Asia/Oceania