New Delhi [India], June 13 : India's star player Rohan Bopanna and N Sriram Balaji will represent the country in the men's doubles tennis event at the Paris 2024 Olympics, the All India Tennis Association (AITA) announced on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Balachandran Manikkath will coach the team and Rebecca Van Orshaegen will travel with the side as a physiotherapist.
Bopanna, ranked fourth in the world, had several Indian tennis players to choose from as his partner for the Paris 2024 Games, but he chose world No. 67 Sriram Balaji, who would be making his Olympic debut.
{{{{twitter_post_id####}}}}We are proud to announce that Rohan Bopanna and N. Sriram Balaji have qualified for the Paris Olympics 2024! 🎾🇮🇳
With Coach Mr. Balachandran Manikkath and Physio Ms. Rebecca V. Orshaegen by their side, we're ready to make a mark on the world stage. #AITATennis #ParisOlympics pic.twitter.com/V2YQCD9t07
— All India Tennis Association (@AITA__Tennis) June 13, 2024
"We are proud to announce that Rohan Bopanna and N. Sriram Balaji have qualified for the Paris Olympics 2024! With Coach Mr. Balachandran Manikkath and Physio Ms. Rebecca V. Orshaegen by their side, we're ready to make a mark on the world stage," AITA wrote on X.
The 44-year-old Bopanna will compete in his third Summer Olympics after debuting in London in 2012.
Bopanna and Mahesh Bhupathi advanced to the second round of the men's doubles tournament in London 2012.
Bopanna and Sania Mirza lost the bronze match in the mixed doubles at Rio 2016, preventing them from winning a historic medal. Bopanna and Leander Paes, India's lone Olympic medalist in tennis, competed in the men's doubles but failed to go past the first round. Bopanna was unable to attend the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
Bopanna won the Australian Open men's doubles title with Australian partner Matthew Ebden earlier this year and advanced to the French Open semi-finals last week. Sumit Nagal earned a quota for India based on their ATP Rankings in singles but was not named to the team on Thursday.
The tennis tournament in the 2024 Olympics will take place at the Roland Garros from July 27 to August 4.
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