Venting his anger at missing out on the Arjuna Award yet again, Rohan Bopanna on Saturday lambasted the All India Tennis Association (AITA) for not nominating him within the deadline, but the federation said there was no point in sending his application since he did not meet the requisite criteria.
The deadline to send the applications expired on April 28 but the AITA sent his name only on June 14 after he won the French Open mixed doubles title.
The association had chosen Saketh Myneni, winner of two medals at the 2014 Incheon Asiad, for nomination and the awards selection committee stuck to the deadline. In the past, Bopanna was nominated several times but his application was always rejected.
“We professional tennis players put in a lot to bring laurels to our country. However, it is when the system (the tennis association in this case) functions sloppily that is not only disrespectful but also robs one of the hope of a deserving acknowledgement,” Bopanna said in a statement.
The AITA official said he understands Bopanna’s frustration.
“I do understand Rohan is disappointed for not getting the award, but it was because he did not meet the criteria for the award in 2016. He should see the criteria before making any comment,” he said.
The selection committee considered performances between January 2013 and December 2016 and Bopanna has achieved some tremendous results in this period but only on the Pro Circuit, not while representing India in a multi-disciplinary events. Compared to Bopanna, Myneni may not have been very successful on the Tour but has logged enough points for his medal-winning performances at Incheon.