The spat between Rohan Bopanna vs All India Tennis Association is showing no signs of dying down. A day after accusation and counter-accusation by the player and the country’s tennis body, Rohan Bopanna took to Twitter o release an audio recording between him and what seems to be Anil Dhupar, AITA Honourary Secretary General.
In the tweet, Rohan Bopanna wrote, “Good morning…AITA Secretary General blatantly lying saying ITF accepted the entry. Stop LYING to everyone and its time for a change. Its been 50+ years all players have suffered thanks to the federation incompetence."
Good morning…AITA Secretary General blantanly lying saying ITF accepted the entry.Stop LYING to everyone and its time for a change.Its been 50+ years all players have suffered thanks to the federation incompetence.@ianuragthakur @PMOIndia #stopblamingplayers pic.twitter.com/hB0Ru3HmgG
— Rohan Bopanna (@rohanbopanna) July 20, 2021
In the audio recording, it can be heard Rohan Bopanna and Anil Dhupar talking about the former’s nomination for the quadrennial game. Bopanna starts the conversation by asking Anil Dhupar how he is doing and then they went onto further discuss the Olympic qualification issue.
“Hello Anil sir, how are you doing?," asked Bopanna.
To which AITA Secretary General replied that he is doing okay and waiting for ‘tomorow’, here the date of the conversation is not clear.
“Bas theek hai, I am waiting for tomorrow. Keep your fingers crossed, may be we get some good news tomorrow."
‘I saw Berrettini has pulled out sir..," asked Bopanna.
“Who?," Anil Dhupar asked back.
He then wen onto say, " I am saying that I am expecting some good news tomorrow, be ready, that’s all."
“Sumit and my entry is fourth as of now?," asked Bopanna.
“It is in fourth", replied Anil Dhupar. He further went onto say, “Sumit and yourself because your and Divij is out of question."
Rohan Bopanna then asked, “ITF has accepted that?
Anil Dhupar replied, “that they have accepted the nomination."
On Monday, AITA reacted to Rohan Bopanna and Sania Mirza taking to Twitter to say that the association is feeding false information to the “players, government, media and everyone else" regarding Sumit Nagal’s name being sent out for men’s doubles with Bopanna as a last-minute change. Nagal made the cut for the men’s singles event of the Tokyo Olympics as large-scale withdrawals pushed him inside the qualification mark. The AITA then promptly paired him with Bopanna for the men’s doubles competition by withdrawing Divij Sharan’s nomination.
AITA’s Honourary Secretary General Anil Dhupar expressed his displeasure over the comments made by Bopanna and Mirza and said it was inappropriate. “Twitter comments by Rohan Bopanna and then Sania Mirza are inappropriate, misleading and without knowledge: they should have checked the rule book of ITF regarding qualifications," he said.
Read all the Latest News, Breaking News and Coronavirus News here