NEW DELHI: Putting an end to speculation over whether he would represent India at the London Olympics, tennis star Leander Paes on Friday confirmed that he would participate in the Games.
After days of studied silence, Paes said that he was disheartened by the tennis row but added that he was here to play ‘sport and not politics’.
"I am here to play sport and not politics," Paes said "Unfortunately, I see the games being played within games, and as much as that is very disheartening, I am looking forward to playing my sixth Olympics for my country as I have played for 22 years for the people and the flag," he said.
Paes had threatened to withdraw from the Olympics despite being India's number one doubles player after being paired with a lower-ranked Vishnu Vardhan for the mixed doubles.
However, he clarified that he was happy to be paired with Vardhan in men's doubles.
"I am looking forward to representing my country with the teams that the All India Tennis Association have selected," Paes said in London, where he is chasing a men’s doubles title along with this after winning his Czech partner Radek Stepanek.
Earlier, Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna, both had refused to partner with Paes at the Olympics, instead preferring to go as a team themselves.
This angered Paes, especially because the All India Tennis Association bowed to the Bhupathi-Bopanna stand.
Apart from this, Sania Mirza, who will be Paes’s mixed doubles partner for the Olympic Games, also blasted Paes saying that he had been used as ‘bait’ to pacify him.
After days of studied silence, Paes said that he was disheartened by the tennis row but added that he was here to play ‘sport and not politics’.
"I am here to play sport and not politics," Paes said "Unfortunately, I see the games being played within games, and as much as that is very disheartening, I am looking forward to playing my sixth Olympics for my country as I have played for 22 years for the people and the flag," he said.
Paes had threatened to withdraw from the Olympics despite being India's number one doubles player after being paired with a lower-ranked Vishnu Vardhan for the mixed doubles.
However, he clarified that he was happy to be paired with Vardhan in men's doubles.
"I am looking forward to representing my country with the teams that the All India Tennis Association have selected," Paes said in London, where he is chasing a men’s doubles title along with this after winning his Czech partner Radek Stepanek.
Earlier, Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna, both had refused to partner with Paes at the Olympics, instead preferring to go as a team themselves.
This angered Paes, especially because the All India Tennis Association bowed to the Bhupathi-Bopanna stand.
Apart from this, Sania Mirza, who will be Paes’s mixed doubles partner for the Olympic Games, also blasted Paes saying that he had been used as ‘bait’ to pacify him.
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