Why Were 5 Indian Tennis Players Left Out of the Asian Games Squad? SAI and AITA Give Different Answers

The exclusion of five Indian tennis players from the country's squad for the 2026 Asian Games has sparked a dispute between the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and the All India Tennis Association (AITA), with both sides presenting different versions of the selection process.

The players left out are Manas Dhamne, Vaishnavi Adkar, Sahaja Yamalapalli, Vaidehee Chaudhari and Prarthana Thombare. An SAI source said their names were not included in the final shortlist sent by the AITA to the Indian Olympic Association (IOA).

The AITA, however, strongly denied the claim, saying it had made an “unequivocal representation” to the IOA seeking a review of their exclusion. The association maintained that any suggestion that it neither submitted the players' names nor sought their inclusion was factually incorrect.

The controversy centres on the Sports Ministry's selection criteria. Singles players were required to be among the top six in Asia, while doubles players needed to be within the top eight, based on rankings during a 12-month evaluation period. The five excluded players did not meet these benchmarks.

SAI also defended the decision by arguing that their recent performances did not indicate a strong medal possibility. It maintained that the Asian Games should not be used merely to provide international exposure.

The decision has drawn criticism from two-time Asian Games gold-medallist Rohan Bopanna, who argued that athletes should not have their opportunities decided solely through administrative processes.

The exclusions have raised questions because Sahaja Yamalapalli is India's No. 1 women's singles player, while Vaishnavi is ranked second nationally. Prarthana is a former Asian Games bronze medallist, Vaidehee a two-time national champion, and 18-year-old Manas a Challenger-level finalist.

The final squad includes Sumit Nagal as the lone singles player, alongside Ramkumar Ramanathan, Saketh Myneni, Yuki Bhambri, Rutuja Bhosale and Ankita Raina for doubles.

With the Sports Ministry refusing to relax its criteria, the selection issue has now turned into a wider debate over whether strict rankings or a player's potential and national standing should carry greater weight in India's Asian Games selection process.