SAI cracks down on National duty snubs, warns Tennis Players of fund recovery

The Sports Authority of India (SAI) has issued a clear directive to tennis players benefitting from government-funded schemes: represent the country when called upon, or risk having financial aid recovered.

As reported by PTI, the move is aimed at reinforcing accountability among athletes selected for various support programmes, including the recently launched Target Asian Games Group (TAGG).

The new guideline stipulates that players receiving support through TOPS (Target Olympic Podium Scheme), TAGG, or under National Sports Federations (NSF), must confirm their availability for international team events such as the Davis Cup, Billie Jean King Cup, Asian Games, and the Olympics. Any refusal to participate without "valid justification" could lead to the government reclaiming the assistance already provided.

The SAI has now made it mandatory for supported players to sign a written undertaking acknowledging their responsibility to represent India if selected by the All India Tennis Association (AITA).

“These tournaments carry immense national prestige,” the order stated. “Players benefiting from government schemes are expected to prioritise representing India when selected. Failure to do so, without valid reasons, will trigger recovery of funds as per existing guidelines.”

This decision comes amid a backdrop of repeated player withdrawals from Davis Cup ties in recent years. Top singles player Sumit Nagal, for example, opted out of India’s fixtures against Pakistan and Sweden in 2024 and missed the Togo tie earlier this year. Sasikumar Mukund also skipped the Pakistan and Sweden encounters but returned for the February 2025 match against Togo. Yuki Bhambri has likewise remained unavailable for recent team events.

Despite past no-shows, many of these players have been named in the TAGG list. Among the men included are Nagal, Bhambri, Ramkumar Ramanathan, N Sriram Balaji, Saketh Myneni, and Rithvik Bollipalli. On the women’s side, the list features Shrivalli Bhamidipaty, Sahaja Yamlapalli, Vaidehi Chaudhary, Rutuja Bhosale, and rising teenage talent Maaya Rajeshwaran.