Mahesh Bhupathi, Sania Mirza Elected to AITA Executive Committee; Bhupathi Tops Polls with 23 Votes

Mahesh Bhupathi and Sania Mirza have been elected to the executive committee of the All India Tennis Association (AITA), with Bhupathi polling 23 votes — the highest of any candidate — and Mirza 18, The Print reported.

The two former Grand Slam champions were also chosen as Sportspersons of Merit (SOM) representatives to the association’s general assembly, Bhupathi with 19 votes and Mirza with 18. The other two SOM seats went to Ashutosh Singh (17) and Shalini Thakur Chawla (16).

Votes reveal gender-division quotas in elections

In the executive committee vote, Janaki Krishnamurthi finished third with 13 votes and Vishal Uppal fourth with seven. In the separate SOM contest, Krishnamurthi polled 15, Uppal nine, Gaurav Nataraj eight and Ankita Bhambri seven.

Under AITA’s amended constitution, four representatives are elected to the general assembly — two male and two female players. The 40-member SOM list, drawn up under the National Sports Governance Act, comprises 20 male and 20 female former players. The SOM representation is part of wider sports governance reforms aimed at giving accomplished athletes a larger role in the administration of national federations.

Bhupathi: 31 SOMs voted, some flew in from Hong Kong

Bhupathi told PTI he was pleased that 31 SOMs took part in the voting, noting that none of them had previously received any support from AITA. Some supporters flew in from Hong Kong to back the candidates, he said, adding that he and Mirza believed they could build a framework for change once both sat on the executive committee.

“I am very happy to see that 31 SOMs participated in voting, whereas in the past none of them ever got any support from AITA,” Bhupathi said. “Now that Sania and I are on the executive committee, I am confident we can soon put a framework in place.”

Shalini Thakur Chawla said she was eager to contribute positively to the development of Indian tennis and represent the interests of the playing community. Ashutosh Singh, the current Davis Cup coach, called the election both an honor and a responsibility, saying he looked forward to working with the other elected members to create better opportunities for players and coaches.

Bhupathi and Mirza ruled out of office-bearer race

With both now members of the executive committee, Bhupathi and Mirza will not contest any office-bearer positions in the AITA elections, the report said.