Sania Mirza and Mahesh Bhupathi file nominations for AITA SOM elections ahead of November 7 polls
Sania Mirza and Mahesh Bhupathi have filed nominations for the All India Tennis Association’s Sports Person of Outstanding Merit elections ahead of the November 7 polls, the two former players entering the SOM race for representation in the national body.
Leander Paes was absent from the list of SOM nominees despite the Bengal Tennis Association having backed his candidature for the AITA presidency, a development that removes his pathway to contest the presidency under the current eligibility rules. Paes is the only player placed in Tier I of the 40-member roster, but because he has not completed the required term as an office-bearer in a state association he needed to secure a place through the SOM process to be eligible for the presidential election. Under the National Sports Governance Act and Rules, a candidate must have served at least one term as an office-bearer in a state association to contest a position in the national body. Although Paes can still represent Bengal at the November 27 AITA elections, he cannot pursue the presidency through that route.
Mahesh Bhupathi emphasised the role former players can play in administration and linked that to transforming federations. “I think every federation needs players who have played at the highest level to help transform the sport. A case in point is what Gopi (P Gopichand) has done for badminton, which has been transformational,” Bhupathi told PTI. Bhupathi is described in the nominations coverage as a former world No. 1 in doubles and a multiple Grand Slam champion.
Sania Mirza is noted in the filings as a former world No. 1 in doubles who won six Grand Slam titles across women's and mixed doubles and became one of Indian tennis' most recognisable figures. Their entries bring two high-profile names from Indian tennis into contention for SOM representation and potential roles within the AITA structure.
Alongside Bhupathi and Sania, six other former players have filed nominations for the SOM elections: Ankita Bhambri, Ashutosh Singh, Gaurav Natekar, Janaki Krishnamoorthy, Shalini Thakur Chawla and Vishal Uppal. The coverage identifies Ashutosh Singh as the current Davis Cup coach and Vishal Uppal as the current Billie Jean King Cup captain. The Executive Committee nominations list features five candidates: Bhupathi, Sania, Ankita, Janaki and Uppal.
The amended AITA Constitution provides for four SOM representatives on the General Body, split equally between men and women, and stipulates that two SOM representatives, one man and one woman, will be elected to the 15-member Executive Committee. The SOM framework is described as part of a wider push under the new sports governance rules to give accomplished athletes a greater role in the administration of national sports federations.
The nominations give Bhupathi and Mirza a route into the AITA’s governance structures, while Paes' omission from the SOM list leaves a major question mark over the presidential contest ahead of the November 27 AITA elections.