‘It’s like flogging a dead horse’

NEWDELHI: Former stars Vijay and Anand Amritraj played down the acrimony between Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi saying Indian tennis should move ahead. While Vijay called it ‘unimportant’, brother Anand said it is just ‘a new chapter in old story’.

Speaking to ANI, the younger Amritraj said, “It’s completely unimportant. It’s like flogging a dead horse. The most important thing is to concentrate on what we need to do and that means to get the players in top 50. We are not going to make world groups, the Fed Cup. We are not going to make the Grand Slam. That’s the goal and that should be the focus. If we get players in top 50, everything else is immaterial.”

Bhupathi’s predecessor Anand said that the captain had handled the issue badly but blamed Paes too.

“It’s just a new chapter in old story. It’s just tragic that it has cropped up again. There is fault on both sides. It was pretty badly handled by Mahesh. Why did Mahesh not send a mail to Leander and told him clearly that you are are not in final four? If he had decided to pick Rohan two months back, why keep this guy (Leander) hanging?,” Amritraj told PTI in an interaction. “All Mahesh needed to do was send an e-mail to Leander that he was not being considered in final four and mark a copy to AITA.”

Paes had left Bangalore midway into the tie, a move which Bhupathi said was final nail in the coffin. The captain also did not like the fact that Paes spoke to media despite his gag order.

Anand felt Paes had no reason to stay back in Bangalore, doing nothing.

Former Davis Cupper Vishal Uppal criticised Bhupathi for making public his private chat with Paes. “He has to be a bigger statesman,” Uppal said.

Leander’s father, Dr Vece Paes hoped the long-standing issue comes to an end. “Both sides are trying to negotiate to stop criticising each other. The matter should be sorted out,” Vece told ANI.

ANAND AMRITRAJ SAID THAT CAPTAIN MAHESH BHUPATHI HAD HANDLED THE ISSUE BADLY BUT BLAMED PAES TOO