AITA to conduct age verification test

Waking up to tackle the menace of age fraud in Indian tennis, national federation AITA has decided to subject all junior players entering the national championships to age verification test, a step which Mahesh Bhupathi says should have been taken 50 years ago.

The players selected to represent country at junior Davis and Fed Cup will also have to undergo the same test.

The All India Tennis Association (AITA) said the alleged molestation inside the CLTA complex, which led to accusation of age-fudging against five junior players, has provided them an opportunity to re-introduce the deterrent.

"From now onwards all players in age group competitions (U12, U14 and U16) in the main draws at the national championships will be subjected to age verification test (TW3). Also, the junior players selected to represent country will have to undergo the test," AITA secretary general Hironmoy Chatterjee told PTI.

"It's not that we are doing it for first time. In the past also, players were asked to take this medical test but somehow it was stopped.

"Now that the CLTA issue has gained a lot of media attention and senior players have voiced concerns, the AITA office bearers discussed and felt that this step is required," he said.

The cost of the test will be borne by the players entering the national championship and by the AITA for junior Davis Cup and Fed Cup teams. A player will be not tested twice if he or she comes out clean in the first test.

There were suggestions that age verification test should be made mandatory when a player registers with the AITA but Chatterjee said it was not required.