New Delhi [India], November 5 (ANI): Indian tennis great Sania Mirza expressed happiness after being elected to the All India Tennis Association (AITA) General Body and said her primary objective, alongside fellow legend Mahesh Bhupathi, would be to use their experience to help improve Indian tennis.

Mirza and Bhupathi have secured places in the AITA Executive Committee after first being elected as Sportspersons of Outstanding Merit (SOM) representatives to the association's General Body, marking their entry into the administrative structure of the national tennis federation.

'I think that we are just trying to use our experience to try and understand what the players need more. I think that it's too early to answer the question exactly what, because there are still a lot of things to be put into place with the president, vice president, EC. There are many things still to be done. But we're very happy to be elected in the general body, and I think our vision and our goal are one, which is to try and make Indian tennis better. And I think all of us come together here with that vision,' Sania told ANI.

Bhupathi polled 23 votes, the highest among the candidates in the Executive Committee election, while Sania secured 18 votes. Janaki Krishnamoorthy received 13 votes, while Vishal Uppal polled seven.

Earlier, Bhupathi and Sania were elected to the General Body as SOM representatives after securing 19 and 18 votes, respectively. Ashutosh Singh, with 17 votes, and Shalini Thakur Chawla, with 16, were the other two elected representatives.

With their inclusion in the Executive Committee, the two former players will not contest for office-bearer positions in the upcoming AITA elections, scheduled for November 27.

Speaking about the areas Indian tennis needs to address to develop its next generation of players, Sania highlighted the importance of a comprehensive support system, including coaching, guidance, tournament exposure and fitness support.

'I think there are multiple things, whether it's development programs, whether it is the right kind of coaching that you need, whether it's the right kind of guidance you need on what tournaments you need to play, whether it's the right kind of support you need, physios, trainers. I mean, there are so many things that go into making of a tennis player,' she said.

'And then you still need luck. So at the end of the day, I feel like there are many things that need to come together. So, what we are trying to do is use our experience, our knowledge to the best of our abilities as tennis players, as professional athletes who have been there and done whatever we have done to be able to help that next generation make the next steps,' Sania added.

Bhupathi and Sania bring considerable international experience to the federation's administration. Bhupathi, a former doubles world number one, won 12 Grand Slam titles during his career, including four in men's doubles and eight in mixed doubles. He also enjoyed a successful partnership with Leander Paes.

Sania reached the world number one position in women's doubles in 2015 and won six Grand Slam titles, three each in women's doubles and mixed doubles, before retiring from professional tennis in February 2023.

Their election comes as Indian sports federations undergo governance reforms under the National Sports Governance Act and the National Sports Bodies Rules, 2026, with greater representation of former athletes being encouraged in sports administration. (ANI)