By Vipul Kashyap

New Delhi [India], November 5 (ANI): Former Indian tennis player Mahesh Bhupathi has called for a robust system to develop tennis in the country, stressing that hosting international tournaments would serve little purpose unless Indian players could capitalise on these opportunities to compete and succeed at the highest level. 

Bhupathi and Sania Mirza, who were elected to the All India Tennis Association (AITA) General Body as representatives of sportspersons of outstanding merit (SOM), were also elected to the association's Executive Committee on Thursday.

Speaking to ANI, Bhupathi called for a structured system to develop Indian tennis players, stressing that hosting international tournaments would be meaningful only if domestic players could use them to gain ranking points and succeed at the global level.

'There is no system in our country, so we have to build a system, a structure... If we don't have players capable of succeeding in major tournaments, then what is the point of hosting so many of them? In my view, tournaments are only beneficial for the country if our players win. For instance, Leander and I won the Chennai Open five times; it was our first ATP title, and it served as our gateway to the global stage. Sania won her first WTA event in Hyderabad. Ultimately, these tournaments are only valuable if we have players who can capitalise on them and earn points. That is why, as I mentioned earlier, the primary objective must be to establish a proper structure,' he said.

Bhupathi, a former doubles world number one, was among India's most successful tennis players. He won 12 Grand Slam titles during his career, including four in men's doubles and eight in mixed doubles. He also formed a successful doubles partnership with Leander Paes, with the duo winning multiple Grand Slam titles.

Meanwhile, former Indian tennis player Leander Paes stressed the need to professionalise the AITA and address administrative fragmentation, while calling for greater investment in tennis across rural and urban India to help nurture talent.

'Professionalising the All India Tennis Association is imperative. That is what the two athletes, all the players and people in governance asked for... but when you have a sport that is such a global sport where the association is fragmented, it's not going to work... The finance that needs to be invested into a sport like tennis should reach all of rural India and also in the metro cities, give an opportunity for rural talent to come into the metro cities and hone their skills,' he told ANI. (ANI)