If this government decision, based on a directive by the Delhi High Court, which was hearing a petition filed by the family of squash player Karm Kumar — who wasn’t allowed to take part in the selection trials for the Asian junior championships because he holds a British passport — is carried forward, it could affect not just Shikha, but also tennis players Prakash Amritraj and Sunitha Rao.

While Prakash and Sunitha could not be reached for comments, Shikha said: “I had an Indian passport earlier, and I stay in Mumbai now. If need be, I’ll give up my American passport.

“I don’t understand the ruling, we’re sportspersons who work really hard for the country, and all we want to do is play. I’m not a multinational corporation who’s here to take everyone’s money, I’m a tennis player. I come in peace, with forehands and backhands,” she said while in town to play the $50,000 ITF Women’s Circuit event.

A PIO (Person of Indian Origin) card-holder, she added: “I was requested to play Fed Cup for India, and I’m very happy to be doing that. If getting a bunch of documents is going to make me a better Indian than somebody else, then that’s what I’ll do,”

Her sister Neha’s application for Indian representation is currently pending with the International Tennis Federation. “It’s much easier to travel with an American passport. If the government wants to step in our way, then it’s a sad day for Indian tennis.”

But Sports Secretary Sudhir Nath told The Indian Express that the decision had not been taken unilaterally. “We reached this decision only after conferring with different federations and the Indian Olympic Association. It was the predominant feeling in all federations that only Indian citizens should be allowed to play for India,” he said.

“Spots in the national team are a matter of great prestige, and they should be given to Indian citizens only. There are youngsters doing so well in a country that’s as large as ours, and with this ruling, they’ll benefit and improve. I don’t think this will damage the country at all. In fact, it’ll only encourage a fresh breed of Indian sportspersons. But if the people in question surrender their foreign passports and possess only an Indian passport, we’ll have no problem at all,” Nath added.

The All India Tennis Association general secretary Anil Khanna, meanwhile, said the federation would abide by any government guidelines they get. “We will follow what the ministry tells us to do. But nothing in writing has been given to us yet,” he said.