As part of the tennis probables for the 2010 Commonwealth Games, Shikha Uberoi (picture right) has been training at the DLTA Complex camp for the past few weeks. But with reports that she may not be eligible to take part in any multi-sport event as an Indian because of a sports ministry decision that only Indian passport holders could represent the country, the 25-year-old said on Thursday that she was willing to give up her US citizenship if needed.

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,”

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