New double in mix: Sania mother in team

SANIA Mirza's mother Naseema is among the five support staff who will be assisting the Indian tennis team at the Olympics. The All India Tennis Association (AITA) that has been grappling with criticism over its selection for the Games may have landed itself in yet another controversy, given that Naseema is the only one with no real expertise or specialisation in the field.

Many see this as a move to appease Sania, who had written a harshly worded mail to the media after she was paired with Leander Paes in the mixed doubles at the Olympics.

Though the support staff were selected a couple of days back, the AITA has kept the list under wraps.

Besides Naseema, the others accompanying the team will be India's regular Davis Cup non-playing captain S P Misra, Sanjay Singh (Paes's trainer), Shayamal Vallabhjee (Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna's training consultant) and Milos Galecic (Somdev Devvarman's physio).

There also appears to be ambiguity over Sania's mother's role. "She will be the women's team coach," Col Ranbir Chauhan, member of the AITA executive committee, told The Indian Express. Subsequently, he changed tack: "She will be the team manager as she has been in past. She is of great help to the women's team because she has experience of going to these big tennis events.

In the list that has gone to the Indian Olympic Association, Naseema and Mishra are named as mere "officials". While the two of them, along with Somdev's trainer, will stay at the Olympics Village, the support staff for the men's doubles team will stay outside.

Interestingly, those with more experience like present Davis Cup coach Nandan Bal and Fed Cup coach Enrico Piperno were not considered for the job.

Sania's father Imran said they didn't ask for Naseema to be included.

... contd.

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