Rohan Bopanna, Ankita Raina to lead Indian teams at Asian Games

New Delhi, June 20

Doubles specialist Rohan Bopanna will once again be India’s flagbearer in the tennis event at the Asian Games as the All India Tennis Association (AITA) today announced a 12-member squad for the continental quadrennial games.

The Asian Games will begin in China’s Hangzhou on September 23.

Sumit Nagal, who made his Asian Games debut in 2018 in the doubles alongside Ramkumar Ramanathan, and Sasikumar Mukund are likely to play singles.

The 43-year-old Bopanna will probably pair up with Ramanathan. Yuki Bhambri and Saketh Myneni, the other two players in the squad, are already playing as a pair on the ATP Tour.

The women’s contingent will be led by Ankita Raina, the 2018 Asian Games bronze medallist in the singles. The other members are in-form Karman Kaur Thandi, Rutuja Bhosale, Sahaja Yamalapalli, Vaidehi Chaudhari and Prarthana Thombare.

Former India player Rohit Rajpal has been named the captain of the men’s squad, while Ankita Bhambri will oversee the women’s team.

India had won one gold and two bronze medals in the 2018 edition, where the Bopanna-Divij Sharan pair had defeated Kazakhstan’s Alexander Bublik and Denis Yevseyev to clinch gold. PTI

Squad

Men’s team: Sumit Nagal, Sasikumar Mukund, Ramkumar Ramanathan, Yuki Bhambri, Rohan Bopanna, Saketh Myneni

Women’s team: Ankita Raina, Karman Kaur Thandi, Rutuja Bhosale, Sahaja Yamalapalli, Vaidehi Chaudhari, Prarthana Thombare