All India Tennis Association VP Karti Chidambaram "has criticised the association’s handling of the selection of the Indian Davis Cup team" for the tie against South Korea, according to THE HINDU. In an open letter to the other VPs of the AITA, Karti questioned why the selection meeting could not have been postponed given the national body was facing an "abnormal situation." He "dismissed Secretary General Bharat Oza’s contention that the team had been announced early to help players plan their tournament schedule." Karti wrote, "He is probably unaware that no ATP tournaments are held in the week of the Davis Cup, and further there are no ITF (Int'l Tennis Federation) Futures or Challengers of any significance in our part of the world during this week" (THE HINDU, 1/22). The PTI reported the AITA "hit out" at Chidambaram, "for questioning the Davis Cup team selection on Tuesday, and asked why he did not raise the issue when he was the chairman of the Davis Cup Committee." AITA "hinted it may take a disciplinary action" against Karti. In a statement Oza said: "Mr. Karti, while he was chairman of the Davis Cup Committee, did not bring up any issues of players’ concerns with AITA. AITA is not going to change the team for the current Davis Cup tie against Korea as that will be most unfair to the players who are practicing very hard for preparation of the Davis Cup tie" (PTI, 1/22).
