Paes gets Olympic ticket, paired with Bopanna

New Delhi, Jun 11 () Veteran Leander Paes today got the nod for his seventh Olympic appearance after the

All India Tennis Association

(

AITA

) paired him with Rohan Bopanna for the men's doubles competition despite the latter's desire to team up with

Saketh Myneni

. Announcing the squad for the Olympics, beginning August 5, AITA chief

Anil Khanna

said Bopanna will be pairing up with Sania Mirza in the mixed doubles event as had been demanded by the World No.1 in women's doubles. Sania will be teaming up with

Prarthana Thombare

in the women's doubles event. As was expected, the AITA rejected Bopanna's request for Myneni as his partner, saying that India's best chance for a medal at

Rio

lay in him teaming up with Paes, who won the French Open mixed doubles title earlier this month. "He (Bopanna) has given reasons to selection

committee

on why he feels

Saketh

could be a better doubles partner. But he has also made it clear that he wants to represent the nation. It was a well-meaning letter (which Bopanna wrote yesterday to AITA).

Leander

and

Rohan

have played four times in Davis Cup, they have a 2-2 record,"

Khanna

said. "Committee decided that the best bet for Indian tennis to win a medal at the Olympics would be Leander

Paes

and Rohan Bopanna," he added. Khanna then named Bopanna and Sania as the best medal hopes in the mixed doubles category. "The committee has decided to nominate Rohan Bopanna and Sania Mirza in the mixed doubles competition," he said. AT PM PDS PM
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