Need some consistency with captain and coach: Ankita

Pune: Ankita Raina has called for “some consistency” in the appointment of senior support staff of the Indian Billie Jean King Cup team.The country’s No. 1 singles player also stressed on the need for an additional physiotherapist and trainer.“I feel it’ll be easier for the players if we can have some consistency in the captain and coach. I think getting someone new each time is of no help and doesn’t serve the purpose,” Raina, the 2018 Asian Games bronze medallist in singles, said.“For the player and the coach-captain, it takes time to gel and understand (each other). I mean, it’s just matter of a week but still if we want to qualify and do well as a team, we need to have the right intention and team spirit.”Raina’s comments come in the wake of the All India Tennis Association replacing Vishaal Uppal, who had been the captain since 2019, with Shalini Thakur.Former player Shalini had served as the team’s coach during the previous campaign in the Asia-Oceania Group 1 competition in Turkey last year.In 2021, the team had Radhika Tulpule-Kanitkar as the coach for the World Group 1 playoff tie in Latvia. Ankita Bhambri was the coach in the previous two years with Uppal at helm.Radhika will be coaching the team in the Asia-Oceania Group 1 competition, scheduled in Tashkent from April 11 to 15.China, Japan, Korea, Thailand and hosts Uzbekistan are the other teams in the fray. The top two teams will advance to the World Group 1 playoff. Contrary to the Indian Davis Cup team, which play one nation in each tie, the women’s team take on five oppositions in the competition.As such, Raina urged the AITA to provide the team with more support staff.“It would be of great help if we can have two physios and trainers as practically it’s not possible to have one (physio and trainer) for four players,” she said.“There are times when one player needs warm up for the match and another needs recovery right after (her) match. So what are you gonna do at that point with one physio, why put players and physio in such a situation?”