Tennis
Tennis: MSLTA's Prashant Sutar to go up against Leander Paes in AITA polls
Sutar will challenge Leander Paes for the AITA vice-president post.
Leander Paes during a special ceremony on the sidelines of the Wimbledon Championships. (Photo credit: ATF)
Maharashtra State Lawn Tennis Association (MSLTA) president Prashant Sutar on Monday announced his candidature for the vice-president's post in the All India Tennis Association (AITA) elections on November 27, setting up a contest against the legendary Leander Paes.
The contest assumes significance as Paes and AITA interim president Chintan Parikh have announced that they are working together as a team for the upcoming elections.
The other group is likely to be headed by DLTA President and Davis Cup skipper Rohit Rajpal, who had announced that he will contest for the president's post.
Sutar now has announced his candidature independently.
"Leander Paes is a legendary player who has brought immense glory to Indian tennis, and I have the highest respect for his achievements. But an election is about ideas, vision and the future of the sport, not an individual's stature," Sutar told said.
"I am contesting because I believe Indian tennis needs fresh thinking, greater transparency and a stronger development structure. This is not about contesting against Leander Paes as a person, it is about offering an alternative vision for the administration of Indian tennis.
"Ultimately, the players and the tennis fraternity deserve a choice, and I believe in putting my ideas before them," he added.
Sutar has experience in tennis administration and tournament organisation.
He was the tournament director of the Tata Open Maharashtra ATP event and played a key role in bringing the tournament to Pune after it was moved out of Chennai.
Sutar said his priorities would include strengthening tennis infrastructure, expanding the domestic and international tournament calendar, improving grassroots programmes and creating better development pathways for players.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Bridge Desk. It is published from a syndicated feed.)