Marred by controversy, the Bhupathi-Paes relationship suffered a substantial blow when No. 14 seed, Mahesh Bhupathi, refused to play with 7th seed Leader Paes in the men’s doubles in tennis at the London Olympics next month. The duo has had a volatile relationship over the last 9 years, but has met with remarkable success. Their performance peaked in 1999, when they reached the finals of all 4 Grand Slam tournaments, and won at Wimbledon and the French Open. In 2001, the pair was awarded the Padma Shri award in recognition of their exemplary service to the nation and the advancement of Indian sport. Cracks in their relationship began to appear in 1998, when Bhupathi called attention to the intensely competitive nature of their relationship. By 2002, rumours of feuds, ego-battles, jealousy and mutual interests in Bollywood actresses fuelled by the media resulted in their decision to end their partnership, save for a few sporadic tournaments. Public spats and ugly feuds solidified the duo’s split, and Bhupathi’s accusations of a lack of “mutual trust and respect,” between them did nothing to salvage it either.
Though they were expected to play together as recently as March of this year, earlier this week it was reported that Bhupathi had written to the All India Tennis Association stating that he refused to play with Paes, but was willing and eager to play with his young current partner, 13th seed Rohan Bopanna. Bhupathi and Bopanna have been training together for the past six months, and in a joint statement declared that they were deserving of the chance to represent their country. Bhupathi has met with a great deal of criticism, with many calling for him and Paes to put aside their personal differences in the greater interests of the country. On June 18th, Bopanna publicly refused to play with Paes at the Olympics, no doubt desperate that the AITA dismiss the influential Paes in favor of a Bhupathi-Bopanna partnership. The names of Sania Mirza and Somdev Devvarman have reportedly been thrown into the ring for discussion. The AITA, however, is keen to send Paes and Bhupathi to London and has promised to take firm action should the selection committee’s decision be questioned.
The politicization of athletics in India is a long-standing tradition, from badminton to, of course, cricket. But this kind of politicization of the sport, with the public criticism from Bhupathi and the fathers of the two going at each other on air, seems unacceptable. Growing up, I could only cheer for my country in obscure events I didn’t really get, like shooting. I’m hoping, along with the rest of the country, that our athletes sort out their petty differences so I can have another hour of cheering at the television.
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