Krishna asks tennis stars to set aside individual egos

Bangalore, June 22 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna on Friday lauded the efforts of All India Tennis Association (AITA) in ensuring that a good team goes to the London Olympics, and said everybody should rise to the occasion, foregoing their individual egos and prejudices.

"Well, I think we should support the efforts of the tennis federation of India in trying to bring about some compromise formula to see that a good team goes to London to represent our country. And, as I have said, winning a medal should be our sole objective, and, everybody should rise to the occasion foregoing, their individual egos and prejudices," said Krishna.

"I think the appeal is to everyone who is involved, who plays tennis and who is a lover of tennis and to the tennis administration," he added.

When asked whether he has spoken to anyone in this regard, Krishna said: "I have not been speaking to anybody. I am only as an avid tennis player, as an enthusiast and as a patriot I feel that we should send our best players, and they should come back with laurels."

Leander Paes , the world number seven doubles player, has threatened to pull out of the Olympics after being rejected as a partner by Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna, both of whom want to be sent as a team to the London Games next month.

Paes, who is the only Indian to have got a direct entry into the Olympics on the basis of his top-10 ranking, is disappointed at being paired with a much lower-ranked Vishnu Vardhan for the London event.

Meanwhile, the AITA has sent one of its selectors to London to pacify Paes, who is upset at not getting a partner of choice for the men's doubles event. (ANI)