Vaishnavi AdkarTwo-time Asian Games gold medallist Rohan Bopanna has questioned the changes made to India's tennis squad for the 2026 Asian Games, saying players who had earned their place through rankings were left out after the selection process was changed. The sports ministry's guidelines limited the Asian Games tennis squad to players ranked among the top eight in Asia.

As a result, Manas Dhamne, Vaishnavi Adkar, Sahaja Yamalapalli, Vaidehee Chaudhari and Prarthana Thombare missed out on selection. Five players who had qualified were affected after the selection process followed the sports ministry's top-eight-in-Asia rule.

“Five players, including India’s No. 1 and No.

2 in women’s singles, earned their rankings the hard way. No shortcuts.

No favours. “If outcomes are already decided, why have qualification at all?

Why rankings?” “This isn’t just a call about five athletes.

“Telling these players they’re ‘not medal prospects’ tells every one of those parents and sponsors: your judgment doesn’t matter here.” “Sport is the one arena where belief outruns prediction, where the written off rewrite the script.

“Let them walk onto the court. Let their years of work count for something.”

The 2026 Asian Games will begin on September 19 in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.