However, IOA has a policy of allowing only 50 per cent of the team strength as support staff and AITA has already named two other members as support staff.
All India Tennis Association's predicament is that they want Zeeshan Ali, who has been appointed as captain cum coach of the side and Sania Mirza's mother Nasima Mirza, who is the women's team manager, to also travel with the players.
It has been learnt that Sania wants her trainer Robert Ballard to be with her during the Games while Bopanna's preference is Yash Pandey, who has trained the doubles ace for a long time.
When contacted, AITA senior official Hirnmoy Chatterjee said IOA should understand that tennis is a different sport.
"I understand that IOA has a policy but tennis cannot be put in the same bracket as other disciplines. Sania, Leander and Rohan are medal hopefuls. You have seen in this Davis Cup tie how important is the role of a trainer and physio in a tennis team. All the players suffered from cramps and it was only because of trainers that they could play," Chatterjee told PTI.
"We request IOA to consider tennis as special discipline. We are hopeful that we will get medal from tennis. And players should be supported by the IOA," he said.
India's Davis Cup coach Zeeshan Ali said having separate trainers for Rio is a must.
"Playing in two events, it is absolutely necessary for team to have trainers for both men's and women's team. This support staff is absolutely necessary," Zeeshan said.
You’ve reached your limit of {{free_limit}} free articles this month.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
Already subscribed? Log in
Subscribe to read the full story →
Smart Quarterly
₹900
3 Months
₹300/Month
Smart Essential
₹2,700
1 Year
₹225/Month
Super Saver
₹3,900
2 Years
₹162/Month
Renews automatically, cancel anytime
Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans
Exclusive premium stories online
Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors


Complimentary Access to The New York Times
News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic
Business Standard Epaper
Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share


Curated Newsletters
Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox
Market Analysis & Investment Insights
In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor


Archives
Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997
Ad-free Reading
Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements


Seamless Access Across All Devices
Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app
