Vishnu ‘Paes’ to play in Olympics

[1]

When Thursday dawned, state tennis player Vishnu Vardhan was one of the happiest men around. He had just been selected by the All India Tennis Association (AITA) to partner veteran Leander Paes at the London Olympics next month. “My entire family had gathered around me. I started scouring the internet and the TV for any news,” said Vishnu.

“Then, I received an email from AITA, which stated that I had been selected to partner Leander while Mahesh Bhupathi and Rohan Bopanna will comprise the second team,” said Vishnu, who had won a men’s doubles bronze and mixed doubles silver at the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou, China.

“It was an incredible feeling, realising that I would play for my country at the Olympic Games,” said Vishnu, currently ranked 207 in the world in men’s doubles. However, as the day progressed, reports started circulating that Paes — who had on Wednesday written to AITA saying that he would pull out if made to play with a lower-ranked player — has made good on his threat and suddenly, Vishnu’s London dreams were in danger of getting nipped in the bud. However, Vishnu maintained a brave front, saying that the latest development doesn’t dent his current disposition.