Bopanna, Ankita to spearhead Indian challenge in tennis at Asian Games

Sumit Nagal -- who made his Asian Games debut in the 2018 edition competing in doubles alongside Ramkumar Ramanathan -- and Sasikumar Mukund are the likely singles players in the side for the Games.

New Delhi:Doubles specialist Rohan Bopanna will once again be India's flag-bearer in the tennis event at the Asian Games as All India Tennis Association (AITA) on Tuesday announced a 12-member squad for the continental quadrennial games. The Asian Games will begin in Hangzhou on September 23.

Sumit Nagal -- who made his Asian Games debut in the 2018 edition competing in doubles alongside Ramkumar Ramanathan -- and Sasikumar Mukund are the likely singles players in the side for the Games. The 43-year-old Bopanna will most probably pair up with Ramkumar. Yuki Bhambri and Saketh Myneni, the other two players in the squad, are already playing as a pair on the ATP Tour.

The women's contingent will be led by 2018 Asian Games bronze medallist in singles, Ankita Raina. The other members are in-form Karman Kaur Thandi, Rututaj Bhosle, Sahaja Yamlapalli, Vaidehi Chaudhari and Prarthane Thombare. India had won a gold and two bronze medals at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta, where the Bopanna-Divij Sharan pair had defeated Kazakhstan's Alexander Bublik and Denis Yevseyev to clinch the doubles gold.

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In the men's singles Prajnesh Gunneswaran had won bronze in men's singles. Former India player Rohit Rajpal has been named captain of the men's squad while Ankita Bhambri will be the captain of the women's team. The core of the Indian contingent in both men's and women's sections largely remains the same, with Ramanathan, Nagal and Bopanna also featuring in the side that competed in the Jakarta Games.

Among women, four players who competed in Jakarta five years back -- Ankita, Karman, Ruturaj and Prarthana -- are also in the current side, while Sahaja and Vaidehi are the new additions.

The squad:

Men's: Sumit Nagal, Sasikumar Mukund, Ramkumar Ramanathan, Yuki Bhambri, Rohan Bopanna and Saketh Myneni.

Women's: Ankita Raina, Karman Kaur Thandi, Rutuja Bhosale, Sahaja Yamlapalli, Vaidehi Chaudhari, Prarthana Thombare. (PTI)