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Leander Paes in India's Asiad squad; Yuki to skip to play US Open

Leander Paes to play an Asian Games for the first time since 2006 Doha Games

By Unnikrishnan
Leander Paes has made a return to Indias Asian Games squad that will be coached by Zeeshan Ali

New Delhi, June 4: The legendary Leander Paes returned to the Indian team for the Asian Games while the country's top player Yuki Bhambri was exempted as the AITA announced a 12-member squad, including six women players, for the quadrennial extravaganza, beginning on August 18 in Indonesia.

Since Yuki, ranked 94, is likely to make the cut for the US Open, the AITA selection committee exempted him from the Asiad.

The tennis events in Palembang are scheduled for August 19-25 while the US Open starts on August 27. The lack of time could make the travel and recovery extremely difficult.

The six-member men's squad has three singles specialists -- Ramkumar Ramanathan, Prajnesh Gunneswaran, Sumit Nagal -- and three doubles specialists Paes, Rohan Bopanna and Divij Sharan.

The women's squad will be led by leading singles player Ankita Raina. Karman Kaur Thandi, Rutuja Bhosale, Pranjala Yadlapalli, Riya Bhatia and Prarthana Thombare are the other players.

Zeeshan Ali has been named the coach and captain of the men's squad while the women's team will be guided by Ankita Bhambri.

This is the first time Paes is playing in an Asian Games since Doha Games in 2006. Paes has won eight medals at the Asian Games and in his last outing clinched the men's doubles gold with Mahesh Bhupathi and mixed doubles gold with Sania Mirza.

Paes has won a singles bronze (1994), three gold in men's doubles (1994 with Gaurav Natekar, 2002 and 2006 with Bhupathi) a men's team gold (1994), a mixed doubles gold with Sania Mirza (2006), a mixed doubles bronze with Sania Mirza (2002) and a team bronze in 1990.

Story first published: Monday, July 30, 2018, 12:08 [IST]
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