India Vs Pakistan In Davis Cup: ITF snubs AITA, refuses to postpone or shift venue out of Islamabad

In a big snub to India's national tennis federation, world governing body ITF on Wednesday refused to eir postpone or shift Davis Cup tie against Pakistan out of Islamab.  International Tennis Federation (ITF) has communicated to All India Tennis Association (AITA) that timings or venue for September 14-15 tie won't change as of w.

Earlier in day, AITA h asked ITF to eir postpone tie or take it to a neutral venue "suo moto" given current diplomatic tension between two countries. Inste, ITF has shared ir security plans with AITA and offered m to have a discussion on Monday with ir security consultants.

"y have shared ir security plans and based on that, y feel timings (dates) or venue need t shift. y are t understanding tension that has been prevailing between two nations," AITA secretary general Hironmoy Chatterjee told PTI.

"We h asked for a dialogue with ITF Board but y said Board does t deal with Davis Cup matters, it's Davis Cup committee which does. So ITF security visors and Executives will w discuss matter with us on August 19.

RE | India Vs Pakistan In Davis Cup: AITA May Request For Shift To Neutral Venue Inste Of Islamab

"w we will try to convince that y postpone tie or provide us an alternate venue. If y do t agree, we will take a call on Monday what to do next," Chatterjee said.

It has been learnt that India's n-playing captain Mahesh Bhupathi has requested AITA to include him also in conference call so that he could speak on behalf of players. Sources told PTI that Bhupathi has even forwarded a communication to ITF through AITA, trying to convince m on a neutral venue.

When contacted, Bhupathi neir confirmed r denied information.  AITA, taking a more aggressive stance than earlier, h said it wants ITF to take call to shift venue based on current situation and expressed surprise that governing body is asking India to make a request as "this responsibility rests with ITF."

"In current situation, re are two options which ITF Board of Directors may want to consider: (I) Postpone specific Davis Cup Tie to vember/December by which time hopefully situation would have stabilised

"(II) Since current situation does t seem to be conducive, in our opinion subject to our reing report of your security consultants, ITF Board of Directors suo moto by itself may decide to shift this particular Davis Cup tie to a neutral venue at ITF's cost," AITA wrote in a mail dressed to ITF Executive Director Justine Albert.

Albert, in an earlier mail, h stated that ITF is satisfied with current security arrangements in Islamab.  AITA assertion came after Pakistan downgred diplomatic ties with India after provisions of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, which gave state special status, were done away with. 

Jammu and Kashmir has been me a Union Territory w. AITA said that ITF needs to take te of fact that Pakistan has downgred diplomatic relations with India and asked Indian Ambassor to leave.

"...we do t have an Ambassor any longer in Islamab. Trains between India and Pakistan have been stopped. Bus service between India and Pakistan has also been stopped with immediate effect. re is lot of undercurrent of tension in Pakistan," mail stated.

"Air has also been shut off for Indian planes."

However, thing seems to have cut ice with ITF. Chatterjee also cited a 2001 Davis Cup tie between India and USA in rth Carolina, which was postponed because of 9/11 terror strike in New York.

"Although re was furr security threat in USA or at rth Carolina where Davis Cup tie was to be held, it was decided by ITF considering overall mood in USA that it will t be appropriate to go ahe with tie," he recalled.

"In this particular situation of India vs Pakistan Davis Cup tie.... recent developments have resulted in an atmosphere which is t conducive for a happy friendly tie between two teams which have immense respect for each or," he said.

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