AITA to conduct official age verification tests for juniors entering national tournaments

The All India Tennis Association (AITA) has decided to conduct age verification tests going forward on all junior players participating in national tournaments. The players who will be selected to represent India in junior Davis Cup and Fed Cup will also be undergoing similar tests before their participation. The decision was made by AITA on the backdrop of recent controversy at Chandigarh’s Lawn Tennis Association complex.

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AITA age verification test: Tennis body to tackle age fraud

While issuing a statement to PTI, AITA secretary general Hironmoy Chatterjee said that going forward, all players from national age-group competitions in the main draws will be subjected to age verification test. The age group competitions include players from Under-12, Under-14 and Under-16 levels. He said that AITA had also taken similar such measures in the past where players underwent medical tests. Chatterjee also admitted that AITA felt the need to take this step after the controversy at Chandigarh’s complex raised voices of concerns from several senior Indian players.  

Mahesh Bhupathi on AITA age verification test decision

Indian tennis icon and former Davis Cup captain Mahesh Bhupathi recently gave his take on AITA’s latest move for preventing age fraud in professional tennis. While speaking with PTI, he said that this has been a “basic requirement” which is why he will not be applauding AITA for their decision. Moreover, he said that AITA should have implemented their ‘AITA age verification test’ policy 50 years ago.

Mahesh Bhupathi claimed that “lots of kids have had to deal with this for so many years” in the country. He hoped that the recent AITA age verification test is not just some “random announcement” and expressed his confidence that the move will make sure both kids and parents are held accountable if they are “trying to cheat”.

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AITA age verification test: Somdev Devvarman after Chandigarh complex controversy

Former Indian player Somdev Devvarman is all-in for the recent announcement since he called for the move earlier this month itself. After the controversy at Chandigarh’s tennis complex, he said that age group has been an issue across sports for many years. Somdev Devvarman further cited his own example from the past saying that he himself has become a victim of age fraud when he lost to a “certain over-aged” player during his playing days.

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Image credit: PTI