After the press release of the rebellious eight, the Indian tennis federation jumped into damage control, claiming there has been a ‘misunderstanding’ between the players and them.

After Bharat Oza, the All India Tennis Association (AITA) secretary-general, stated that a disciplinary code for players would be introduced before the February Davis Cup tie against South Korea and only those who sign would be able to play, the eight players released a joint statement saying categorically that all of them were unavailable unless their demands were met.

“It was a misunderstanding,” is how AITA CEO Hironmoy Chatterjee described the situation. “We are in the process of drafting a new players’ agreement which will be mutually acceptable. It will be sent to the players prior to the Davis Cup tie for them to have a look. Then we shall sit and discuss the matter. We are trying for a win-win situation for all parties.”

On the press statement released by the players, Chatterjee claimed the AITA’s reaction would be communicated to them on Monday. “We’ve seen the mail and we will send them a response on January 7 which they are aware of,” he added.

Regarding Davis Cup captain SP Misra’s resignation, Chatterjee said that with the AITA already involved with so many issues, they haven’t yet had a chance to deal with the resignation.