'Australia shouldn't have rushed to ITF on Davis Cup'

Sports Minister M S Gill lambasted the Tennis Australia for asking the ITF to shift next month's Davis Cup tie against India out of Chennai, saying the ATF should not have rushed to the world body without discussing its security concerns with the Indian Govt.

Sports Minister M S Gill on Wednesday lambasted the Tennis Australia for asking the ITF to shift next month's Davis Cup tie against India out of Chennai, saying the ATF should not have rushed to the world body without discussing its security concerns with the Indian government.

HT Image

"I believe the Australian tennis federation should not have rushed to the world federation (ITF) seeking to change the venue of the Davis Cup tie scheduled in Chennai (from May 8 to 10). Chennai is in fact the safest place in India and a tennis stadium, at best, accommodates 3000-4000 people and we are in a position to make it absolutely safe for them," Gill told PTI.

"There simply was no reason for them to rush to ITF without checking either with us or the Indian High Commission in Australia. I regret they have done so. If countries start worrying like that and make such hasty reactions, there will be a negative impact on interactive sports visits in all the games," he added.

Gill, who was in Australia recently, said he took up the matter with sports officials there.

"I'm just back from Australia where I visited the stadia in Sydney and Melbourne and discussed the legacy of those infrastructure and met senior sports officials there," he said.