Tennis Legends Mahesh Bhupathi And Sania Mirza Elected To AITA General Body | Tennis News

Last Updated:November 06, 2026, 15:52 IST

Indian tennis greats Mahesh Bhupathi and Sania Mirza secured seats in the AITA Executive Committee, following their election as Sportspersons of Outstanding Merit representatives.

Mahesh Bhupathi (left) and Sania Mirza (AFP/IG/mirzasaniar)

Indian tennis greats Mahesh Bhupathi and Sania Mirza have secured seats in the All India Tennis Association (AITA) Executive Committee, adding to their election as Sportspersons of Outstanding Merit (SOM) representatives to the association’s General Body.

Bhupathi polled 23 votes, the highest among the candidates in the Executive Committee election, while Mirza secured 18 votes. Janaki Krishnamoorthy received 13 votes and Vishal Uppal polled seven.

Earlier, Bhupathi and Mirza were elected to the General Body as SOM representatives after polling 19 and 18 votes respectively. Ashutosh Singh, with 17 votes, and Shalini Thakur Chawla, with 16, were the other two elected representatives.

The other candidates in the General Body election were Janaki Krishnamoorthy (15), Vishal Uppal (9), Gaurav Natekar (8) and Ankita Bhambri (7).

With Bhupathi and Mirza now members of the Executive Committee, they will not contest for an office-bearer’s post in the AITA elections.

“I think it was very heartening to see 31 SOM show up to vote, even though none of them have ever got any support from AITA in the past. So it shows that they wanted to come from different parts of India.

“Some flew from Hong Kong to show their support for what we believe in, and we believe that we can put a structure together to make change. And the fact that Sania and I are in the EC now I believe we can put a structure together sooner than later,” Bhupathi told PTI on Thursday.

Expressing her gratitude after being elected to the General Body, Shalini said: “I look forward to contributing positively towards the growth of Indian tennis, representing the interests of our sporting community and working together for a stronger future.”

Ashutosh Singh, the current Davis Cup coach, also thanked the tennis fraternity for its support.

“This is both an honour and a responsibility. I look forward to working collectively with all elected members to strengthen Indian tennis and create better opportunities for our players and coaches,” he said.

As per the amended AITA constitution, four SOM representatives, comprising two men and two women, are elected to the General Body.

The 40-member SOM roster, drawn up under the National Sports Governance Act, comprises 20 male and 20 female former players.

The SOM representation is part of the broader sports governance reforms aimed at giving accomplished sportspersons a greater role in the administration of national sports federations.

(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – PTI)

Quick Answers

Powered by

Ask News18

Which tennis legends were elected to the AITA Executive Committee and General Body?

Mahesh Bhupathi and Sania Mirza secured seats in the All India Tennis Association (AITA) Executive Committee after being elected as Sportspersons of Outstanding Merit (SOM) representatives to the General Body.

How many SOM representatives are elected to the AITA General Body under the amended constitution?

As per the amended AITA constitution, four SOM representatives comprising two men and two women are elected to the General Body.

Who received the highest number of votes in the AITA Executive Committee election?

Mahesh Bhupathi polled 23 votes, which was the highest among all the candidates in the Executive Committee election.

Powered by

Ask News18

About the Author

Sports Desk

A team of reporters, writers and editors brings you live updates, breaking news, opinions and photos from the wide world of sport. Follow @News18Sports

Read More