New Delhi: With just two days to go for the 2016 Rio Olympics, Where is the Indian tennis iconic player, Leander Paes? Yes, this is the question that is going round after CNN-News18 reported today that Rohan Bopanna, who pairs with Paes in the men’s doubles event at Rio 2016 Summer Games, is forced to train with others because Leander is still to reach Rio de Janeiro.
If sources are to be believed, Paes, has informed IOA that he doesn’t want to share room or even a flat with Bopanna. The Indian pair was recently in news when Bopanna announced Saketh Myneni as his doubles partner, before the All Indian Tennis Association (AITA) stepped in and ruled the case in favor of Leander. These two incidents are very well descriptive of the camaraderie between the two.
If past be dug further come out will be the fact that Sania Mirza also had ignored Paes as her mixed doubles partner and picked Bopanna instead.
The entire Indian contingent arrived in Rio on August 1 to get acquainted with the place and start their preparations for their events.
Senior Paes, when contacted, tried to defend his son. In his statement to the media, Vece Paes, also an Olympian and Member of Indian Hockey team which won at Munich Olympics, said, “Leander is en route to Rio and is reaching this evening.”
Vece Paes further said that Leander is only late by half a day, in line with what was decided by the team during last month’s Davis Cup tie in Chandigarh.