India's feuding doubles pair Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi have agreed to set aside their differences and team up for the Beijing Olympics, the national tennis federation said yesterday.
Winners of three grand slam titles together, the pair looked unlikely to team up for the August Games after Bhupathi refused to play with Paes, who had declined to play tournaments with him in the build-up.
However, All India Tennis Association (AITA) secretary Anil Khanna met both players on Monday in Paris on the sidelines of the French Open and persuaded them to reunite.
"Leander and Mahesh, being true patriots and professionals, have agreed to put in their best effort by pairing up for Beijing Olympics to win a medal for the country," Khanna said, with Bhupathi expressing his satisfaction with the outcome.
"We've decided to play a couple of tournaments and do some practice, it sounds good now," he said. "The main concern was we were not going to be prepared," he said, adding they would train in Los Angeles for a few days before travelling to Beijing.
"It should be okay, it is better than nothing," he said. "We will do whatever the best we can with it."
They will play together in two events before and after Wimbledon, and then train together under the supervision of Rick Leach, Paes' coach, and Bhupathi's trainer Scott Davidoff. Their public spat, a running saga over the last few years, came to a head at the 2006 Asian Games in Doha where they still managed to claim the title.
Both players are in their 30s and Beijing will provide a final chance to make up for the disappointment of losing a bronze medal playoff in Athens four years ago.
Source: Shanghai Daily/Agencies
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