I never insult tennis community, I am part of it: Rohit Rajpal

India's non-playing Davis Cup captain Rohit Rajpal on Saturday clarified that his “shut-up” comment was to some “agenda-driven” people who were constantly targeting him and it was not directed at the country's tennis community. As presented. In a free-wheeling interview with PTI, Rajpal said that people questioning his credibility as Davis Cup captain should do a little research and he is not someone who will continue in the post despite opposition from the players. He stressed that it is not necessary that only an accomplished player can become a good coach and guarantee the success of the national team. To further his point, he said that highly successful players cannot boast of prestigious names in their support staff.

Rajpal, who is largely a non-controversial figure, courted controversy after India lost 0-4 to Sweden in the last Davis Cup tie in Stockholm when he asked his critics to “shut up”.

54-year-old Rajpal admitted that he should not have reacted after being provoked during his conversation with the media. Rajpal said his sharp reaction was a result of the disappointment he felt after the defeat in front of a large number of Indian supporters.

“I am the Indian tennis community itself. I am part of the association, I am part of many things. My life has been tennis. I would never even dream of something like this, asking the Indian community to shut up.” “Why would I do that?” Rajpal said during his visit to the PTI headquarters in Delhi.

“I would never think of insulting someone like that, but honestly, I shouldn't have even reacted to those three or four people. But the question was asked in such a bad way and that too my team sitting next to me.” I felt humiliated in front of me.” Rajpal said that he knows the people who want to oust him but he will not make their names public.

“What really bugged me was that one person makes up a story out of the blue and it goes ahead and no one bothers to go back and watch the tape or go into the details,” he explained. That question was not asked on behalf of the entire Indian tennis community, but on behalf of his “haters”.

Rajpal took over the captaincy in 2019 when then captain Mahesh Bhupathi decided not to travel to Pakistan due to security concerns.

Questions were raised about his credentials at the time of his appointment and during his tenure. He has played only one Davis Cup tie in his career: against Korea in 1990.

However, he was part of the bronze medal winning team at the 1990 Beijing Asian Games.

So does he think he is worthy of leading India in the Davis Cup? “Whether I deserve to be there or not is not a decision I would like to justify. It is in the hands of the executive committee, which is supreme.”

“There are a lot of people there who know tennis. They've been there in sports administration since we were kids so I'm sure they'll make a balanced decision.”

“The second area is my players. The day I feel that my players feel that someone else will do a better job, I am the first one to go out. I don't need to be asked to go out. I am the one to go out. I am ready.” Even today.” As the discussion turned to his career as a player, Rajpal said he was a perfect example of “what not to do”.

“I had to quit because I had slipped two discs in my back. Before this I have beaten some very good players. I have played at the top level. No one can take that away from me. I am an Asian Games medallist.

“I am also an Asian champion but I have never chosen to speak about it because I don't want to blow my own trumpet.

“I again come from that group of players who always said let your racket do the talking. Mahesh Bhupathi and Somdev, when they were playing, they themselves recommended my name and placed a bet before AITA that I “Become the captain.” Rajpal said that due to lack of guidance, he overtrained and this shortened his career, in which he defeated Leander Paes several times and lost some very close matches to great players like Wayne Ferreira and Tim Henman.

“When I look back, I had a bad habit that ruined my career, which was to wake up at 5 in the morning and run 20 kilometers on the road.

“In those days, we didn't have good cushioned shoes. We had a local shoe that sponsored me. And I ran seven days a week with that shoe. Every day of my life, I ran on the road to build stamina. Used to run 20 kilometers.

“And then obviously, I'm a good example of, as my coach says, that I didn't know when to stop. I only stopped when it got dark. I just believed that hard work would carry me through. ” He recalled the time when he challenged some of the higher ranked players in the world.

“I had the good fortune to train in Sweden and at Harry Hoffman in Tampa, Florida. I was training with Jim Courier at the time and he was a slugger. And, after a full day, he'd go and I'd still He would train for two more hours after he left, just to get better.

“I overtrained. And that's how my career ended very quickly. At 19, 20, I was already a guy with two slipped discs in his back and a very bad left leg. Wayne Ferreira, when I played him, he was No. 11 in the world on the ATP.

“Tim Henman, again, is a top player and I don't need to tell you his abilities. It was a very close match, I lost in the third set tie-breaker.

“And I don't blame some people for not knowing these things. As I told you, people don't do research anymore. People don't look at things deeply anymore. People look at things only superficially. , right? And what a sad part.

“I'm not trying to justify myself, you know, or blow my own trumpet. But I've played at a world-class level myself. And nothing, no one can take that away from me Is.”