Indian tennis team to travel to Pakistan for the first time in 55 years

Indian tennis team will travel to Pakistan for the first time in 55 years to participate in the Davis Cup, Asian News International, ANI, quoted a senior official of All India Tennis Association, AITA, as saying on Sunday.

"Yes, we will go. It is not a bilateral series, it's a World Cup of tennis so we have to go. There was no communication with the government as it's a world event, we have to abide by the IOC charter," AITA Secretary Secretary-General Hironmoy Chatterjee told ANI.

"The team of six players, support staff and coach will be going to Pakistan. I will also go along with the team. We will be putting in the visa application for everyone. Pakistan hockey team travelled to India for the World Cup and now we are also going," he added.

The Davis Cup draw was rolled out in February this year. However, strained relation between India and Pakistan, following the Pulwama terrorist attack in Indian on February 14, put a question mark on Indian tennis team's visit to Pakistan.

Indian cricket team had last toured Pakistan in 2007, and after that, no team across any sport in the country has toured Pakistan.

India last played Pakistan in the Davis Cup in 2006 at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai, in which the hosts managed to register a 3-2 win to take India's head-to-head tally against Pakistan to 6-0.

AITA is yet to announce the final squad for the outing between the two neighbouring countries, said the ANI report.

WAM