U.S.-born Prakash Amritraj, son of former
Wimbledon quarterfinalist Vijay Amritraj,
has played for India in the Davis Cup
about 10 times, but not since 2008, when
the Indian sports ministry decided that
only Indian passport holders could represent
the country. India faces South Korea
in the Davis Cup this month, and with
several Indian players pulling out due to
a conflict, the All India Tennis Association
(AITA) hoped to select 29-year-old Prakash
again. The association enlisted his famous
father to lobby the sport ministry to soften
its stance
against non-Indian passport
holders,
but to no avail.
“It is terribly unfair to someone’s career,”
Vijay told IndianSports.in. “I don’t
know the thinking behind it. I don’t think
there is anyone more patriotic. It is not
Prakash’s choice that he was born in LA—his idiot father had to move over there for
whatever reason.”