Top 10 scandals in Indian sports

4. The public verbal brawls of Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi

Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi in happier times

Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupati are undoubtedly the best doubles pair in tennis India has ever produced. As a pair they have had many ups and downs, both on the professional front and the personal front. Between 1997 and 2002, the duo won as many as 22 titles including 3 Grand Slams in men’s doubles. They also emerged victorious in the Wimbledon and French Open tournaments.

Rumour has it that the pinnacle of their differences was reached during the 2001 Gold Flake Open, when both the tennis stars were at a party and a few drinks down. The two players unfortunately eyed the same dazzling damsel who no doubt would’ve been flattered by the attention of the two Indian tennis greats. But the duo didn’t share the same feeling and it soon came down to crushing collars and mighty blows.

After that incident, the two decided to split and mutually agreed to never play together as a team again. Although they did come together again in the Busan Asian Games, where they ended up with he gold medal, they never really reconciled their differences. Those differences came to a head ahead of the 2012 London Olympics, when the two engaged in several public spats and put the AITA in a quandary as to which players to field in the men’s doubles competition. Ultimately, Paes was paired with Vishnu Vardhan and Bhupathi got his wish of partnering Rohan Bopanna, and in the midst of all this India’s medal chances completely evaporated.

The two tried to pair up with other Indian and non-Indian tennis players but to little success. To some, reaching great heights in their careers might not be as valuable as personal pride, but who am I to judge?

3. The IOA’s suspension by the IOC

The Indian contingent marching under the Olympic flag at the Sochi Winter Olympics opening ceremony because of the IOA’s suspension

December 4th, 2012 – after an Executive Board meeting of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in Lausanne, Switzerland, they decided to suspend the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) for ignoring their warning against allowing tainted officials to contest elections. The national body was directed by a Delhi High Court to hold its elections according to the National Sports Code (which allowed such officials to contest elections) laid down by the government but the IOC, to which it is affiliated, opposed the move saying polls can be held only under the global Olympic charter so that the autonomy of the national Olympic bodies remained intact.

The suspension meant that IOA would not receive IOC funding and its officials would not be allowed to attend any of the formal meetings organised by IOC. A result of the suspension was also that Indian athletes could not participate under the national flag in any Olympic event.

Finally, on 11th February 2014, much to the IOA’s relief, India returned to the Olympic fold. The IOC revoked the suspension after an ad-hoc meeting of IOC’s executive board in Sochi decided that the IOA elections, which took place on 9th February 2014, were held in “full respect of the recently passed NOC constitution, which complies with all IOC requirements”.

Sense prevailed in the end, but not before India became a subject of global embarrassment and mockery.