What happened: Leander Paes applies for AITA SOM roster
Leander Paes, president of the Bengaluru Tennis Association (BTA), applied to be included in the All India Tennis Association (AITA) roster of Sportspersons of Outstanding Merit (SOM). AITA’s SOM inclusion is connected to AITA governance participation through elections and representation in AITA’s Executive Committee.
Background: AITA SOM roster size and governance-linked elections
AITA amended its constitution for Sportspersons of Outstanding Merit (SOM). The amended constitution fixes the total SOM roster at 20 male and 20 female SOMs. The constitution provides elections for a subset of SOMs. SOMs that are elected receive voting rights in AITA’s General Body. SOM elections also lead to representation in AITA’s 15-member Executive Committee.
What changed now: SOM application invitation and criterion broadening attempt
AITA invited SOM applications starting on August 15. After the application process began, AITA wrote to the Union Sports Ministry on August 19 to broaden SOM selection criteria. AITA also sought tennis-specific weightage in the SOM evaluation process.