Sports Minister M S Gill met the victorious Indian Davis Cup team and said his policy of allowing only Indian passport holders to represent the country contributed in shaping up the team.
Hero of the play-off tie Somdev Devvaraman, upcoming youngster Yuki Bhambri and support staff members called on the Minister here on Tuesday.
India beat South Africa 4-1, wining all the singles rubbers to storm into the elite World Group after 11 years on Sunday.
“I am happy, that my decision last year, to insist, that only those Indian players, who hold an Indian passport play for India, has led to success. Our former stars were fading,” Gill said.
“Today, in Devvaraman, (Rohan) Bopanna, and Yuki Bhambri, we have a new team India that will carry Indian tennis forward, to new glories, in the years to come. I congratulate them,” he said.
After the new policy was implemented, US passport holders like Prakash Amritraj, Sunitha Rao, sisters Shikha and Neha Uberoi were barred from representing the nation.
