The decision rules out veteran administrator Anil Khanna’s return.
| Photo Credit: FILE PHOTO: AKHILESH KUMAR
The All India Tennis Association (AITA) has capped the upper age limit for its Executive Committee members at 70.
At the Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) held on July 26 to adopt the new constitution, there were sharp divisions on whether to keep it at 70 as mandated by the National Sports Governance Act or raise it to 75 by taking cover under the International Tennis Federation’s constitution which is silent on a ceiling.
So tight was the vote at the AITA EGM that the final result was withheld until full scrutiny. It emerged on Friday, via an internal communication sent by interim president Chintan Parikh, that 25 votes were cast to keep it at 70 years against 22 for 75.
A prospective EC member now has to be less than 70 years on the date of filing the nomination but can complete a full term of four years even if he or she turns 70 any time after.
This rules out veteran administrator Anil Khanna’s return, for he is 73. Parikh will turn 70 in the near future, and September 30 is the deadline for holding fresh elections under the new constitution.
The AITA has to submit the finalised constitution to the Delhi High Court ahead of the next hearing in the matter on August 14.
Published – August 07, 2026 08:23 pm IST
