New Delhi, Aug 14 (Petra) – Zeeshan Ali on Wednesday announced that he has resigned as the coach of the Indian national team, stressing that it was time to focus on developing the National Tennis Centre.

Zeeshan replaced Nandan Pal as India's Davis Cup coach in 2013, when the country's top players rebelled against the Tennis Association of India, demanding better playing conditions, and refused to play Korea in New Delhi.

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Zeeshan, 54, captained the country in the historic match against Pakistan, which India won in Islamabad earlier this year, with regular captain Rohit Rajpal absent from duty due to personal reasons.

Zeeshan told the Press Trust of India, “I think it is the right time to tender my resignation as the coach of the Davis Cup team. Because after becoming the team captain, I wanted to end my relationship as the coach of the Davis Cup team with a good record. I tendered my resignation day before yesterday.

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During Zeeshan's tenure, he worked with SP Mishra, Mahesh Bhupathi, Anand Amritraj and current captain Rohit Rajpal.

Zeeshan, son of former Davis Cup coach Akhtar Ali, said the decision was not taken in haste.

“I played Davis Cup for over nine years, I was the coach of the Davis Cup team for 11 years and then I was also the captain of the team. I don't think anyone, no matter what country, has the privilege and honour of doing those three things.

Zeeshan was not paid for his role on several occasions during his tenure under the AITA system, but that is not the reason for his decision.

“Captain Rohit Rajpal insisted that I stay in the team. I have been coaching Davis Cup teams for years and I rarely get paid. But money is not the reason I am in the team. For us, representing India has a very different meaning.

“According to the Coaches Federation of India, there is no formal contract that requires a coach to be paid. I did it because of my love for the game, simply because I wanted to be associated with the team and simply because I wanted to help our team. I am a young player and representing India again. For me, representing India is a privilege and an honour.

Anil Dhupar, general secretary of the Federation of Indian Tourist Boards, said Zeeshan had been paid adequate remuneration as director of the National Training Centre.

“We have accepted his resignation. He did it for 10 years. He is getting a salary from the NTC, so no additional amount is being paid to him,” Dhubar said.

Zeeshan said he “will not close the door” on the Davis Cup.

“If the ITF wants to help me or needs me to intervene in any way in the Davis Cup, I am always ready to do so.

“I feel like I have to focus on other things or on the International Tennis Federation's perspectives and plans regarding the National Tennis Center.

“It's not just about two or three weeks of Davis Cup. It's about following the players' performances throughout the year and communicating with them, and that's over more than two or three weeks.

“That's how I worked for many years. Over the years, neither the federation nor the players said they needed a replacement.

“Resigning is not something that happens suddenly.

“I am fully focused on the NTC. You will also hear about that in the coming weeks; about AITA’s plans for the NTC. So that requires more time and focus to ensure that the program works well and ensure that the program works well. Producing the next generation of champions, that is where I will focus my energy now.

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