Davis Cup: India’s Italy tie to be aired live on Doordarshan
The broadcaster had not aired any major international events held in the country over the last 12 months.
Published : Jan 24, 2019 20:37 IST
Doordarshan will now telecast live India’s upcoming Davis Cup tie against Italy, after the parent body AITA moved court against the national broadcasters.
The All India Tennis Association (AITA) had feared that DD may not provide the live coverage of the tie unless the judiciary intervenes since the broadcaster did not telecast major international events held in the country in the past 12 months despite a binding agreement.
The federation had complained that it caused “a great loss of reputation to the AITA in front of global bodies ATP (for men), WTA (for women) and ITF (governing body)”.
“We had approached the Delhi High Court and now we have secured the telecast by DD. It’s an important tie for us. Not all the fans across the country came make it to the venue, so it was important that the matches are shown on TV,” AITA Secretary General Hironmoy Chatterjee told PTI.
The tie will be hosted on grass court of Calcutta South Club on February 1 and 2.
“We are making elaborate arrangements for the successful hosting of the tie,” said Chatterjee, who recently underwent a shoulder surgery.
AITA has an agreement with Doordarshan since 1997 with a renewal clause after every five years. The latest contract renewal was inked in January 2017 and the agreement is valid till January 2022.
As per the agreement, DD has the exclusive rights to cover the Davis Cup matches in India and international tournaments, including Challengers and Futures.