Hanif Munna, despite being the second seed in Bangladesh tennis, was initially excluded from the Davis Cup team. After much controversy and drama, he was finally included in the squad for Bahrain.
The Bangladesh Tennis Federation (BTF) held a press conference on Monday to address the Davis Cup team selection. General Secretary Haider and selection committee convener Khaled Ahmed provided various disciplinary reasons for Hanif's exclusion. During the press conference, Hanif protested at the tennis complex. When Khaled was leaving, Hanif and a group of supporters blocked his path, leading to a tense situation.
Khaled was eventually taken to a room within the Federation's premises. Faced with this dire situation, the Federation decided to include
Hanif in the team to avoid further unpleasant incidents. Haider commented, "It is a very sad incident. The situation escalated to the point where Khaled Sahib would not be released unless Hanif was included in the team. He is being taken into the team to avoid unpleasant incidents."
Hanif, on his part, stated, "I protested strongly. They have not been able to prove the allegations against me and have finally included me in the team." After the press conference, Hanif confronted the General Secretary, who reiterated that the selection committee had made the team decisions without his interference. However, Hanif remained unsatisfied and continued his protest.
The Davis Cup Asia-Oceania Region Group-5 competition will be held in Bahrain from November 20-23. The Bangladesh team is set to depart on November 18 for the competition.
