Sumit Nagal asked for $50K pay rise, and AITA agreed, before Sweden tie

PUNE: Does a professional athlete have the right to ask for fair compensation for representing the country, or should he be available unconditionally?
Indian tennis tried to put a bat to this curve ball after it emerged that Sumit Nagal had asked to be paid $50,000 a year for playing Davis Cup in the lead-up to the World Group I tie against Sweden.
"He (Nagal) asked for money, $50,000 (per year) for playing in Davis Cup," AITA honorary secretary Anil Dhupar informed TOI on Thursday.
"His request was discussed in the Executive Committee meeting (on August 23) and there were two opinions.
"Some members said that a player should be available without any conditions, others felt that instead of giving a fixed amount the extra money can be given as a bonus. If you win, you will get this much as a bonus, and if the team wins this much extra.
"The committee then decided to authorize the captain to discuss it with the player."
Rajpal refused to comment on the matter but another member of the executive committee who attended the meeting confirmed, without revealing details, that Nagal's request was agreed to.
An AITA source familiar with the subject said, "It ($50,000) is roughly Rs. 40-45 lakh for two ties in a year. So essentially, he has asked for Rs. 20 lakh per tie, which I think is fine. A (No. 1) player gets anywhere around Rs. 7 to 12 lakhs at the moment."
As a standalone figure it might seem exorbitant, but to put it in perspective, a player earned $100,000 simply for turning up in the singles first round at the US Open this year. At the French Open, a first-round appearance made a player richer by 73,000-euros.
It is also understood that Nagal had requested for a change in support staff attached to the Indian Davis Cup team. It is not clear whether he wanted both Rajpal (as captain by Mahesh Bhupathi) and Zeeshan Ali (as coach by Somdev Devvarman) to be replaced, or only the latter. Devvarman is Nagal's mentor.
The AITA subsequently appointed Ashutosh Singh as coach after Ali resigned.
Nagal issued a detailed statement on the subject while also responding to the attack from the AITA that he skipped the Stockholm sojourn despite being fit.
"It was a difficult decision to withdraw from the Davis Cup, as playing for the national team is a moment I cherish deeply. However, after consulting with my medical team, it became clear that competing while carrying an injury could not only jeopardize my health but also adversely impact the team’s chances," said Nagal, who on Thursday pulled out of the ATP 250 event in Hangzhou.
"In professional sports, injury management is a complex science. Sometimes, just a few days of rest and targeted rehabilitation can make the difference between aggravating an injury and being fit to play again.
"Regarding compensation, I want to clarify that it is standard practice in professional sports for athletes to be compensated for their participation in events, even when representing their country.
"This is not about personal gain. My discussions with AITA and the Davis Cup Captain are confidential and I would not like to indulge in any speculation about this."