It was a ceremony meant to honour their commitment to India's Davis Cup campaign over the years but just two of the eight chosen were present when the All India Tennis Association felicitated them in a brief ceremony in New Delhi on Saturday.
Leander Paes has vowed to show his rookie teammates the way in order to help them make a worthy debut for India in the upcoming Davis Cup tie against South Korea, but acknowledged the task ahead is 'tough'.
Bereft of its top players, India risk losing the Asia-Oceania Group I tie against Korea as the hosts conceded a 0-2 lead on opening day after debutants V M Ranjeet and Vijayant Malik suffered contrasting defeats in their singles matches in New Delhi on Friday.
V M Ranjeet will open India's Davis Cup campaign against an unranked but talented Min Hyeok Cho of Korea in the Asia/Oceania Group I tie, beginning in New Delhi on Friday.
India have decided to host their February 1 to 3 Davis Cup tie against Korea in the national capital.
With the Commonwealth Games less than a month away, at least two stadia as well as parts of the main sports venue, Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, are yet to get completion certificates from civic authorities.
Somdev Devvarman and Sania Mirza breezed into the quarter-finals after easy victories but Rohan Bopanna bowed out of the men's singles competition at the Commonwealth Games on Wednesday. Up against second seed and world number 133 Australian Peter Luczak, Bopanna went down fighting 2-6, 6-7(5) in 97 minutes in the second round, at the R K Khanna Tennis stadium.
Agreeing to the popular demand from players, the All Indian Tennis Association on Wednesday selected Delhi as venue for the Davis Cup World Group Play-off tie against top seeds Czech Republic, to be held from September 18-20.
Leander Paes makes a return to the country's Davis Cup team as India named a four-member squad for the World Group play-off tie at home against top seeds Czech Republic from September 18-20.
Somdev Devvarman sailed into the quarter-finals of the $100,000 ATP Delhi Open after notching up an easy 6-2, 6-2 win over an erratic Di Wu from China in New Delhi.
India's top singles star lifted his third ATP Challenge title as he outclassed top seed Aleksandr Nedovyesov 6-3, 6-1 in the final of the $ 100,000 ONGC-GAIL Open in New Delhi on Sunday.
A summary of sports events and sports persons, who made news on Wednesday
Somdev Devvarman fought past Evgeny Donskoy in straight sets to breeze into the final of the Delhi Open.
It's an acid test against the Czech Republic in the World Group Play-off tie, but Rohan Bopanna is confident India's Davis Cup team can tame the world number one three-time champions.
Somdev Devverman kept India's hopes alive in the Davis Cup World Group play-off tie with a 7-6, 6-4, 6-3 victory over Jiri Vesely of the Czech Republic, in Delhi, on Friday.