President: Tennis Jamaica will not bow to Bicknell
Published:Sunday | August 27, 2023 | 12:06 AMJob Nelson - Sports Coordinator
JOHN AZAR, president of Tennis Jamaica, stands firm in the body’s decision to send his son to represent Jamaica at the upcoming Davis Cup Group Two tie against Lebanon, a decision being bashed by the island’s top-ranked player, Blaise Bicknell.
Azar, at a press conference at The Jamaica Pegasus hotel on Friday, also disclosed that his lawyers are currently scrutinising comments made by Bicknell for defamation, and resolutely indicated that Tennis Jamaica would not bow to threats of Bicknell to stop playing for Jamaica in the future if the selection process is not changed.
“The Tennis Jamaica executive, board, and members of the Davis Cup panel stand united in making the following very clear: Tennis Jamaica does not give in to threats or ultimatums, regardless of where those threats and ultimatums emanate. Tennis Jamaica is not begging any player to represent the country.
“It’s perhaps one of the greatest honours for any athlete to do so, and anyone who chooses not to represent Jamaica, especially when it’s about decisions made transparently, fairly and within the rules, will have their wishes respected without apology and without our looking back,” Azar said.
Bicknell and Azar have been at loggerheads recently, with several letters being exchanged regarding the selection process that included the latter’s son, Daniel, to be automatically chosen as a member of the Davis Cup team.
Bicknell believes Daniel lacks the credentials to be an automatic team member and that other players on the island, including his brother Jacob, should be in with a shot to make Jamaica more competitive.
According to Azar, the selection process was fair and transparent, with the criteria established after he took over the presidency in 2019. He outlined that the selection was first executed by a Davis Cup committee comprising captain Mel Spence, coach Noel Rutherford, and manager Errol Campbell.
“Each of these highly esteemed gentlemen independently came up with four names that they felt ought to be automatically placed on our team, in keeping with our criteria,” Azar said.
The selections were then scrutinised by the seven-member Tennis Jamaica technical committee, which upheld the decisions, which were then ratified by the body’s board. Azar said his wife and himself recused themselves from the voting process.
Azar said that the process was outlined to Bicknell at a meeting on August 9, with the player seemingly accepting the explanation but he, subsequently, still sent a letter to the association on August 20 with the “thinly veiled threat”.
Meanwhile, Spence, Rutherford and Campbell vouched for Daniel Azar’s competence on the tennis court, citing that he is a player for the future. They claimed he is dedicated to Jamaica’s tennis, which showed recently when he diligently trained when having a foot injury, to be ready to participate in the Davis Cup.