In a surprise decision, Ankita was left out of the financial assistance scheme despite being India's top-ranked player. "That being said, my reasons for not recommending Ankita Raina were extremely simple. However, when reminded that monthly allowance was not restricted for just athletes who would go for Olympics but also for Asian Games, Somdev did not reply. At the Asian Games, Ankita is likely to spearhead Indian challenge in the women's singles. Despite Somdev's reservations, AITA went on to recommend names of Ankita and Divij Sharan for inclusion in the scheme.

Source: dna February 27, 2018 12:33 UTC