 Back on the Sports Mag Zone President of tennis Jamaica John Azar has remained Resolute in a stance that the decision to select his son Daniel as part of Jamaica's team for the upcoming Davis Cup tie against Lebanon is Justified Azar is facing backlash from some members of the tennis fraternity due to his son's inclusion Among those expressing their displeasure is Jamaica's top ranked player Blaise Bitnell Through written correspondence the tennis Jamaica He suggested that Azar's son Daniel lacks the credentials needed to be an automatic pick on the national team Bitnell even threatened to withdraw from the team citing a biased selection process That is not in the best interest of the team other players have since written to tennis Jamaica Agreeing that Daniel Azar should have competed at the national trials President of tennis Jamaica John Azar joins us to discuss some of the prevailing issues John. It's a pleasure to have you Thank you for having me pleasure to be here. Thank you. That's tennis has been in the news probably not in the way that you would have wanted but a number of stories both in the electronic media and the print media the the latest one Coming on Sunday in the Jamaica greener Rift over Davis got team widens more players voice Grouses over automatic selection of Daniel Azar. We see John Chin who is on the team We see Jacob Bitnell who was on the team Nicola score who had to go through trials also writing to the association Having issues here First of all, I want to get from your standpoint if you feel given everything that has happened that From a tennis to make a standpoint you have dealt with this issue in the best possible way you could have All right You have to clarify that regard and dealt with it in terms of what is selection itself Don't know the response of the response to everything that has happened truthfully. Maybe not and I'm going to tell you why I Personally, I felt very constrained Because of the fact that I've been on the attack my son selection has been on the attacks I don't think I have dealt with it in as forthright a man as I would have if it was another player I mean the bottom line is a selection which hopefully can get into some of the facts here because There's been a lot of noise no question about it But listening to the noise one would think that Daniel's selection. He's our first time Play on a Davis Cup team when you look back at the facts and you look at the last three Davis Cup teams So go back to early 2022 yes, Daniel qualified for that team via trials Alongside Jacob Bicknell both around that team. We then went to Costa Rica in the summer Daniel was selected to that team without trials as was Jacob Bicknell then the home tie Against Estonia in February Daniel was again selected to that team without trials as was Jacob Bicknell There's only one difference with this team Daniel was again selected in keeping their criteria to the team. Yes, but I'm not sure if the issue rail is around His selection or if it's around somebody else's non-selection If you look at it, he's been on the last three Davis Cup teams the criteria has remained unchanged from Estonia tie He was selected to that and there's absolutely no outrage absolutely no Comment no nothing and you were there you will remember in the doubles tie against Estonia a live rubber match The captain chose to play Daniel in that match. Yes over other players So I'm not gonna say there's a non-issue. I'm gonna say it's been Challenging listening to the noise. It's only coming from a very very very small segment of persons But in many instances it has really not seemed fact-based and I give you one example if I can yes I've heard it branded about that tennis maker overlooked These ATP were ranked players and two players are mentioned particular Alex Jones and Miles Jones It sounds terrible. We're overlooking world-ranked players for the president son. Oh, that sounds horrendous But let's get back to facts the two players in question are not eligible to play for Jamaica They don't yet have a Jamaican passport and When they get their Jamaican passport and keeping it ITF Regulations, they're not eligible to represent us for two years thereafter But I've had to sit back and listen to The noise which truthfully has been frustrating. We have a tie to prepare for that's where the focus should be But unfortunately it hasn't yeah, let's take a closer look at the selection criteria Then shall we because tennis Jamaica has maintained That as far as the selection criteria is concerned you've operated within that and Daniel selection is Within that so this is what it says in selecting national teams tennis to maker will keep at the forefront of its decision-making Selecting the strongest overall team to give us the best opportunity to be successful in the competition in question It continues such decisions will take into account all available information to include in no particular order The following I want to take you upon the in no particular order in a little bit ATP slash WTA world ranking ITF world junior ranking and CW collegiate tennis Results slash ranking recent performance at international tennis events Recent performance at local tennis events to include but not limited to the all Jamaican national championships It continues local rankings UTR rating WTN rating head-to-head results between persons being considered disciplinary or behavioral concerns Injury slash fitness concerns in activity activity of persons being considered to include primarily tournament play recommendation of captain slash coach for the team in question recommendation of national tennis director and The 15th and final one as part of that aspect of the policy team chemistry There is a lot more to the policy clearly. We cannot go through everything John I think I think the record or respectfully number 16 and 18 are the two critical ones, especially number 16 Why do you say that because number 16 speaks very clearly to a Developmental spot and if I can read from it and I want to get to that in a little while But I want to first of all deal with this aspect that I will get to 16 and 17 and a little while so So the criteria you've just read Important to take note one. It's an unchanged criteria. Yes from the team that was selected in February So that criteria came about in October 2022 and importantly It's a criteria that has been shared On recommendation with the ITF yes to many national associations across the globe could I see it as a model to be emulated? It's not something that we're ashamed of it's actually a total opposite. We're very proud of it Yes, it's a very transparent process. And I think it needs to be stated one quick there that in this selection I Absolutely nothing to do with it. We appointed a Davis panel. Yes captain coach manager They made recommendations to a technical committee on which I dose it Yes, because unanimous coming right up went to the board and I recused myself I have absolutely nothing to do with the decision. But again, I've sat back and I already said And we'll get to some of that John But but here's where I want to go first of all right because I've taken a very close look at this policy and There is no doubt that based on what the policy says That there is absolutely nothing wrong with the selection of your son Daniel Azar But the issue that some individuals may have and Maybe an independent viewer looking at this policy is that maybe there can be nothing wrong with selecting anyone? because it's it's almost as if based on on how the The criteria is laid out The technical committee Has complete discretion to decide who they select is is that your understanding? Understanding based on how this is laid out. I wouldn't I wouldn't say that what I would say is the technical committee Like it would be for a technical manager may be on a football team a cricket team There's criteria within which they have to stay within But yes, there is some level of discretion. I give an example. Let's say you and I play things Yes, it's not only you and I a captain may look at who is our opponent Yes, our opponent is a left-hander who doesn't have a great backhand. Yes You have a great serve slice and it's thought that your style a player before more effective against that opponent So at the end of the day, you are correct in saying that the technical panel in this instance Malespence Davis Cop captain who happens to blaze his personal coach Yes, Errol Campbell who is a name very well known in tennis forever former Commonwealth Caribbean champion captain coach and Noel Rutherford. Yes, very esteemed and now you may want to ask me Or if I cannot if I can say what do you think the coach? Noel Rutherford and the manager Errol Campbell have said when asked by blaze about this situation Considering that we directed him to speak to the panel when he was invited in an August 9 meeting Do you know what what the discussion was between them? What was the discussion? He hasn't yet reached out to them. Okay. He hasn't yet spoke to them, but we're hearing from a publicist in the press All kind of things But stay with me here John because in many ways, I almost want to stay away from the controversy as is and Speak to if there is any possibility that there are issues With the criteria as it is laid out that would have led to this situation that would have led to Tennis observers Feeling that there was some level of nepotism I mean and whether this is something that could be avoided going forward and whether there needs to be any tweaking of Of the policy on top of the point you are making Ricardo I took close observation on the words that blaze Bignell used that he said he had an issue with the automatic selection of Daniel Azar your son and I wondered why he used the word automatic because it may speak to some of what Ricardo just hinted at with regard to the policy going forward and some clarity as to As to the selection process because Blazes words were that Daniel was an automatic selection. Was he automatic? I think I can explain what he meant by automatic. I would like to know what what I believe he meant is this the panel Recommended for players to be selected to the team. Yes blaze Bignell Randy Phillips John Chin and Daniel Azar. They were selected. Yes for the fifth and final spot The panel recommended trials for that spot. Okay, so what his thought was is that Daniel should have been a part of trials Yes, but the reality of it is this when you look at the Estonia team we played. Yes, the team was blaze Randy John Chin Daniel and Jacob Bignell Yes, so this is only a retention of the same four players or four of the five players So while I was in part of the decision when you look and hear the reasoning of the panel Why was Jacob Bignell invited to trials? Versus an automatic because you put the answer is kind of very simple. It's not how I put it It's a big nose Okay, but do you know why he was invited to trials instead of being selected tell me because since February 5 When he played that match in a Davis Cup, it's still brace yourself for this brace yourself He has not played one one International tennis match all year and he played a very he played a local event here And he lost our 42 year old man So the end of the day is no on the team by the way whether he won in trials So so the panel didn't discard him. They simply said you played no tennis Come to trials and let's see what you got. All right. We still have more issues to discuss here And and we're gonna be doing that what we have to go to operate do some business and we'll continue our chat with Jonathan more to come don't move