 Yeah, welcome back to the Sportsmax zone. We're talking to the president of tennis Jamaica John Azar and we're talking about the saga that has Taken over the sport here in Jamaica with the top-ranked player Blaise Bicknell saying that Johnson Daniel Azar does not deserve an automatic pick to the Davis Cup team for their tie against Lebanon, which is coming up September 15 and 16 John, let's let's let's continue right away. So tell us about the Developmental selection. How did that come about and how does that work? All right, so Firstly, I'm gonna speak to developmental spot on the criteria. Yes, that being said, I'm not saying that's the Spot used to select Daniel to this team. Okay, so Daniel is on his own merit is on the top five ranked players in Jamaica And I wasn't part of the decision So I'm not gonna be able to say to you. This is what they use to select him on But let's talk. Are you saying that it has never been used to select him or it was not used this time around? Well, I've never been part of the selection process when my son has been involved So I'm not in it speak to it any at all. Okay, but it's his first time on Davis Cup team He qualified through trials for degrees time. So developmental spots I'll read from it very quickly tennis maker realize importance of exposing younger players to senior international team Competitions in an event to place them an environment which will provide them with invaluable experience and aid in their player development This is important succession planning in mind. This is important It's clearly understood therefore a technical committee may recommend younger promising players for positions as senior national teams With this being a specially true when the likelihood of those selected to lower positions and national teams Actually competing the event is low. So those who don't understand Davis Cup or tennis may think that all five players are gonna play On the pitch at the same time like football you take 11 people on a football team They're all playing in this instance. Most of the traffic barring injury or something unforeseen isn't a come through Blaise Bignell and Randy Phillips as it did in the Estonia time Yes, so what we've done and many associations do it is you look and you're seeing for let's say a fifth spot on a team Are you gonna take a junior who is very promising and part of your future? You can take somebody whose best years are behind them and I'll give you one quick thing Yeah, as in New York yesterday as with the US Davis Cup coach. Yes They're going to Croatia next week. Yes. Do you know who they're taking as a practice partner with the team? They're taking an 18 year old junior as I practice for the exact same developmental reasons. Yeah, so so so let me get this clear so you're saying Well That match on screen. Yeah, this was a live rubber match that it can't be a double in Kingston So you're saying you cannot speak to whether Daniel has ever gotten or remained on the team Through the developmental rule is what you're saying. Yeah, what the if he hasn't ever been on the team through the developmental rule Then the question then becomes Why doesn't he play trials and if he has gotten on through the developmental rule the question would become Why aren't other developmental players given the opportunity To go up against him to have the opportunity to earn such a spot as well Yeah, but that's not really that neither thing could be a fair question. I'll tell you why quickly please if it was part of Developmental spot. There's no player within two years upper down of Daniel in age. Who has a UTR rating of what he has But how would we know that? So the youth sorry that the UTR rating is is one aspect Well, let's look at what you could conceivably have a player Who may feel well, I don't have the UTR rating I don't necessarily have the ITF ranking points But I've been working hard over the last two years my game has improved enough and I think I could beat him and get that spot Why shouldn't such a player be given the opportunity to go up against him if such a spot Reasonable point, but they do get to go up against him when they played all Jamaica junior tournaments and others he's a number one ranked Junior locally and he's ranked in the top five in seniors based on his results in all Jamaica senior So when the one was the last all Jamaica junior tournament last December But but again though Ricardo we played ITF junior tournaments here in Kingston. Yes He's a highest ranked world-ranked junior of all Jamaican juniors Yes, he's competed but again what I don't want to do if I can't pause myself for a second Simply because I don't want to bear defending a selection that I didn't make if you invite male Spence Errol Kamler Noel Rotherford let them speak and defend their position Yes, I want to speak more about a process Yes, that is one that we are extremely proud of yes that the ITF team raked me over the calls on Monday But this is part of the process though. You think John if what is What we're speaking about now is part of the process because Part of the process is trials right so for example I look at the criteria And part of the criteria says that we may or may not have trials So so even the idea of trials is is not a must And I can explain that very easily sure so for the Costa Rica tie last year. There was no trials. Yes Spot on team was picked. Yes, but Estonia tie. Yes. There was no trials. Yes, he must pick Yes, so it's not a case where there's a default position of trials. It's actually opposite There's a number of criteria. It's 18 of them. They haven't gotten to double speciality. Yes 18 criteria If we're on a selection panel and after you go through everything else There's nothing to separate you lands from Ricardo then the selection panel may say Let's have a match between Lance and Ricardo as trials to be the determining factor However, if you look through that criteria and you are clearly Clearly more suited to be on that team than Ricardo We have extremely qualified and competent people on that panel So if they make a pick of you over Ricardo, that's what was done in Costa Rica tie and Estonia But what I think you've missed out which I said Ricardo, but it's worth repeating With the exact criteria. Yes, and the exact pick. Yes, where was the outrage prior? Where was outrage in the last two Davis cops where Daniel was selected on the exact criteria? Where was it? Where was even the murmur? There was none. There was do you have any suspicions? That's the way that may have been so I certainly do but what are those? I'm not necessarily gonna voice those but I would just simply say again. It makes one wonder Is the issue really about who was selected to the team or is the real issue around who was not selected to the team? But if I'm following you correctly then John Given the fact that that player was forced to do trials and invited to do try invited to do trials And then played the trials and lost to a 42 year old. Why is the issue still on the table? No, no, no, no. He didn't play trials The player in question or one of the players in quest the let's the player who was on the Estonia team Yes, who was invited to trials didn't respond did not play the trials and then one of the people who responded Yes, Nicholas Gore as Ricardo said it's almost comical. He played in the trials He wrote me. He thanked me so much for organizing a fantastic event and considering him But then two days ago. I'm reading that he's now saying No non ATP player should be on the team without track It's just but I guess he could he could enjoy trials and at the same time think that no non ATP player He was very happy to play that way He was extremely happy to take part in the trials and grateful to have been invited So what it was in this instance the technical panel felt Four players stood out who were to say four of the five were on the Estonia team Yes, they felt they warranted automatic fixing keeping the criteria. Yeah, and they didn't see a standout for position five But but but but here here's where I'm going again John should tennis Jamaica get to a stage Where you always have trials Especially in a case where all five players are not ATP ranked And I asked that question because you pointed out that There were no murmurs before when certain individuals are on the team and know that a certain individual is off the team Then you have murmurs, but it's because of that, but it is it is a fact It's coins it coincides with that correct, but isn't that in and of itself an issue? because what is happening is that you have a situation where before No issue and that was within the criteria and Now you have a situation where those are Where individuals are having issues and some would say some of them are debatable as well No, they're still clearly within the criteria. The pick is the exact same. There's no variance to it It's the same criteria and the same pick what I would say to you is this when you look at it Let's take the US Davis Cup team again. Just as an example. Yes last night Ben Shelton defeated Francis T4 Yes T4 was selected captain's pick coaches pick to the Davis Cup team Ben Shelton wasn't at the end of the day Just psyched with a football team. I'm taking a squad of 25. Yes, rest assured. There's a 26th player Who thinks they should be on the squad? That's not unusual It's not unusual for people to express that what's unusual in this instance and unfortunate from my perspective As we've lost three major sponsorship deals over this is a manner in which it's been expressed the player was invited in He met with the captain the concerns were listened to he had his representative Yeah, and then all of a sudden we've been the other publicist all over John Ricardo asked you something earlier on and I want to be clear on this because you have been very Wide-ranging in the tennis Jamaica's position and how this is I'm not sure. I heard you on radio some weeks ago defending the position But I'm not sure in that interview that I heard on radio that you were as explanatory as you are Today on I wasn't on the water I wasn't and it almost sounded as if you were arrogant To the extent that you didn't think that you should be arguing over this and that's how it came across today You are a lot more explanatory and more detailed in how the selection processes and how the four were Automatic selections that I heard you on that day. I don't think as as my best that I'm gonna tell you why I wouldn't agree as I Am arrogant. Yes, but I think I stayed totally clear of anything to do with even calling my son's name I want to speak to the process and I was simply saying to them speak to the people who made the pic It's very frustrating for me. The captain is blaze his coach. He's traveling with him now in Turkey He's with him every day. He tells me he's gone over this time and time again with him He hasn't reached out to the manager. He hasn't reached out Are you saying Mel Spence who coaches blaze big knell is frustrated with blaze big No, I can't say that at all. I can say sounds that way. No, no, no I can say I'm frustrated, but what I think I did not do very well I'll be frank with you. Yes is go through that. It's the same team the new class is the same team And I'll tell you again, which I tore record the beginning I think I've been constrain and I'll tell you why my style is very decisive if this Involved a player other than my son. I say without any apology I think I would have shot this down within a maximum of 24 hours a maximum when you say shot this Don't what do you mean? What do you mean? Shot it down clearly? How I would have been involved with getting the player involved making the accusations together with this teammate who is Publicly bashing and said this doesn't work in team sports. This is not our team operates We talk as a team behind closed doors bashing a teammate in public doesn't happen I'd have gone further to say continue to behave here and you're gonna have a problem Because to be able to play and represent Jamaica players need to be in good standing with the National Association I recuse myself up everything with it because I don't want to be it to be seen That because I'm attacked or my son is attacked I'm now coming on a counter offensive, but the behavior in my mind has been Most unfortunate and there I say unheard of I'm sure their players and women's World Cup team just as a recent example Who may not have been happy that the court started this person I left back or somewhere wanted Sydney Schneider and goal people have their opinions and nothing is wrong with that but players though go through publicist to bashing and Association one week before we're departing For a crucial Davis cup tights not good for team chemistry, and I'm hopeful though when these guys get together It's magic. Yeah, they're good together, and I'm hoping that that's how it's gonna be in Lebanon come Sunday Yeah, I think we're all hoping that as well and that Jamaica can create history in the Davis Cup But I want to get from you Would you consider? Going forward making any changes to the criteria as it is and if you can give me that answer in 10 seconds 100% yes We're always looking at tweaking our processes and one of the things that a captain coach and manager insisted needs to be Our next criteria is code of conduct for players For sure no question about it. And as I say again last last word It wouldn't have lasted 24 hours if I wasn't handcuffed yes, and felt only able to act in the man I normally are suggesting John Would you consider? That only three positions are automatic on any Davis Cup team or Only persons with ATP ranking points are automatic and that any and everybody else has to go through trials The technical pilot looked at it is not our position. They agree with at all And certainly how about you John Azar as the president do you agree with that position John Azar as president? Not the technical committee. No I'll have to give it some thought I think that I think the reality of it is there are certain spots such as doubles you didn't touch on it Yes, that I may not be ATP round I may be the best doubles player on the team Yes, and the technical panel needs to have some level of flexibility within the guidelines Where they can select a team that they are comfortable and confident traveling with just like a football coach would Just like a cricket coach would and let's be clear again. Yes, Errol Campbell Mel Spence and Noel Rutherford have doubled down on the picks of the four players. They selected to include Young 18 year old Daniel Azar on this team Then who would be the specialist doubles player because there are those who feel that the 42 year old Probably is the best option to play doubles given his style of play and his volleying ability and his big serve His big first serve Riccardo, you need to invite Errol, Noel or Mel back. I can't discuss technical stuff with you I will say to you What you started John I know what I'm saying is that something I can't discuss. I will say to you When you play the stone and the coach you say to play John chin and Daniel, I find out I found out about it 10 minutes before the match. I don't interfere with stuff that doesn't concern me John Azar the president of tennis Jamaica. It's been a pleasure chatting with you on tennis matters I suspect that even after the Davis-Cock tie against Lebanon This won't go away, but we'll see hopefully the Davis-Cock team will do well Players has been in brilliant form. Randy has always done brilliantly for the country John chin has been improving tremendously and so we'll see what happens in Lebanon We have to end it there. We'll be back with more on the sportsmax zone