Divya Ramesh in team for SAF Games

Former junior national champion Divya Ramesh, who had taken the Badminton Association of India to court for not being included in the national squad for earlier international tournaments, has been selected along with four others to represent India at the SAF Games, in Islamabad from October 7 to 13.

However, the 20-year-old Bangalore girl's name does not figure in the teams selected to play at the German, Dutch and Danish Opens, from October 2 to 21, or for the Asian championships, at Manila, from August 21 to 26.

Announcing the teams, after the selection committee meeting in Bombay on Saturday, BAI president V K Verma said Divya could not be accommodated in any of the other teams as her present national ranking is five and only the top four players were selected.

"In fact, we wanted to include her in the teams (which were announced earlier) for the Malaysian and Indonesian Opens after national champion Aparna Popat pulled out due to fitness problems, but could not, as it was too late," he added.

All England champion Pulella Gopichand has been named in the men's squad for all the ABC, European circuit and SAF Games while Aparna Popat will play in the ABC and European circuit.

On July 9, Justice R Gururajan had passed an interim order on an interlocutory application filed by Divya, questioning her non-inclusion in the national team, following which the Karnataka high court directed the BAI to consider her for selection as per BAI rules.