AITA hoping to play Shikha in Fed Cup

After the 'import' of Prakash Amritraj, the All India Tennis Association is now looking forward to rope in 18-year-old Shikha Uberoi for the Fed Cup Asia-Oceania zonal tie starting in Delhi on April 19.

Shikha is an Indian-born US citizen. She represented her adopted country as recently as last week when she played in a US $10,000 ITF women's event in Delhi.

The AITA is trying to include her in the Fed Cup team, in place of Isha Lakhani, who is reportedly injured.

Sania Mirza, Rushmi Chakravarthy and Ankita Bhambri are the other members of the team, which is being coached by Enrico Piperno.

If Prakash has a famous father in the legendary Vijay, Shikha has her links to stardom too. She is the first cousin of Bollywood star Vivek Oberoi, her father Mahesh being the brother of Vivek's father Suresh.

Shikha applied to the ITF to represent India two months back whereas regulations stipulate that a player has to do so six months ahead of the competition he or she wishes to compete.

The AITA, however, is confident of getting ITF approval.

"The United States Tennis Association has said they would support Shikha's move to play for India. And the ITF Board of Directors have the power to relax the rules as a special consideration," AITA secretary-general Anil Khanna told PTI.

Khanna is also a member of the ITF Board, which is to meet in Stockholm on Thursday and Friday when Shikha's case will come up for discussion.