On a wintry Saturday afternoon at the DLTA complex in New Delhi, the atmosphere was electrified by the ceremonial dhol, urging the enthusiastic home crowd to join in unison with chants of ‘Bharat mata ki jai’ and ‘Jeetega bhai jeetega, India jeetega.’ Approximately 1,500 spectators gathered to witness India compete in the Davis Cup World Group I play-off. Despite the fervent support for the home team, the visiting Togo squad did not face an entirely hostile environment on the sunlit Centre Court. Notably, a small contingent of Togolese supporters, positioned among the local fans, rallied behind their team with cheers of ‘Allez Togo!’
Following a preview of the first day of the contest by the Amritraj brothers, who reminisced about their experiences in the esteemed tournament, the Togo team, led by Agnamba Ali, was ceremoniously introduced to the audience. This introduction was met with an unexpected round of applause. A group of 15 to 20 Togolese fans, proudly displaying their national flag from the far right of the media box, drew attention as they passionately encouraged their team. They particularly supported Liova Ayite Ajavon, who is ranked well outside the top 1500, during the opening match against the 365th-ranked Sasikumar Mukund. Their spirited responses to India’s traditional chants with ‘Allez Togo!’ echoed throughout the court, especially as Ajavon created opportunities for himself during the match.
The disappointing performance from Togo left the Togolese supporters in silence. The visiting team entered the match with high expectations, having exceeded their capabilities in previous encounters against Latvia and Indonesia last year, which resulted in their promotion and a journey of over 8,000 miles to compete in India. This confidence was evident during the pre-match press conference, where the captain and players highlighted their impressive record of 10 victories in 11 Davis Cup matches since their return in 2022 after a 19-year absence.
“I became interested in their recent achievements. They were not even part of the Davis Cup just 3-4 years ago. Their promotion to World Group I is commendable, especially since they have triumphed over higher-ranked teams. Although India presents a significant challenge compared to their previous opponents, we still hold out hope for a miracle based on their past performances,” remarked Yaovi Akakpo, a professional residing in Gurgaon, who has lived in India for over six years.
“My primary interest lies in football. Tennis is still gaining traction, as is basketball. Nevertheless, this is a significant milestone for Togo, which has been excelling in this sport, and their progress is commendable, which is why we are here to show our support,” added 26-year-old Josué Avogan, a Master’s student in Computer Applications from Chandigarh, who discovered the Davis Cup event during his visit to Delhi this weekend.
Unfortunately, on Saturday, Togo struggled to perform on the slow DLTA court. Although Ajavon provided a brief moment of hope with his 2-6, 1-6 defeat, Togo’s top player, Thomas Setodji, was unable to compete effectively against Ramkumar Ramanathan, who secured a swift 6-0, 6-2 victory in the second singles match, concluding in just 50 minutes. The Togolese crowd, initially lively during the first match, fell silent in response to Setodji’s lackluster performance.
