Narrating the incident, Mahesh's father CG Bhupathi, said his son had called up from Mumbai, asking for a track to be fixed up for him for a four-day physical training session. He said he then deputed Nirmit Shetty, junior National doubles champion, to talk to the official in charge of the stadium, who, he said, turned down the request in a rude manner.

Bhupathi Sr said a senior coach at the Prakash Padukone Academy, who did not wish to be identified, had then come forward to provide an `open card' by which Mahesh could have physical training there.

He said Mahesh and Shetty went to the stadium and were allowed in by security personnel after theyshowed the open card. But afterwards the guards sent them out saying they were using someone else's card.

``Mahesh was literally held by his collar and kicked out. All of us feel rotten about it,'' Bhupathi Sr said, adding, Mahesh was, in fact, using the guest card of former badminton star Prakash Padukone.

Meanwhile, the stadium official said the guards might not have recognised Bhupathi and expressed regrets.

Commissioner apologises

Commissioner for Youth Services and Sports in Karnataka SN Borkar `apologised' for turning out Indian tennis ace Mahesh Bhupathi from Sree Kanteerava Stadium here Sunday evening and termed the incident as ``unfortunate''.

Borkar, who said he had ``inquired'' into the incident, also added that the security guard on duty could not identify Mahesh Bhupathi. Yesterday being Sunday, none of the officials were present at the stadium.

Besides, the athletes who normally use the stadium premises, do not have workouts on Sundays. When Mahesh turned up at the stadium forphysical training, it was closed, Borkar added.

The Sports Authority of Karnataka and the Youth Services Department had decided a couple of years after the conduct of the fourth National Games, to hand out identity cards to sportspersons who used the stadium facility regularly. This was done to protect the remodelled stadium, which boasts of a synthetic track, from unsocial and undesirable elements. It may be recalled that the member of the national badminton team preparing for the Commomwealth Games were not allowed in for the same reason.

However, Mahesh was in possession of an `open card' given to coaches and he was reportedly stopped for not being in possession of a ``proper ID card.''