ISLAMABAD  - Islamabad Tennis Association (ITA) is all set to hold Federal Cup Tennis Championship from tomorrow (Friday) here at Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF) clay courts and veteran's event at Islamabad Club.
The ITA has failed to organise this event last year, which is a permanent feature for the last many years, but the PTF president's active involvement and meetings with ITA officials bore fruit and the ITA finally decided to hold the RS200,000 prize money event.
It is quite unfortunate that the ITA has abolished U-14, men's doubles and ladies doubles event and decided to hold only four categories which are men's singles, ladies singles, boy's u-18 and veterans 60+ events. It is indeed a grave injustice to junior players and above all Aqeel Khan and his brothers have spent Rs 40,000 only as air fare from Karachi to Islamabad and keeping in mind other expenses, even a top player like Aqeel has to spent money from his own pocket to appear in this event then the bidding players and other outstation players, who are just provided with dailies but no accommodation will find it really difficult to coup with prevailing situation as everybody is fully aware of the fact that Islamabad is very expensive city and with Rs 800 or odd, it will be too tough to run daily affairs.
It is the duty of PTF president Kaleem Imam to look into the matter of grave concern for the players and take up this issue with related persons and try to sort out things and force the organisers to include U-14, men's doubles and ladies doubles events and raise the prize money accordingly.