ISLAMABAD - Despite earning millions in the name of so-called tennis activities, self-proclaimed tennis promoter NGO Subh-e-Nau has made it a habit of clearing National Ranking Tennis Tournament prize money at least 15 days to one-month after the conclusion of the event. This time around too, the players finally got cheques of National Ranking Tournament after 15 days and that too after the situation came under media’s notice.
Inside sources have confirmed to this scribe that Subh-e-Nau management has made it a habit of withholding players prize money and other incentives for more than a month in the past too and after long delays and several reminders, players were finally given prizes, which they had earned not begged. Subh-e-Nau is all about family-based NGO as Shahida Kausar Farooq, her daughter, sons and other close relatives are occupying different posts in the organization and take hefty amounts from different sponsors but pass on a very meager amount when it comes to conducting of an event is concerned. Subh-e-Nau was banned from holding ranking events in the past too just because of major irregularities by former president Dr Syed Kaleem Imam. Number of players on condition of anonymity confirmed that they had to go through enormous wait and pain before finally getting the meager cash prizes.
It is quite painful that Subh-e-Nau had made it an habit of announcing tournaments and then cancelling it to much botheration of players at the eleventh hour without giving any solid reason. Same happened again as earlier they had announced a joint venture with Serena Hotels, but all of a sudden they once again canceled the event as per their past traditions. It is quite interesting that Pakistan number 1 tennis player Aqeel Khan, former Pakistan number 2 Yasir Khan and a junior player from Faisalabad Zeeshan had already reached Islamabad just for that particular event but now they had to face that dilemma. It is waste of players’ time as well as money which they spent just for playing in events. It is the national and moral duty of Pakistan Tennis Federation president Salim Saifullah Khan to firstly ensure Subh-e-Nau must conduct the event they once announced. Secondly they must unveil the exact amount they had received from the worthy sponsors and the lime share of sponsorship money must be spent on conducting of event and on players and not for other things as the amount is purely generated in the name of holding tennis events. PTF must also ensure in the future, Subh-e-Nau must be bound to deposit the entire prize money on offer with the federation as they took too long to clear players dues in the name of clearance of cheaques and to save different taxes.
Majority of players whole-solely depends on earnings from different events and very few tournaments are being held in the country and that too with very meager prize money on offer. Subh-e-Nau had time and again announced to include female categories and mostly generate funds in the name of females, but hardly a female category is ever included in their events. When female category was not being conducted then the prize money allocated for that category must be distributed equally in male categories but no heed was paid to that. The federation must ensure proper conduct of any event, as it is their reputation, which is always on stake and Subh-e-Nau management must introduce transparent system or else they should not be allowed to conduct ranking events at the PTF premises or any other place.
PTF president Salim had made promise during his campaign that he would ensure minimum Rs500000 cash prize for holding ranking tournament but after a gap of more than 6-months the promise is yet to be fulfilled. The federation must also ensure that national tax-payers money should be spent carefully rather than personal liking and disliking. Same old persons were hired in one way or another, who were big flops in the past and were just gathered to muster personal benefits. It is hoped PTF president Salim will take strong action against Subh-e-Nau for deliberately using delaying tactics and kept on sitting on players rights and justice would finally prevailed.