Aisam seeks President, PM help for Pak-India match at Wagah border

ISLAMABAD - Pakistans top seeded tennis player Asiamul Haq has written a letter to President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani proposing holding of a friendship tennis exhibition match between Pakistan and India at Wagah border. While giving details of the letter, to be handed over to the President and the Prime Minister in a couple of days, Senior Vice President and Spokesman Pakistan Tennis Federation Irshad Ahmad Bhatti told the media here on Wednesday that this proposal has the full support of International Tennis Federation, UK Tennis Federation, Indian Tennis Federation, BBC, CNN and Pakistan Tennis Federation. Aisam in his letter has proposed the authorities concerned to arrange a special tennis court with half of its portion on India side while the other half on the Pakistani side. Aisam would play at the court of the Indian side of the border while his opponent Rohan Bhopana at the Pakistani side of the court. The PTF has proposed either President Zardari or Prime Minister Gilani to be the chief guest on that occasion, while the Federation will also ask Prime Minister Gilani to extend invitation to his Indian counterpart Manmohan Singh in this regard. Bhatti said that the PTF has also planned to hold a international tournament soon after the Davis Cup tie in July. China, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka have already accepted to take part in the event while talks are going with India, Maldives, Nepal and Bhuttan, the PTF spokesman said. As regards the triggering of tennis activities in the country, he said that the PTF has already written letters to non-functional organizations affiliated with the Federation to actively participate in holding regular tennis events. In this regard we have given a two-month deadline to these organisations and those having failed to comply would be suspended with the approval of the PTY General Council, he sprung caution. In order to promote tennis at grassroots level, he said, PTF is set to arrange a Summer Camp for 40 students of different Islamabad schools starting from 16th of this month for a period of three months. The Pakistan Tennis Federation has also acquired lands in different cities of Punjab to build 29 tennis courts. The PTF has also decided to ensure the active participation of special children in tennis, and a wheel-chair tournament has been planned for next month. Irshad Bhatti further said the PTF has written letters to almost all the leading players of the country asking as to where they want to get training to improve there skills. However, only Samir Iftikhar and Sarah Mehboob have showed their interest in this regard, he said. The spokesman further said that the salaries of PTF employees have been raised and are set according to the directives of the Supreme Court at minimum of Rs 7000 per month. Mustansar Feroz and Ahmad Ejaz, the Joint Secretaries of the Federation, have been given the additional charge of Acting Secretary in the absence of Secretary. Bhatti further announced the holding of Journalists and Diplomats Tennis Tournament at the end of current month. Former Davis cupper and Pride of Performance Hamidul Haq is the head of that event and the details in this regard will be finalized soon.

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