Former Secretary Sports Punjab Rao Iftikhar Ahmed, who is also Chairman Punjab Lawn Tennis Association (PLTA), Chief Sports Consultant SBP Hafeez Bhatti, PLTA Secretary Rashid Malik (Tamgh-e-Imtiaz), Finance Secretary Zahid Zafar, Col (R) Asif Dar, Ashfaq Chohan and others were also present on this occasion.
As many as top 32 players from across the country are participating in the month-long High Performance Training Camp sponsored by Ali Embroidery Mills and conducted by PLTA in collaboration with Sports Board Punjab (SBP). SBP Head Coach Rashid Malik is supervising the training sessions and he is being assisted by longest-serving national champion Aqeel Khan, Davis Cupper Shahzad Khan, Yasir Khan and Ahmed Babar, who are imparting training to top 3 players of all categories including men, women and juniors from Under-8 to Under-18.
PLTA Secretary Rashid Malik thanked Sports Board Punjab for all-out support in accommodating the coaches and outstation players and also providing them food. “I am also thankful to Secretary Sports Asadullah Faiz and DG SBP Javed Chohan for their cooperation in conducting the first-ever High Performance Tennis Training Camp that will help future tennis stars in the long run.
“I am also grateful to Tariq Zaman, CEO Ali Embroidery Mills, for taking this initiative for having High performance Tennis Training Camp for the first time ever for the promotion of tennis in Pakistan,” added Malik, who also lauded the services of PLTA Chairman Rao Iftikhar Ahmad for the promotion of tennis in Punjab, which is now bearing fruit as Punjab players have started excelling at national and international circuit.
Secretary Sports Asadullah Faiz announced that the SBP will provide playing kits, rackets and other equipment to the participants of the camp. “The preparation of practice courts will be completed next month at the State-of-the-Art Tennis Stadium in Nishtar Park Sports Complex. We are planning to hold an international tennis tournament at the SBP’s Tennis Stadium after the completion of practice courts.
“Young players should take maximum benefit from the vast experience of top coaches, who are capable of transforming them into true champions. The coaches are keen to prepare these youngsters for international tennis tournaments and hopefully, these talented kids will soon start winning international laurels for the country,” he added.