LAHORE - National junior tennis champion and emerging star Amna Ali Qayum has won the quartet of double crowns this year besides winning a number of national tennis tournaments and now she is seeking high-level sponsorship to represent Pakistan in international events with the aim of winning glories for her country.
In an interview with The Nation, Amna, who has won eight tournaments in a row, said: “The successive victories in the national tournaments are the result of my parents’ trust in me and their continuous support and in response, my hard work, dedication and passion to achieve big in tennis especially at international level.
“I work very hard regularly on my game and try to sharpen my skills and techniques under the able guidance of my coach. I am keen to continue winning more titles at national level. I turned 13 in January and won number one title in Under-18 category as well by playing tournament in this higher category. Now I hold both U-14 and U-18 titles in girls singles as No 1 player in Pakistan. I want to achieve more by excelling in international tennis events. My main goal is to win Grand Slam events for my country and for this, I need international training and have to take part in international circuit events on regular basis,” she added.
Amna has been playing tennis since she was five at the local clubs with her brother Nabeel, who is also in the first five national rankings at the Pakistan Tennis Federation. She played her first Nayza National Tournament in 2017 on the circuit when she was nine, and immediately won the winner’s gold medal in the U-10 girl’s category. Nabeel won the U-10 boys gold winner’s cup in the same tournament. The confidence they gained from it took them forward for years of hard work and earning the winner’s cups and a few silver cups one after another. They are extremely athletic, talented and have proven themselves to be young tennis players with a bright future.
The young tennis sensation said she’s seeking high-level sponsorships to play in the Junior ITFs to pursue her talent and dream to become No 1 tennis player and represent Pakistan in Wimbledon and other Grand Slams one day. “Although my parents are supporting me fully yet for continuous participation in international events, I need proper support of government, Pakistan Tennis Federation and corporate sector, and I assure them all that if they trust in me and sponsor me, I will not disappoint rather I’ll struggle harder to shine globally.
“Being a national tennis champion, it is my duty to train hard and perform well in national and international events but on the other hand, it is the responsibility of corporate sector to sponsor at least top 5 tennis players like me in different age group categories, as it will help Pakistan win medals in ITF and ATF events.”