The SICAS Punjab Junior Tennis Championship 2024 was inaugurated on Wednesday at the Sports Board Punjab Tennis Academy, Nishtar Park, Lahore.
The opening ceremony was graced by Mr. Shehryar Salamat, Director of SICAS, and Mr. Rashid Malik (Tamgha-e-Imtiaz), Senior Vice President of the Punjab Lawn Tennis Association, who served as the chief guests. The vibrant ceremony was also attended by Mr. Khalid Ikram, former national tennis player, Mr. Hassan Said, and Mr. Shaheen Butt, Director of Sports at SICAS.
Rashid Malik praised SICAS Director Mr. Shehryar Salamat for his deep passion and commitment to tennis. "As an avid tennis player himself, Mr. Shehryar understands the significance of the sport and has generously sponsored the Punjab Junior Tennis Championship. His support plays a crucial role in our mission to promote tennis at the grassroots level, helping us nurture young talent that will represent Pakistan on the international stage. With the right resources and world-class facilities, these budding athletes have the potential to bring global recognition and accolades to Pakistan."
In the boys U-18 quarterfinals, Asad Zaman defeated Abdur Rehman Pirzada 8-1, Abdullah Pirzada beat M Shaheer Khan 8-5, Yafat Nadeem triumphed over Zain Saeed 8-4 and Abu Bakar Talha swept past Haider Nadeem 8-0. In the boys U-16 quarterfinals, Aalay Hussain defeated Ahmad Khuda Bakhsh 6-1, Rana Abdur Rehman overcame Abu Bakar Khalil 6-1 and Abdullah Pirzada beat Haider Nadeem 6-2.
In the senior doubles 45+ quarterfinals, Fazal Qadeer/M Asghar beat Zia Ullah/Ch Khalil 8-5 and Kamran Qureshi/Rana Humayun edged out Syed Sajid Ali Bukhari/Dr Arif 8-6. In the boys U-12 1st round, Daniyal Afzal Malik defeated Mustafa Zia 6-1.
Earlier in the boys U-18 1st round, Abdullah Pir Zada beat Abu Bakar Khalil 6-3, M Shaheer Khan beat Rana Abdur Rehman 7-6, Abu Bakar Talha beat Hanzla Anwar 6-1. In the boys U-16 1st round, Ahmad Khuda Bakhsh beat Faizan Haider 6-0, Hanzla Anwar beat Hamza Ali 6-0, Haider Nadeem beat Abdur Rehman Pir Zada 6-1, Abdullah Pirzada beat Arsal Maqsood 6-0.
In the boys U-14 qualifying round, Faizan Haider beat Hassan Suleman 6-1, Hamza Ali beat Faizan Haider 6-4. In the boys U-14 1st round (main round), Zayd Mansoor beat Aliyan Ali 6-1, Ayan Khan beat Hamza Ali 6-2, Ohad e Mustafa beat Salaar Kamran Khan 6-1, Muhammad Huzaima beat Omer Shareef 6-1 and Aalay Hussain beat Ali Usman 6-0.
In the boys U-12 qualifying round, Abdul Hadi beat M Turab 6-2, Asad Ali Khan beat Rehan Zeeshan 6-3, Abdul Hadi beat Waldan Sadaf 6-4. In the boys/girls U-10 qualifying round, M Saim Khan beat Muhammad Saadi 6-2.