LAHORE - Pakistan’s young tennis sensation Zohaib Afzal Malik has said that he is a passionate tennis player and eager to excel at higher level.
Zohaib played superb tennis throughout the last year, where he was playing in national under-10 & 12 age categories and was ranked 40 and below respectively but he worked so hard and played so well that first he went up to ranked 20 in his respective category in July and then finished the year as 9th seed player. He also proved his mettle in U-12 category, where also achieved 9th ranked within one year time; which itself is a milestone. He joyfully shared his first ever experience of stepping into tennis court and this great opportunity was provided by his Taya Sohail Afzal Malik, where he held the racket for the first time and from there, the journey started and goes on.
He told The Nation that he is working very hard to improve his game and skills and committed to become a top player. “I practice very hard daily under the able guidance of my coach Muhammad Naseeb at DHA Lahore Club phase-4 and this is because of relentless hard work and unmatched passion for tennis that I have improved so quickly and moving in right direction to achieve my aim of becoming number one ranked player in my age category.
“Tennis is though expensive game yet my family is supporting me well and wants me to be one of the leading tennis players of the country. I would especially like to thank my parents for their love, care and support, which always motivate me to achieve more and big. I would also like to thank my wonderful sisters, aunts and maternal and paternal grandparents, who always encourage me during my matches and outside court too.”
“I would also like to thank my school LGS Phase 5 DHA Lahore and Principal Miss Irma Ahsan because all my achievements in the field of tennis wouldn’t be possible without their support. Not only they have supported me but also encouraged me to excel both in sports and studies,” he added.
Zohaib, who is dubbed as Pakistan’s Roger Federer by fellow players and seniors, said: “Yes, tennis legend Roger Federer is my favourite player and I love to follow his style and want to be champion like him. I know to reach this level, I need to practice very hard and have to take part in international events and I am ready for it and soon I will be featuring in the int’l junior events.”
He also lauded the efforts of PLTA and said: “Rashid Malik is a passionate tennis promoter with honour of conducting a record number of tennis events for the consecutive two years and hopefully this year too, he will go for another record. I will keep trying my best to play U-10 & U-12 categories this year, improve my ranking to the top and win maximum titles this year,” Zohaib concluded.
