LAHORE    -    The Nayza All Pakistan Open Tennis Championship 2019 will stroll into action here at the PLTA Courts from tomorrow (Saturday), in which top tennis players of the country will be vying for the top honours.

This was announced by PLTA Secretary Rashid Malik (Tamgha-e-Imtiaz) during a press conference held here at the National Hockey Stadium on Thursday. Other notables present on the occasion were SBP Vice Chairman Rao Zahid Qayyum and Nayza Assistant Manager Marketing Malik Nauman.

Malik thanked Rafum Group CEO Zahid Hussain for sponsoring the biggest prize money tennis tournament of the year, which will certainly prove very beneficial for tennis in Pakistan. “The two back-to-back tournament - EBM All Pakistan Tennis Championship and Nayza All Pakistan Open Tennis Championship - are providing excellent opportunities to our Davis Cup and South Asian Games-bound national tennis teams to prepare well for the upcoming international events. Hopefully, the players will try to give out their best and earn the highest prize money of their tennis careers.”  The PLTA Secretary said it is a great honour for the PLTA that it is going to be honoured in the next PTF Annual General Meeting for organising a record number of tennis tournaments this year. “Last year, we conducted a record number of tennis events, and this year too, we are breaking the previous record.

The basic purpose of holding such record number of events is to promote tennis at grassroots level and flourish the game in every corner of the country.”

He also lauded the efforts of Sports Board Punjab and its high-ups including Vice Chairman Rao Zahid Qayyum and DG Adnan Arshad Aulakh as well as the Secretary Sports for their all-out cooperation for the betterment of tennis across Punjab. “I also pray to Allah Almighty for the quick recovery of the DG Sports Punjab’s father Chaudhry Arshad Aulakh. May he get well soon!”

Malik, who is also tournament director, said the prestigious tournament will be conducted in men’s singles, ladies singles, mixed doubles and boys and girls events. “Faheem Siddiqui is tournament referee. The opening ceremony of the event will take place tomorrow (Saturday) at 3:00 pm.”

Nayza Assistant Manager Marketing Malik Nauman said: “Nayza is a brand of Rafum Group, which has a major presence in the fashion footwear and apparel. Rafum Group has been actively promoting sports in Pakistan, especially tennis, and has sponsored events in the past 2015 and Rafum Group is proud to sponsor this event for the fourth consecutive year.”