Pakistan cruise into Asian junior tennis final

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan marched into final of the Asia-Oceania 14 & Under Tennis Championship beating Hong Kong in the semi-finals in Malaysia.

After beating Australia in the quarter-finals, Pakistan beat Hong Kong to make it to the final. Pakistan will now play the winner of the semi-final between Japan and Malaysia. The youngsters have created history by reaching the World Group of the WJT team event, for the first time since 1996. It is a great achievement for the team, made up of Hamza Roman, Abubakar Talha, and Amir Muhammad Khan Mazari, ably led by Captain Heera Ashiq.

Powerhouses like India, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, and others, failed to make it to the quarter-finals stage. “The victory further validates the persistent efforts of the PTF management regarding development of juniors since long.

A total of sixteen countries including Australia, Japan, S.Korea, India, Iran, Thailand, Kazakhstan, Hong Kong, Uzbekistan, Chinese Taipei, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Singapore, Indonesia and Pakistan participated in the event.

Pakistan team finished second in their group after beating Iran and Indonesia, while losing to Japan. Pakistan defeated Australia and Hong Kong in the quarter-finals and semi-finals, respectively to seal their final berth.

“PTF President Salim Saifullah Khan and the PTF’s management send their heartiest congratulations to the captain, players, parents, and coaches and wished them success in the future, as well as at the World Group event in the Czech Republic tentatively scheduled for September this year. That will also comprise 16 of the world’s best 14-U teams, providing a tremendous opportunity for our players to play against the finest from all ITF global zones,” a PTF official said.