Aisam wants tennis to be the second-best sport after cricket

ISLAMABAD: As the Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF) has begun its quest to train the youth through highly skillful reputed international coaches and trainers, Aisam ul Haq wants to see the game competing with cricket in popularity in years to come.

In a media talk specially organized to share ATP Coach Robert Davis’s experience who completed his ten-day stint with juniors at the PTF Complex, the PTF President said he wanted to revolutionize the game, making it a public sport and the one which would be the second most popular sport behind cricket in the country.

“Recent measures adopted by the PTF that have taken Masters to the major cities of the country is an endeavor to popularize the game in bigger cities. We have just completed the Masters Tennis in Faisalabad and have already organized such events in Sialkot and Peshawar. Hundreds of youngsters were invited and given the game know-how. This is an effort to lure the youth towards the game of tennis. Around the world, it is the most sought-after sport. Our effort is to make tennis popular in smaller cities by providing basic facilities to the youth.”

Robert Davis who shared his experience with journalists termed Pakistan as talented and technically sound. “ During my ten-day stay here I worked on the juniors and found them technically sound. What they are lacking is physical fitness and international exposure.

The lower body structure of junior players is not so strong. They need to improve their physic as well as diet which are very important components to raise the standard at the international level.”

Davis was also happy with the available crop of qualified coaches in Pakistan. “I am also glad to see Pakistan coaches having adequate knowledge about the game and have the required quality and knowledge to train the best of players.”

Sharing his positive experience in Pakistan, Robert Davis added, “I have really enjoyed my time here. The food, the people, and the hospitality are amazing.”

Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi highlighted the importance of foreign coaching expertise in developing Pakistani tennis players. “For the first time in Pakistan’s history, an American coach of Robert Davis’ caliber is here to train our players. This is a great opportunity for players to learn from world-class expertise and improve their game. The PTF is committed to providing the best facilities for our players—the gym is almost ready, and next week, another coach from America will be arriving to train our athletes.”

Addressing a question about the Myanmar Davis Cup incident, Aisam clarified, “The incident was not Robert Davis’ fault. The responsibility lay with the referee and the New Zealand team. Robert represented Pakistan in that tie, and following the incident, the referee was declared unfit to officiate any further Davis Cup tie. This was a rare decision in the 150-year history of the Davis Cup.”

Veteran Pakistani player Aqeel Khan who was part of the Pakistan Davis Cup team also commented on the Myanmar Davis Cup controversy, reinforcing that Robert Davis was not at fault.