Two foreign players in KG ITF Seniors Tennis

KARACHI: Two foreign players, including an Indian, are to feature in 1st KG ITF Seniors World Ranking Tennis Championships to be held from December 1-7 at Karachi Gymkhana.

According to the acceptance list of this year’s last international event Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF) is hosting, Naresh Khatri from India and Frank Talluto from Argentina have entered their names in 55 plus singles (round robin) category.

The withdrawal deadline was Friday.

“I have talked to him and he is coming. He is getting his visa on Saturday (today) and he is surely coming to this event,” said Sindh Tennis Association’s (STA) Mohammad Sarwar.

Naresh has participated in events in Pakistan in the past, but due to recent skirmishes between India and Pakistan the players have been avoiding playing across the border.

This is the last of the four international events for seniors PTF hosted this year in the country, two each in Lahore and Karachi.

Five foreign players, including four Indians, had withdrawn from the 1st Long Beach Pakistan ITF Seniors world Ranking Tennis Championship held from November 7-13 at the grass courts of PLTA tennis academy at Baagh-e-Jinnah, Lahore.

Dilip from India and Sid Naeem from US withdrew from 35 plus singles category, while Prasad Apte and Gurdarshan Singh from India withdrew from 45 plus Round Robin category. Naresh from India withdrew his name from 55 plus round robin category.

Similarly, five Indian players withdrew from 3rd Maple Leaf Cement Pakistan ITF Seniors World Ranking Tennis Championships held in Lahore from October 30 to November 6. Dilip Mohanty withdrew his name from 35 plus singles category. From the 45 plus round robin category, Parasad and Gurdarshan withdrew their names.

In the 55 plus singles category, Pawan Jain and Naresh withdrew their names.