Tennis: Samir seeks govt grant

LAHORE: Former Davis Cupper and Punjab coach Khawaja Iftikhar has revealed that his son Samir Iftikhar who is an upcoming tennis star, is contemplating hanging his shoes for lack of sponsorship.

Talking to media at Sports Journalists Association of Lahore (SJAL) office on Tuesday, he appealed to the government to issue special grant for Samir for one year and if he failed to perform, his grants should be terminated. He further stated that if Samir paid adieu to the game it would be a great loss for tennis.

He said that Samir is now ITF world ranking player and is 1200 in ranking. He revealed that Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif provided Samir four scholarships and Samir also got three international scholarships for education but now when he has started to make waved at the international level, he is struggling to have sponsors backing him up.

He said that after tennis star Aisamul Haq, Samir is the future of the country. He further stated that if government back him Samir would qualify for Wimbledon next year. He again appealed the federal as well as provincial governments and corporate sector for support for Samir to continue to flourish for the country.