PTF seeks Rs200m from PM for tennis complex

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF) seeks Rs 200 million from the Prime Minister of Pakistan Shahid Khaqan Abbasi to bring the Complex in Islamabad at par with the modern day requirements and to prepare the back up for the future international events.

President PTF Salim Saifullah Khan confirmed to The News that request has been forwarded through Ministry of Inter Provincial Coordination (IPC) to the sports loving PM. “The series of encouraging results during the last one year has convinced us to seek PM help for promotion of tennis. The PTF has the required area where the Complex has already been raised. What we need is a complex that can cater needs of modern tennis. The complex should have all the required facilities like the one we can find anywhere in the world. Establishing such a complex is must for grooming talented and budding players,” Salim Saifullah said.

Pakistan is on winning streak in the Davis Cup as after fifteen years the country has won Group I tie recently against Korea. Apart from that PTF also hosted series of international Future events that gave good opportunity to Pakistani players to gauge their strength and weaknesses while playing against the best around.

“Look grooming your top budding players and maintaining high standard in the game is a continuous process. To evolve that process we need a setting where we can establish academy for back up squad and can train and guide them day in and day out in an effort to inculcate professionalism in them.”

Salim Saifullah said it would not be possible to maintain a set standard until and unless PTF continuously spend on players. “We have requested to the PM to help set that base which in longer run would provide the best results. I hope that sports loving Prime Minister would help streamline the future of budding national players by sanctioning the amount.”

The PTF president believed that Rs 100 million during the first year and the same amount during the next financial year would help us establish the base of tennis in the country. “Tennis has shown tremendous results in recent times. What we need is financial support and backing from government in order to gain from the momentum the game of tennis has seen in recent past.” He hoped that requested amount would be sanctioned enabling PTF start making an all out effort to build the future of tennis in the country.