PBF to hold badminton league

ISLAMABAD: The National Ranking Badminton Tournament will get under way at the Rodham Hall from today (Friday).

The tournament that carries Rs150,000 in prize money would see all affiliated units competing in the event. Apart from hosts Islamabad, teams from Fata, AJK, Sindh, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Army, SNGPL, NBP, PTCL and Police will take part in the competition.

Over 150 male and female badminton players will contest in four different categories including men’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s singles and women’s doubles.Islamabad Badminton Association President Pervaiz Habib Butt will be the organising secretary of the event.

PBF Secretary Wajid Ali also announced to hold badminton league in December/January this year.“We also plan to hold league in December/January in order to popularise the game of badminton in the country. We want to get back on the track in sports where parallel bodies during the last few years have destroyed the grass-roots. We have now introduced remedial measures which slowly but surely getting results.”

Wajid said Pakistan’s performance was not up to the mark in some Commonwealth Games events. “At the same time, one of our girls made to last 16 and was selected to play amongst the Asian leading girls.”