‘Tennis player Samir deserves govt support’

LAHORE: Former Davis Cupper and coach Kh Tayyab Iftikhar has protested to get the attention of Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif to implement his promise to secure his son Samir Iftikhat’s future as the pro tennis player.

Tayyab appealed to the Prime Minister and the chief minister as well to honour his family’s services to tennis and present an Award of Gratitude for family of Kh Iftikhar Ahmad to the sport.

He reminded that the Kh Iftikhar family which has given Aisamul Haq and Samir to tennis, needed support particularly the latter to show his tennis skills at the international arena.

In his protest outside the Lahore Press Club, he urged the CM to fulfill his promise made at the first Annual General Body meeting Sports Board Punjab held last year that ‘the players hoisting Pakistan Flag at international levels are our heroes and their financial wellbeing is responsibility of govt”.

He said that his son has been deprived of the honour and recognition of two unprecedented academic world records for the past two years which are also a role model to youth and sportsmen due to negligence of Sports Board Punjab and Pakistan Sports Board Tayyab said that he will hold peaceful demonstration in front of the CM house, at Raiwind until the CM gives me time to meet for a national cause. He also urged the PM Shahid Khaqan Abbasi to give “Award of Academic and Athletic Excellence to Samir on the prize distribution ceremony for Commonwealth Games achievers.