PTF election on Nov 24 Salim set to get re-elected

KARACHI: Salim Saifullah Khan is all set to get re-elected as President of Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF) for next four years. 

The PTF president claims to have the support of all four provincial associations and Islamabad unit for the election, which is scheduled on November 24. It is worth adding here that no other candidate or group has come forward to contest for the president’s slot or other key posts.

“Dilawar Abbas wanted to contest for the president slot but he is unable to do so under the national sports policy as he has already served as president twice,” said a source. Salim says he got five high-quality plexipave synthetic courts built at the PTF Complex and that his efforts helped Pakistan stay in Davis Cup Group-I for two years. He also says PTF conducted Davis Cup matches in Pakistan, started ITF Futures after a long gap, and arranged $80,000 in just one year from International Tennis Federation (ITF).

But the local tennis fraternity differs with the president and rejects his claims. “In the four years of his tenure, the president and his team failed to produce any new national champion as Aqeel Khan is still at the top,” said a coach.

He added that the PTF management failed to set up any national summer camp in the four years. “They also failed in running the national tennis academy as they annulled the project after just two months of its establishment,” said the coach.

The coach added that Salim failed to appoint any professional secretary for PTF. During his four years as president, the PTF had three secretaries.

“There was a year in their tenure when PTF did not have any secretary at all. They ran the affairs of the federation without a secretary, which was a strange thing to do for any sports body,” said the coach. He added that in these four years, Pakistan teams gave their worst ever performances, especially in Asian Games and South Asian Games.