Sports Bulletin Report
LAHORE:-Secretary Sports and Youth Affairs Punjab Asadullah Faiz has announced that Sports Department Punjab will hold the Punjab Open Tennis Tournament 2022 here at the state-of-the-art Tennis Stadium, Nishtar Park Sports Complex in August.
Asadullah Faiz made this announcement on Tuesday during his inspection visit to the Tennis Stadium along with former Davis Cupper and PLTA Secretary General Rashid Malik (Tamgha-e-Imtiaz), Director Sports Nadeem Qaiser, Deputy Director Rauf Bajwa and other officials. The Secretary Sports inspected the courts and the stadium and directed the officials concerned to complete the remaining work soon so that the grand tennis event may be conducted at the venue at the end of the next month.
“The purpose of conducting the Punjab Open Tennis Tournament is to provide opportunities to tennis players to exhibit their prowess in the mega event and also earn handsome prize money. Hopefully, top players will compete in the event and display high-quality tennis skills and techniques against each other with the aim of winning prestigious titles after giving their best against the best in the business,” he added.
Asadullah Faiz also expressed the hope to host the ATF and ITF junior tennis tournaments at the state-of-the-art Tennis Stadium at Nishtar Park Sports Complex. “We are in talks with the Punjab Lawn Tennis Association regarding hosting the first-ever Asian Junior Tennis event at the Tennis Stadium and after this inaugural international event, we will continue to host ATF and ITF events every year. These international events will help our players not only improve their games and skills but also their international rankings.”
Speaking on the occasion, PLTA Secretary Rashid Malik thanked Secretary Sports Punjab Asadullah Faiz for taking keen interest in the promotion and development of tennis in Punjab especially at junior level. “We are especially focusing on junior tennis development because they are our real asset and future stars, who will represent the country in ATF, ITF and Grand Slam events and try to win international laurels for Pakistan.”
Malik said that besides the main five courts at the Tennis Stadium, there are four separate courts for junior players. “I am grateful to Secretary Sports Punjab Asadullah Faiz for establishing separate courts for juniors. The PLTA, in collaboration with Punjab Sports Department and Sports Board Punjab, will host ITF’s Junior Tennis Initiative (JTI) Program, where the kids of age U-6 to U-12 will be trained.
“Most of our top ranked junior stars are the product of the JTI Program and we will continue to hold JTI program at these courts, so that we may find more promising and talented tennis players that will be coached and trained under able coaches and trainers and the most talented and shining ones among them will surely win international glories for Pakistan,” the PLTA Secretary added.
