Sports Bulletin

Sports Bulletin ReportISLAMABAD: Pakistan Air Force (PAF) and Pakistan WAPDA won their matches of the ongoing 1st PTF Inter-Department Tennis Trophy 2024 at PTF Tennis Complex, Garden Avenue, Islamabad on Saturday.Once again Mohammad Abid (WAPDA) easily breezed out his opponent Ahtesham Humayun (SNGPL) in one-sided affairs 6-1 6-1, whereas in the second single Aqeel Khan (WAPDA) surprised his opponent Ahmed Babar (SNGPL) to win the match 6-2 6-3. In the first set, Aqeel Khan comfortably built up a winning lead by breaking the 6th game of Ahmed Babar (SNGPL) and by holding the 7th game at 5-2. In the 8th game, Aqeel did not allow his opponent to settle down and broke this game and won the first set at 6-2. In the second set, Ahmed Babar tried his best to catch the pace of Aqeel Khan but failed when Aqeel broke the 8th game of Ahmed Babar at 0-40 and hit a double fault to build the lead 5-3. In the 9th game, Aqeel Khan played excellent tennis by hitting the crosscourt and down-the-line shorts and finished the set by hitting an Ace at 40-30. In an important and crucial round-robin league match, Pakistan Air Force struggled hard to win against the Pakistan Army 2-1. Yousaf Khalil (PAF) turned difficult to win his encounter against the talented Abdullah Adnan (ARMY) in a straight set 6-4 6-2.In an exciting and thrilling second single between Mohammad Shoaib (PAF) and Muzammil Murtaza (ARMY) exhibited high-calibre and remarkable tennis and excellent forehand and backhand drives. In the first set, Mohammad Shoaib played an aggressive game and did not allow Muzammil to settle down beginning from the match breaking the 1st, 3rd, and 7th games and finishing the set at 6-2. In the In the second set both players changed their game plan and held their own games till the score went 6-6 games all. In the 10th see-saw game, Muzammil had a chance to break the game but Shoaib not only saved the game but played an excellent game of tennis from the baseline. The match went in a tie-break in which Muzammil again took a lead of 5-3 but Shaoib again bounced back aggressively and not only levelled the score 6-6 all but kept the same pressure on Muzammil's shoulder, at this stage Muzammil hit a double fault and unable to come back. In the next point, Shoaib hit a wide serve to Muzammil which returned and landed outside the court and Shoaib won the set and match at 7-6(7).  The match lasted 1 hour 35 minutes and was officiated by ITF White Badge Umpire Hussnain Mehmood.Results (Day-2):Pakistan Air Force (PAF) beat Pakistan Army (2-1):Singles-1: Yousaf Khalil (PAF) beat Abdullah Adnan (ARMY) 6-4, 6-2Singles-2: Mohammad Shoaib (PAF) beat Muzammil Murtaza (ARMY) 6-2, 7-6 (7)Doubles: Muzammil Murtaza / Abdullah Adnan (ARMY) beat Mohammad Shaoib / Yousaf Khalil (PAF) 6-3, 3-6, 10-5WAPDA beat SNGPL (3-0):Singles-1: Mohammad Abid (WAPDA) beat Ahtesham Humayun (SNGPL) 6-1, 6-1Singles-2: Aqeel Khan (WAPDA) beat Ahmed Babar (SNGPL) 6-2, 6-3Doubles: Heera Ashiq / Shahzad Khan (WAPDA) beat Saqib Hayat / Ahmed Babar (SNGPL) 6-1, 7-5.

Sports Bulletin ReportISLAMABAD: Pakistan Army, and WAPDA registered victories in the 1st PTF Inter-Department Tennis Trophy 2024 after beating SNGPL, and Pakistan Navy respectively here at PTF Tennis Complex, Garden Avenue on Friday.Mohammad Abid (WAPDA) easily breezed out his opponent Faizan Fayyaz Khan (NAVY) in one-sided affairs without conceding a single game 6-0 6-0. In the second single Aqeel Khan (WAPDA) started his winning streak and overpowered his opponent Asad Zaman (NAVY) in a straight set match 6-2 6-1.In the first singles Abdullah Adnan (ARMY) won his opening match against Ahmad Babar (SNGPL) in a straight set 6-2, 6-1. In the second single Muzammil Murtaza (ARMY) outclassed Saqib Hayat and won the match 6-0, 6-1 just in 37 minutes. Muzammil played an excellent game and hit 5 aces in the first set and 9 aces in the second set and did not allow his opponent to settle down against his powerful serve. This match was officiated by ITF White Badge Umpire Hussnain Mehmood. President PTF also congratulated the winning team members and wished them well for future matches.Earlier in the afternoon Zahoor Ahmed Addl. Secretary IPC, and Director General, Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) inaugurated the 1st PTF Inter-Department Tennis Trophy and met the players of the Pakistan Army, Pakistan Air Force, Pakistan Navy, WAPDA, and SNGPL. Lt. Gen. Mohammad Afzal (Retd.) also attended the opening ceremony as a guest of honor. Results:Pakistan Army beat SNGPL (2-0):Singles-1: Abdullah Adnan (ARMY) beat Ahmad Babar (SNGPL) 6-2, 6-1Singles-2: Muzammil Murtaza (ARMY) beat Saqib Hayat (SNGPL) 6-0, 6-1Doubles: Abdullah Adnan / Arham Attique (ARMY) beat Ahmed Babar / Ahtesham Humayun (SNGPL) 6-2 6-3WAPDA beat Pakistan Navy (2-0):Singles-1: Mohammad Abid (WAPDA) beat Faizan Fayyaz Khan (NAVY) 6-0, 6-0Singles-2: Aqeel Khan (WAPDA) beat Asad Zaman (NAVY) 6-2, 6-1Doubles: Heera Ashiq / Shahzad Khan (WAPDA) beat Asad Zaman / Faizan Fayyaz Khan (NAVY) 6-1, 6-2Saturday’s Fixtures:Pakistan WAPDA Vs SNGPL, Zainab Ali Naqi Court # 1 at 10:30 AMPakistan Army Vs PAF – Aqeel Khan Center Court at 10:30 AM

Sports Bulletin ReportISLAMABAD: Pakistan Army players will take on Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) in the opening match of the 1st PTF Inter-Department Tennis Trophy 2024, which will roll into action on Friday (May 3) here at PTF Tennis Complex, Garden Avenue.According to an official of the Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF), the top five men’s teams including Pakistan WAPDA, Pakistan ARMY, Pakistan Air Force (PAF), Pakistan Navy, and Sui Northern Gas Pipelines are participating in the 5-day national tennis showpiece.On Thursday, the captain’s meeting of all the participating teams was held at the Referee’s Office. Arif Qureshi chaired the meeting whereas Secretary PTF and Chairman Organizing Committee Col. Zia-ud-Din Tufail, and Mohammad Khalil Chughtai Tournament Director also attended the meeting.After elaborating the Rules of the Games to all the concerned captains and officials of the teams, a Draw of Men’s Team Event was held. The opening matches will be played on Friday (May 3) 2024 at 11:00 am. In the second match of the day, WAPDA will meet the Pakistan Navy at 11:00 am in Court No.1.The opening ceremony will be held at 2:30 pm. Zahoor Ahmed Addl. Secretary IPC and Director General, Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) will grace the occasion as a chief guest and will inaugurate the 1st PTF Inter-Department Tennis Trophy 2024.Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi President of PTF emphasized that the event would not be successful without the active participation of tennis lovers and enthusiasts. He invited all the tennis lovers and enthusiasts to come and see the excellent tennis extravaganza and appreciate the top national players in Islamabad. 

Sports Bulletin ReportLAHORE: Asad Zaman (Ali Embroidery Mills), Amir Mazari (Aitchison), Mohammad Salaar, and Kashan Tariq qualified for the boys Under-18 semifinals of the Parents Tennis Lovers Association (PTLA)-organized Junior National Tennis Championship 2024 here at Punjab Tennis Academy, Bagh-e-Jinnah on Wednesday.In the boys U-18 quarterfinals: Asad Zaman (Pakistan Navy), beat Nabeel Qayum 6-1, 6-0, Amir Mazari beat Mohammad Yahya 6-2, 6-1, Mohammad Salaar beat Sheheryar Anees 7-6, 2-6, 6-2 and Kashan Tariq beat Abdullah Pirzada 7-5, 6-2. In the boys U-16 quarterfinals: Ruhab Faisal beat Abdur Rehman 6-0, 3-6, 6-3, Aalay Hussain beat Hanzla Anwar 6-0, 6-1, Amir Mazari beat Mohammad Huzaima 6-0, 6-1 and Mohammad Yahya beat Abdullah Pirzada 6-2, 6-3. In the boys U-14 pre-quarterfinals: Abdur Rehman beat M Ayan Khan 4-2, 4-2, Awais Zia beat Ahmad Khuda Bakhsh 2-4, 4-2, 4-2, Zayd Zaman beat M Umer Ali 4-0, 4-2, Mohammad Junaid beat Zayd Mansoor 4-2, 5-3, Mohammad Huzaima beat Aliyan Ali 4-2, 4-2. In the boys/girls U-12 pre-quarterfinals: Rashid Ali Bachani beat Umer Zaman, Mustafa Uzair Rana beat M Ibrahesm Hussain Gill, Muaz Shahbaz beat M Ayan Khan 4-2, 4-1, Zayd Zaman beat Daniyal Abdullah 4-0, 4-0, Mohammad Junaid beat Zayd Mansoor 4-2, 4-2, Majid Ali Bachani beat Taha Asad 4-0, 4-0 and Ayan Shahbaz beat M Turab Bhatti 4-0, 4-0. In the seniors 40 plus doubles, Round-1: Waqar Nisar/Jamil Akhtar beat Syed Sajid Ali Bukhari/Khalil Chaudhary 8-0, Mahir Nisar/Tariq Sadiq beat Adnan Khan/Saleem Azmat Khan 8-0, Khurram Imtiaz/Sheheryar Salamat beat Col Atif/Qadir Nawaz 8-0 and Mehboob Waheed/Mohammad Yousaf beat Ali Qayum/Waheed 8-3.

Mohammad Shoaib overcomes veteran Aqeel Khan 2-1 in final, Sarah wins Ladies’ titleSports Bulletin ReportWah Cantt (Rawalpindi): The Pakistan No.1 tennis player, Mohammad Shoaib has won the title of the Chairman POF Board National Tennis Championship after beating veteran Aqeel Khan 2-1 in the final here at POF Tennis Complex on Saturday. The final score-line was 6-4, 4-6, and 6-4.Results (finals):Men’s Singles: Mohammad Shoaib beat Aqqel Khan (2-1) 6-4, 4-6, 6-4Girls’ U18 Singles: Soha Ali beat Lalala Rukh Sajid (2-0) 6-1, 6-1Ladies Singles: Sara Mehboob beat Sheeza Sajid (2-0) 6-4, 6-3Boys’ U18 Singles: Hamza Roman beat Hamid Israr (2-0) 6-3, 6-2Boys’ U14 Singles: Hassan Usmani beat Shayan Afridi (2-0) 6-1, 6-2Seniors 45+ Doubles: Talha Waheed & Israr Gul beat Mohammad Amin & Rashid Ali (2-0) 6-2, 6-2 

Aqeel Khan and Mohammad Shaoib reach in the Men’s Singles finalSports Bulletin ReportWah Cantt (Rawalpindi): Top seeding player Aqeel Khan and Mohammad Shaoib qualified for the Men’s Singles final of the Chairman POF Board, National Ranking Tennis Championship after beating their respective rivals in semifinal here at POF Tennis Complex on Friday. The final will be played on Saturday at the same venue. Hassan won the Under-14 Boys’ Singles title.Results (finals):Girls’ U18 Singles: Soha Ali beat Lalala Rukh Sajid 6-1, 6-1Ladies Singles: Sara Mehboob beat Sheeza Sajid 6-4, 6-3Boys’ U18 Singles: Hamza Roman beat Hamid Israr 6-3, 6-2Boys’ U14 Singles: Hassan Usmani beat Shayan Afridi 6-1, 6-2Seniors 45+ Doubles: Talha Waheed & Israr Gul beat Mohammad Amin & Rashid Ali with 6-2, 6-2Men’s Single (Semifinals):Aqeel Khan beat Mohammad Abid 7-5, 6-3Mohammad Shoaib beat Yousaf Khalil 6-2, 6-3

Sports Bulletin ReportWah Cantt (Rawalpindi): Top seed Aqeel Khan stunned 4th Hamza 2-0 in straight sets in a men’s singles match of the 4th Chairman POF Board, National Ranking Tennis Tournament at POF Tennis Complex on Thursday.On the fourth day of the tournament, in Men's Single Category top seed Aqeel Khan defeated Hamza Roman with the score-line of 6-0, 6-1. Mohammad Shoaib beat Barkat Ullah at 6-3, 6-2. Yousaf Khalil beat Muzammil Murtaza with 6-2, 6-1. Mohammad Abid beat Abdullah Adnan with 6-1, 6-1. In Boys under 18 category, Mohammad Faizan defeated Ehsan Bari with 4-1, 4-1 while Hamza Roman beat Mohammad Salar with 6-4, 7-5. In the girls Under 18 category, Soha Ali overcame Sheeza Sajid with the score-line of 0-6, 6-2, and 6-4 while Lalarukh Sajid defeated Mahrukh Sajid with 6-4, 7-6 (4).

Sports Bulletin Report Wah Cantt (Rawalpindi): Yousaf Khalil, Abdullah Adnan, Hamza Roman, Muzamil Murtaza, Mohammad Abid, Mohammad Shoaib, Barkat Ullah, and Aqeel Khan have won their respective matches on the third day of the Men’s Singles Event of the 4th Chairman POF Board, National Ranking Tennis Tournament is being played at POF Tennis Complex on Wednesday.Men’s Singles:Yousaf Khalil beat Saqib Hayat 7-6 (2), 6-2Abdullah Adnan beat Zalan Khan 6-1, 7-5Hamza Roman beat Hamid Israr 6-2, 6-1Muzamil Murtaza beat Nalain Abbas 6-1, 6-3Mohammad Abid beat Sami Zeb Khan 7-5, 6-0Mohammad Shoaib beat Shahzad Khan 6-3, 6-3Barkat Ullah beat Jibran Ul Haq 6-0, 6-1Aqeel Khan beat Heera Ashiq 6-4, 6-4Boys’ U18 Singles:Asad Zaman beat Sheryar Anees 6-4, 6-1Hamid Israr beat Mohammad Yahya 6-0, 6-3Mohammad Salar beat Inam Qadir 6-3, 6-4.

Hameed ul Haq The Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF) Elections, held on February 10, 2024, for the post of President, Secretary, and Treasurer were tainted by a strong controversy right from the start due to a questioned vote. The elections were held, after an inordinate delay of over a year beyond the expiry of the term of the incumbent federation, who desired to prolong its stay for as long as possible.The Elections featured two panels, one led by Major General Asghar Nawaz (Retd) and another by Aisam ul Haq. The election yielded a split result with the panel of the former winning two important slots of Secretary General and Treasurer while Aisam ul Haq could barely secure the slot of President with a narrow margin of one vote, which is considered disputed. The Chief Election Commissioner, Mr Shakeel Durrani, former Chairman WAPDA presided over the election process and faced a predicament when a candidate raised a serious objection challenging the eligibility of the vote of International Lawn Tennis Club (ILTC) Pakistan, an associate member unit of PTF. The objections were raised in the light of the PTF Constitution and it was pointed out that ILTC having defaulted in payment of dues of PTF for the last five years falls into the status of “expelled member” and hence loses the right to vote. The more serious amongst the other objections pertained to violation of Article 21 of said Constitutions according to which only the President of an associate member of PTF or his authorized representative can cast the vote. The President of ILTC passed away in March 2021, and with no President elected an aged Secretary of ILTC who is been ridden since long authorized, illegally, a representative to cast the vote in Elections which is considered a flagrant violation of the PTF Constitution.The Chief Election Commissioner, after duly acknowledging the objections to be genuine allowed the elections process to continue with the proviso that the objections would later be addressed through established rules and forms, as per the PTF Constitution, in a specially called General Meeting of PTF Council, within ten days.He made it clear that the voting results may alter or elections may be held again if the contested vote is found illegal as per the PTF Constitution. Another surprising aspect was that the observer representative of POA, the parent body of the Country’s sports federations, was kept out of the crucial first phase of the election proceedings when these objections were discussed with the Chief Election Commissioner.The vote of ILTC assumes significance because it openly nominated and expressed its support for the Panel led by the Aisam ul Haq and if the vote gets void, besides of embarrassment caused, the votes for President PTF will become equal and a tie will occur. The PTF’s outgoing Management, with an obvious bias, has also tried to give a twist to the matter by the incorrect recording of the Chief Elections Commissioner’s decisions in Minutes of Elections, issued on 17 February 2024 which has been promptly noticed by all stakeholders.Considering the past performance of the previous PTF set-up where no fresh crop of internationally competitive players was prepared resulting in a 4-0 drubbing of Pakistan’s Davis at the hands of an Indian Davis Cup team at Islamabad, there is a requirement that fairness, professionalism and merit is promoted in the tennis affairs. The holding of elections marred with illegalities and controversies bodes ill for the future of the game. Pakistan Olympics Association and the relevant stakeholders must step in to ensure that the election process of PTF is subjected to fair play, legality, and fairness, in the absence of which the entire edifice of tennis promotion and player development will remain elusive.(Editor Note: The writer is a former tennis player and achieved many titles for the country. If someone wants to give his point of view about this article Sports Bulletin will welcome, and publish that)  

Sports Bulletin ReportLAHORE: Muzamil Murtaza claimed two titles of the RLK Group Punjab Open Tennis Championship 2024 that concluded on a high note at the Punjab Tennis Academy, Bagh-e-Jinnah Lahore on Wednesday.Muzamil Murtaza showcased his supremacy on the court by first securing victory in the men's singles final against M Abid with scores of 6-4, 7-6. He didn't stop there; teaming up with Abdullah Adnan, Muzamil also triumphed in the men's doubles final, overcoming the duo of M Abid and Waqas Malik with a 6-3, 7-5 victory. "Winning not just one, but two titles at this championship feels surreal. It's a testament to the hard work and dedication we have put in," Murtaza expressed post-victory. The championship also saw Shimza Durab clinching the ladies' singles title by defeating Bismel Zia with a convincing 6-3, 6-1 in the final, showcasing her prowess on the court. The seniors' categories were equally competitive, with notable victories from Talha Waheed (GO Pakistan) and Arif Feroze in the doubles 45 plus category, and seniors champion Rashid Malik demonstrating his undiminished skill in the seniors 50 plus singles, outwitting Fayyaz Khan by 6-1, 6-1. The seniors 60 plus doubles title was claimed by Brig Ghazanfar/Waqar Nisar, who outshone Maj Saeed/Mubeen Malik 6-2, 6-1. In the boys/girls U-14 final, Abdur Rehman beat Huzaima 6-0. In the boys/girls U-12 final, Muaz Shahbaz beat Ohad e Mustafa 6-2 while the boys/girls U-10 title was lifted by Ayan Shahbaz, who thrashed Ehsan Bari 6-1. The concluding ceremony was graced by Dr. Rashid Latif Khan, Chairman of the RLK Group, as the chief guest, with Hasan Said, Director of RLSB, serving as the guest of honor. Hasan Said played a pivotal role in the tournament's successful organization. "Our commitment to tennis is unwavering. We aim not just to host tournaments but to nurture young talent, helping them bring glory to our nation," Dr. Khan remarked during the prize distribution ceremony. PLTA Secretary Rashid Malik extended his gratitude towards the RLK Group for their all-out support. "Their sponsorship and support have been invaluable. It is our collective hope to make this championship a cornerstone of Pakistan's tennis calendar," Malik stated. The tournament, celebrated for its competitive spirit and high professional standards, not only provided a platform for showcasing talent but also reaffirmed the commitment of the RLK Group and the PLTA towards the development of tennis in Pakistan.