The approach of Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF) towards development of tennis in Pakistan is flawed. Instead of investing in grassroots programmes, the federation office-bearers are focusing on joyriding foreign junkets and meaningless events like the Serena tournament, featuring a clutch of old faces past their prime, comprising over 45 men and over 30 women. This is a blatant waste of precious sponsorship money. The lone achievement cited of Aisam-ul-Haq’s victory was in an event for non-professionals.
The consequences of the PTF’s mismanagement are palpable in the plummeting standards of Pakistan tennis. Pakistan’s women’s team during the current management’s tenure has been relegated from Group 2 to Group 3 for the first time in history, while the men’s team continues to suffer humiliating defeat after defeat in the Davis Cup, barely clinging to Group 2 and perilously close to being relegated to Group 3, following the humiliation suffered by the women’s team.
It is high time the PTF got serious and took responsibility for its actions instead of presenting a false picture of achievements and splurging precious sponsorship money, keeping even the sponsors in dark about the sad reality of declining tennis standards in the country.
Lt Col (retd) Asif Dar
Islamabad
