Sporting activities: Tennis academy opens doors to women

Federation officials promise courts in every district

PESHAWAR: A tennis academy for women has been inaugurated at Frontier College for Women to encourage more women to play the sport.

This was stated in a handout issued by Directorate General of Sports on Saturday. According to the document, an inauguration ceremony was held at the institute on Saturday.

“More players would come at national and international levels in the game with the establishment of a tennis academy,” the handout quoted Pakistan Tennis Federation K-P Vice President Tahir as saying. “The aim is to establish a venue that would host tennis activities in future for women.”

He added K-P Tennis Association, with its limited resources, is working to carve a niche for tennis in the province.

“A similar academy was set up four years ago for boys between the ages of eight and 12,” the document quoted him as saying. “But it did not bear fruit.”

However, he said, the province has been ranked top in under-12, under-14, under-16 and now under-19 categories.

“Our players are now on number one and two from all age groups,” the handout cited him as saying. “It is just because of the establishment of a nursery at the grass-root level. We are making all out efforts for the promotion of tennis in the province in particular and the country in general.”

He added K-P Tennis Association is working hard to set up tennis courts in all the districts for both male and female players. “Two of our players Saqib Umar and Shoaib Khan are currently in Sri Lanka, representing Pakistan in Junior Davis Cup Tie, which is a great honour for K-P.”

Published in The Express Tribune, March 13^th, 2016.