First women’s tennis coach in the offing?

Pakistan’s top player Sara Mansoor eyes chance to achieve milestone

KARACHI: Pakistan’s top national tennis player Sara Mansoor has set her sights on becoming the first International Tennis Federation (ITF) female coach of the country, saying that the dearth of women coaches in Pakistan is pushing the sport back.

Sara, 28, has been the top player of the country for the last few years and while she continues to feature in the tennis events, she wants to complete her ITF Level II coaching course.

Sara was the assistant to ITF Level III tutor coach Kamran Khalil last month in the Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF) Pre ITF Level I course in Lahore, where she managed 35 participants and believes that it taught her more about tennis in the coaching capacity.



“We really don’t have any female coaches to speak of,” the Fed Cupper told The Express Tribune. “It’s important for women to take to the coaching field and I think I can play some part in the change. I feel even the parents would be more comfortable if they know that their daughters are being coached by a woman.”

She did her first course in 2012 and, according to Sara, the experience opened her eyes to different techniques and more knowledge about tennis.



“I’m not backing out of playing tennis, but yes I do want to coach once I’m not playing,” she said. “I still have to complete my ITF Level II course, for which I’ll have to go to Iran. The Pakistan Tennis Federation has been supportive and hopefully we’ll get enough funds for that.”

Published in The Express Tribune, October 2^nd, 2016.

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