Pakistan tenpin team to take part in Asian games

Federation secretary believes Ramazan tournaments have helped players prepare

KARACHI: The Pakistan Tenpin Bowling Federation (PTBF) are preparing to send their a team to the Asian Indoor Games that are scheduled to take place in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, and federation secretary Ijazur Rehman believes that Ramazan tournaments have helped the players train for the event.

The players will be competing in three major international events this year and the PTBF is looking to give the players much-needed exposure before going to the World Cup and World Championship that will start after the Asian Indoor Games, revealed Rehman.

“Our international tournaments will begin from September with the Asian Indoor Games,” Rehman told The Express Tribune. “So our aim has been to prepare for these events. We’ll probably be sending our top six players to Ashgabat and are hoping to get medals there. We didn’t win anything in last year’s tournament because of a new squad but our players have improved since then and I have high hopes from them.”

Rehman said the trials for the final squad will take place in August, while all the bowlers are training for the upcoming national competition that will decide their future in the squad. He added that all the players are participating in local events like the Ramazan tournaments to better train themselves.

This week, Saleem Baig, the second ranked Pakistani player, won the masters category singles of the Ramazan Tenpin Championship , while Afzal Akhtar, who is an emerging talent, secured second place and Saqib Shehzad finished third.

“These Ramazan tournaments help,” said Rehman. “We organised one in Islamabad and another in Karachi. The competition level is very high in these events. Meanwhile, we also dig out new talent that we feel we can groom. The idea is to keep the players in action through such tournaments.”

Furthermore, Rehman said that he is hoping to increase the number of female players to represent the country at Asian events in the future too.

“This time we are again sending only men, but we surely want to have our women competing at the Asian Indoor Games too,” said Rehman. “So far the talent we have among women is not polished enough and their game is not of the same quality as of the international players. However, slowly we will create an environment where they can take bowling seriously and represent Pakistan at the next Asian Indoor Games.”