KARACHI:
As the players gear up for the World Table Tennis Individual Championship that starts on May 8 in the Netherlands, the Pakistan Table Tennis Federation (PTTF) President Riaz Ahmed claims that country’s participation in the event is a new beginning.
The federation is sending five players including national champion Ali Faisal along with Asim Qureshi, Yasir Iqbal, Shabnam Bilal and Ayesha Iqbal who will leave for Netherlands on May 6. The seven-day event features more than 800 athletes from all over the world.
“I don’t have unrealistic hopes but I’m taking this as a fresh start for the sport in the country,” Ahmed told The Express Tribune.
“We haven’t sent any player in the individual championship for the past five years therefore I think there is a lot of pressure on them to do well. However, we’re hoping this will boost their confidence and motivate them to go further.”
On the other hand, Faisal, who is settled in Germany and only visits Pakistan during the national championship, is aiming at a quarter-final berth in the World Championship. Faisal also said that regular participation in local tournaments in Berlin keeps him in form.
Meanwhile, Pakistan number two Qureshi is nervous about his performance because of lack of practice and coaching. He will participate in an international individual tournament after a decade.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 4th, 2011.
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