Seven named in table tennis squad

South Asian event to take place in India next month.

KARACHI: Four boys and three girls were named by the Pakistan Table Tennis Federation (PTTF) to represent the country in the South Asian Junior Championship that will take place in India.

The event, from June 17, serves as a qualifying tournament for the Asian Junior Championship to be held in September. Saleem Virk, Tabish Khurshid, Muhammad Rameez and Aahil Tharani will compete in the boy’s event while Abeera Ali, Farwa Babar and  Iqra Saeed will play in the girl’s event.

According to PTTF President Riaz Ahmed, if the players perform well and qualify for the Asian Championship, the squad will be sent to China for training.

“I’m extremely impressed with the players from Sindh as four out of seven are from Karachi,” Ahmed told The Express Tribune. “I am treating this tournament as the revival of table tennis in Pakistan.”

Published in The Express Tribune, May 5^th, 2012.