Table tennis players blame coach, manager for exit

Officials were not bothered about us in Asian qualifiers, says team captain.

KARACHI:

Pakistan’s poor show in the South Asian Juniors table Tennis Championship in India – where the team lost in the semi-final – has been blamed on the inefficiency of the manager and coach.

The Pakistan Table Tennis Federation (PTTF) had sent seven players to Shillong for the event that doubled as qualifiers for the Asian Junior Championship.

However,  according to team captain Salman Virk, the lack of organisation and ignorance on the parts of Khalid Mehmood and Nadeem Sajid, the team was unable to perform upto its mark.

Pakistan had finished second last year but lost to Nepal in the semis this time round.

“We were clueless about the timings and only got told of a match half an hour before the start time,” Virk told The Express Tribune.

“The manager and the coach had the schedule but they failed to inform us in time. Every other team was practicing hard but our officials were never bothered about us. We were pretty hopeless that way.

“We could’ve played better but we never got the opportunity.”

Pakistan needed to win the title In order to qualify for the Asian Championship that takes place in China next month.

“What we need now is a good coach. The players can deliver but they do need the right instructions.”

Meanwhile, 20 players have refused to travel to Quetta for the South Asian Games camp citing security issues in the city.

“There are no plans as the players aren’t going and we have not heard from the PTTF as yet,” said Tabish Khurshid, Virk’s teammate at the South Asian Championship.

PTTF officials, meanwhile, were unavailable for comment.

Published In The Express Tribune, June 27^th, 2012.