We need junior players, who can play and represent Pakistan, so I’m trying to hold the camp with our coaches during my break, says Aisamul Haq Qureshi. PHOTO: AFP/FILE
Aisam, who will conclude his ATP tour in December, will prepare for his Davis Cup campaign by training with the junior players in Lahore, along with coaches Rashid Malik and Muhammad Khalid.
“I’ll be training the junior players and helping them improve,” Aisam told The Express Tribune. “One of my goals for next year will be to qualify for the Asia-Oceania Zone Group-I. But at the same time we need junior players as well, who can play and represent Pakistan, so I’m trying to hold the camp with our coaches during my break from the ATP tour.”
Aisam said that he decided to spend his time in Lahore instead of going to India, where his friend and also his doubles partner for next season, Rohan Bopanna, had invited the Pakistan star to train with him.
“Bopanna asked me if I wanted to train with him in India, but I chose to use this break to train the juniors here. My goal in the camp will be to help the juniors with their physical fitness, their activities and discipline, because our coaches can train them on the technical aspect.”
Aisam added that he wants the Pakistan team to do well in the Davis Cup next year and the three-week camp will be helpful.
Pakistan have been playing in Group II of the Asian-Oceania Zone for more than two years now, as all the countries in the group refused to visit the country for the ties due to security concerns.
Pakistan were forced to travel to their opponents’ turf each time, losing the home advantage and the choice of stadium, which affected the team’s performance.
Aisam has been leading Pakistan’s pursuit of holding Davis Cup ties at home, saying that it would help people understand tennis, as they will be able to watch their players perform against other countries.
He also worked closely with the Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF) to find a neutral venue for the second-round ties against New Zealand this year.
The PTF managed to hold the ties at a neutral venue in Myanmar, where grass courts were available. However, the tie was awarded to New Zealand 5-1 after a Sri Lankan referee decided that the court conditions were ‘unplayable’.
Undeterred by the setbacks, Aisam said he is hopeful for the future of tennis in Pakistan and will continue his goal of taking the country to Group I along with Aqeel Khan. Pakistan will play Vietnam in their first-round match of the Asia-Oceania Zone Group II in February.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 24th, 2013.
Like Sports on Facebook, follow @ETribuneSports on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.
COMMENTS (1)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
Train the young talent.. Seems like Aisam has got interest in PTI.