PESHAWAR Senior Vice President Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Tennis Association Dr. Farhat Abbas Wednesday said the 8th edition of the DIG Amanullah Memorial Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Open Tennis Championship will start on November 23 at Peshawar Sports Complex for which arrangements have been finalized.
Addressing a press conference here flanked by Farhat Abbas, accompanied by Secretary General KP Tennis Association Umar Ayaz Khalil, he said all arrangements in this connection have been completed for the smooth conduct of the Championship here at the synthetic courts of the Peshawar Sports Complex.
Dr Abbas said Chairman Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Tennis Association and known plastic surgeon Dr. Muhammad Tahir, President KP Tennis Association DIG Saleem Marwat other veteran players would also be there during the opening ceremony.
‘We have also made a request to Pakistan No. 1 Aqeel Khan to appear in the Championship as guest players in order to encourage the upcoming Tennis players, hailing from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Dr. Farhat Abb
as said.
Senior Vice President of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Tennis Association and known Cardiologist Dr. Professor Farhat Abbas said that our main focus is the upcoming new lot so that they could be provided competitive exposures like we had for present top ranking players in the past.
He also appreciated Dr. Tahir, who recently represented Pakistan in the ITF Election held in Mexico and informed about the talent that we have in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in particular in Pakistan in general.
He thanked President Pakistan Tennis Federation Salim Saifullah Khan for his dedicated efforts in bringing international matches including Davis Cup ties to Pakistan. Through such events, players would be able to make their ranking higher at the international level while participating in the international tournaments under the International Tennis Federation (ITF).
He said Hamza made history but no one from the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa even called him and encouraged the young Hamza who won prestigious events for Pakistan i
nternationally. ‘Sports in Pakistan could only be promoted so we should encourage our international ranking players,’ Dr. Farhat Abbas said.
Dr. Farhat Abbas said that the players would compete in U9, U13, U18, main Single and Double. About the players, Dr. Farhat Abbas said that more than two 250 players will participate in the Championship as part of the Khyber Tennis Association annual calendar. The last date of entry is till the evening of November 20, he informed.
Umar Ayaz Khalil said that the players participating in the Championship must bring their original Form-B while entering because the management committee will not register without the original Form-B. The Championship, he said, is carrying a cash prize of Rs. 250,000, which will be distributed among the winning players.
He said international players including Hamid Israr, Hamza Roman, Shayan, Ryan, Faizan, and Salar will participate while the management committee will include Nauman, Zakir, Shahid, Shehryar, Shah Hussain and Roman.