PTF Holds Annual General Meeting, Seeks Help To Build Four Grass

ISLAMABAD, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 30th Dec, 2016 ) : Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF) Friday held its Annual General Meeting here at the Syed Dilawar Abbas PTF Tennis Complex. Chairing the meeting, PTF President Salim Saifullah Khan informed the participants that the Davis Cup tie would be played on synthetic hard courts of Pakistan sports Board.

Additionally, he sought help of Minister for Inter Provincial Coordination (IPC) Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada Minster to build three to four grass courts at PSB on war-footing basis so that the next tie due in April 2017 and might be played on grass.

Patron PTF Syed Dilawar Abbas, SEVP Iftikhar Rashid, PTF Secretary Muhammad Khalid Rehmani, members of the management committee and representatives of PTF affiliated units including Navy, Pakistan Air Force, Sindh, KPK, ITA, SNGPL, Wapda, PSTA attended the meeting.

Salim Saifullah thanked ITF President David Haggerty and other ITF board Directors and members of the Davis Cup Committee for allotting Davis Cup tie to Pakistan He also expressed gratitude to President of Asian Tennis Federation Anil Khanna for his all-out support at all forums to get the Tie for Pakistan.

The PTF, he said, would invite Anil Khanna as a guest of honor at the Davis Cup tie. The PTF President also offered a regional office for Asian Tennis Federation at PTF, Islamabad. It is pertinent to mention that most of Pakistan's wins at home, have been on grass, and players Aqeel and Aisam are extremely good on grass courts.

Salim Saifullah informed the meeting that President Mamnoon Hussain and Prime Minster Muhammad Nawaz Sharif had conveyed their congratulations to PTF for getting the Davis Cup tie after 12 long years.

He thanked to the PM and government for approving a Rs 50 million `investment grant' for PTF and which "we expect to be received soon." President Pakistan Ordinance Factory Sports Control Board (Wah) Dr Aamir Murad offered to hold two back-to-back ITF Futures (Men's Professional Circuit events), with $ 15,000 prize money each in 2017 at its facilities.

Appreciating the gesture, the council members said it would help bring more foreign players to Pakistan. After a decade, Muhammad Khalid Rehmani informed that the PTF was able to hold 10 international Championships in the country during 2016, including four Asian Tennis Tour (ATT) men's professional championships.

Moreover, this was first time ever that PTF organized 11 tournaments with cash prizes above Rs 500,000. Before this year, only one or two such events were being held in the country. He was hopeful that in 2017, two to three more 500,000 plus prize money events would be added in 2017.

PTF is also introducing a new circuit for boys and girls of ten and under age groups, with the name of Lobbing love Tennis Ten Series from January 2017, in collaboration with the same named academy in Houston, Texas.

It will carry National Ranking points. The PTF President informed that all that the federation was working on leasing a piece of land at Lahore and Karachi to build PTF's own Sports Complex at both cities.

The meeting also approved operational rules on age assessments and eligibility for junior players to curb the malpractice amongst juniors to conceal their actual age by producing forged documents.

From January 2017, there would be no Prize Money for junior events, as per ITF rules. The same amount would be spent on Juniors Development program by the sponsors as per PTF rules, and players would get a combination of tennis equipment and Tennis Training Allowance instead.

The sponsorship allocated amount will remain as before so that an incentive to juniors may be secured. The meeting also approved officiating reforms and enhanced the fee of qualified yellow Badge Umpires from January 2017.

Minimum of four qualified Umpires would be required for each national tournament, at least one being from another city. The council was also informed that trials for selection of the Davis Cup team for the February tie would commence at the PTF on December 30.