Sobia Khan
Karachi: A media briefing for the Naya Nazimabad Ramadan National Tennis Championship was held on Tuesday at the Naya Nazimabad Gymkhana, where organisers announced a week-long national tournament featuring the country’s leading players and one of the richest prize purses in local tennis.
The briefing was addressed by Naya Nazimabad Gymkhana Chief Executive Samad Habib, Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF) President Aisamul Haq Qureshi, and NNG President Syed Muhammad Talha.
Commitment to tennis development
Samad Habib reaffirmed the group’s commitment to supporting tennis in Pakistan and nurturing international-level talent.
He said Naya Nazimabad plans to collaborate with the PTF to establish an international-standard tennis academy at the Gymkhana to groom players capable of competing at the highest global level.
“We are fully backing tennis and aim to create facilities that help produce world-class players,” he said.
Prize money and participation
Aisamul Haq Qureshi thanked Arif Habib, Chairman of the Arif Habib Group, for sponsoring the event, which carries a total prize money of Rs2.05 million — described as the richest purse for a national-level Ramadan tournament.
He said all top Pakistani men’s players, including current Davis Cup members, will participate alongside players from across the country. The last date for entries is February 13.
Qureshi added that with the support of the Sindh Tennis Association, efforts are underway to attract more sponsors to strengthen national tennis activities in Karachi. He also confirmed that he will compete in the doubles event.
Tournament categories
According to Syed Muhammad Talha, the championship will feature multiple categories, including:
- Men’s Singles
- Ladies’ Singles
- Juniors Under-18 (boys and girls)
- Under-14 Singles (boys and girls)
Outstation junior players qualifying for the main draw will be provided economy-class railway fare to facilitate participation.
Grassroots initiatives
Organisers also highlighted ongoing grassroots development at the Gymkhana. An ITF Junior Tennis Initiative (JTI) coaching camp has been running for the past month, with 14 sessions already conducted.
More than 800 primary school students have been introduced to tennis under the programme. National JTI Coordinator Hamid Niaz has been overseeing the training.
Several officials and stakeholders, including Altaf Hussain, Muhammad Khalid Rehmani, Ghulam Muhammad, Asgher Baloch, Syed Sakhawat Ali, Abdul Hameed, Muhammad Asif, Sarwar Hussain and Salman Mughal, also attended the event.
