July 10, 2003	Thursday	Jumadi-ul-Awwal 9,1424

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LAHORE, July 9: A five member Pakistan badminton team will take part in the Asia Cup be held in Malaysia in October this year.

Pakistan Badminton Federation (PBF) secretary Aamir Hayat Khan Rokari announced it while addressing at a press conference on Wednesday.

Aamir said that three players would represent the country in the singles’ event and the two would form a pair to compete in the doubles’ event of the contest.

The secretary said the PBF was willing to send a team in  the World Cup to be held in Birmingham this year but the world body had not allowed it because the entries were restricted to only world top 30 players.

He said that International Badminton Federation (IBF) had allotted Pakistan a satellite tournament which would be held at  Islamabad in December this year. Ten countries were taking part in it, he said.

The federation he said would also held a national tournament in Faisalabad in September and Prime Minister Cup tournament  in Rawalpindi in August.

He also said that 25 districts will take part in the first Punjab Inter-district badminton championship to be held at the New Khan court from July 10 to 13.

Aamir who is also the resident Punjab Badminton Association (PBA) said that the contest would be held on knock-out  basis. Each district would send two male and as many female players. The best of three matches in the team event would be held, he said.

Asked why the Punjab Olympic Association (POA) denied  him participation in the last Punjab Games, Aamir alleged  that the secretary of POA Khawaja Idrees Haider had assured him for the participation but later included another group.

He said that POA did it to  please the Pakistan Olympic Association. He said that the World and Asian bodies of the  game had  accepted his federation but POA was showing  indifferent attitude.