2 May 2005	Monday	22 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1426

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window)

ISLAMABAD, May 1: The Pakistan tennis chief was ecstatic on Sunday after the national Davis Cup team advanced to the qualifying round of the World Group. Speaking to Dawn, Syed Dilawar Abbas said that it was a remarkable achievement by his players Aisamul Haq and Aqeel Khan both of whom had now starred in several Pakistan victories.

“They have done us proud yet again. Only recently they excelled at Islamic Games and have now proved their mettle in the Davis Cup by putting us among the top 20 nations.” Aisam and Aqeel, who saved Pakistan blushes at the Islamic Games in Saudi Arabia where they won three gold and a bronze - the country’s only medals - shone brightly on Sunday winning their respective reverse singles.

“I am delighted that all the efforts that we made have paid off and the boys with their fine show have put Pakistan alongside the elite tennis-playing nations.”

Ever since Dilawar took over at the helm of PTF in April 2002, Pakistan have won Davis Cup ties against China, Korea, Thailand, New Zealand and twice against Taiwan.

“It is an honour for us to be among the top tennis countries and I am confident that if the boys maintain this kind of form, we can go even further.”

Meanwhile Dilawar’s recent swipe at the government for not acknowledging the performances of tennis players, has been taken note of with the team now set to be honoured by President Gen Pervez Musharraf on Tuesday.

Similarly, Pakistan tennis great Hameedul Haq has called upon the government to lend strong financial support to the game now that the country was heading for the elite World Group.

“Our players first became Asian powers and then proved their mettle in the Islamic world and now are within smelling distance of the World Group. It is no small achievement,” he said.

“It is unfortunate that when the players and the federation are struggling, neither the Pakistan Sports Board nor the national Olympic association is willing to support them. But just when they begin to perform and produce outstanding results, everyone steps in to take credit.”

He recalled that PTF, the game’s governing body, had a couple of years ago written to the Pakistan Olympic Association (POA) for financial help for the upgradation of its complex in Islamabad. “To this day, there has been no response from them,” he pointed out.

Hameed, Pakistan’s most capped Davis Cup player, said that the government and the POA had been lending extensive support to squash, hockey and boxing and it was now time for them to begin supporting tennis in a big way.

“The PSB should take stock of the situation and be fair in its dealing with the federations. If performance is the criterion, then certainly tennis ranks high on the list.”

He lamented that while millions of rupees were spent on the preparation of Pakistani athletes for the recent Islamic Games, none except for the tennis players could win any medals.