KARACHI, Sept 23: A Chinese table tennis coach is scheduled to arrive in Pakistan on Oct 17 to take up his assignment of grooming the paddlers for next year’s international committments. “Pakistan will feature in SAF Games, Commonwealth Games, Asian Games and the World Team championship next year,” the newly elected president of Pakistan Table Tennis Federation (PTTF), Mr. S. M. Sibtain, said on Friday.

He said the PTTF had asked its provincial units to send four under-19 players each to Islamabad by Oct 16 to undergo an extensive training in camp. The current national players belonging to departments would join the camp after Eid, he said.

Sibtain disclosed that the executive committee of PTTF would meet in Karachi on Sept 29 to chalk out future line of action for the uplift of the game.

“It’s my endeavour to go for gold in SAF games besides attaining respectable position in the game in Asia,” the PTTF president said.

He said that a four-year plan was in the offing under which six months target will be set up apart from having an execution and monitoring system.

S. M. Sibtain said PTTF would soon launch a country-wide talent hunt programme starting from the grassroots level including schools and clubs.

He said for the first time PTTF would start registration of players across the country.

Meanwhile, the PTTF has asked districts and provinces to complete their championships latest by November before the national event which is being held at the fag end of this year.