May 8, 2006	Monday	Rabi-us-Sani 9, 1427

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ISLAMABAD, May 7: Pakistan's former Davis Cup captain Hameedul Haq on Sunday announced plans of setting up a tennis academy in Islamabad.

Hameed, 44, who is now into coaching, told Dawn that he was in the process of acquiring land through a private sponsor and hopefully work on the project will start later this year.

"The whole idea of establishing the academy is to groom young players and bring in new faces on the national tennis scene," he said.

Hameed, the current Asian Seniors champion, disclosed that since he was on the verge of retirement from Wapda, he would now be devoting more time and energy towards establishing the academy.

Coming from a family that has produced a string of champions, among them Davis Cuppers Inamul Haq and Islamul Haq, the veteran player said that the academy will be run truly on modern lines.

"I will be getting tremendous help from my brother Islam, who is a head pro at the New Hampshire Tennis Academy in the United States."

Together with Hameed, Islam created history by helping Pakistan qualify for the World Group Playoff for the first time ever in 1984 at the Rawalpindi Club.