July 23, 2008	Wednesday	Rajab 19, 1429

KARACHI, July 22: A three-day Islamia Junior Open table tennis tournament gets into action at the Islamia Club gymnasium from Thursday.

It will be held in five categories — boys’ under-15, under-18 singles, under-18 team event and girls’ under-15 and under-18 singles.

“The purpose of holding the competition is to provide an opportunity to camp trainees to test their skills by playing against better players, ITTF coach and camp commandant, Arif Khan, said on Tuesday.

The seven-week camp for boys and girls under the aegis of the KTTA got underway on June 10 in the age groups of under-12, under-15 and under-18.

The formal closing of the camp will be held on July 30.

Arif is being assisted in the camp by coaches Hasan Imam and Mohammad Muzammil.

Arif, a former SAF Games gold medallist, was confident that the camp would throw new talent in the near future.

Meanwhile, Arif will fly to Dhaka on July 31 to take up a month long coaching assignment of grooming Bangladesh juniors in preparation for the South Asian Games.