September 08, 2008	Monday	Ramazan 07, 1429

KARACHI, Sept 7: Pakistan’s International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) course conductor Arif Khan has been offered a long-term coaching assignment until the next SAF Games by the Bangladesh Table Tennis Federation (BTTF).

The offer was made to him at the end of a one-month coaching camp which he (Arif) had conducted at the behest of BTTF at the National Sports Council gymnasium in Dhaka recently.

“They were impressed with my job and want me to continue at least till the SAF Games which also takes place in Dhaka,” Arif, who had conducted an Olympic Solidarity course, last year in Bangladesh, told Dawn on Sunday.

Arif, who rose to fame by landing two men’s singles gold medals in back-to-back SAF Games at Calcutta in 1987 and Islamabad in 1989 in addition to a mixed doubles gold, said the hosts were more than satisfied with his results.

“I was given a lot of 22 boys and 12 girls between the age group of U-15 to U-22 for grooming in the camp which was sponsored by AB bank,” he added.

The players, he said, were enthusiastic in learning the finer points of the game.

Arif said he was assisted by two local coaches in carrying out his assignment.