KARACHI: Chinese ping pong coach Yao Zhen Xu, who changed fortunes of Pakistani players during his three-year coaching stint from 1975 to 1977 arrives here on Oct 4 at an invitation of Pakistan Table Tennis Federation (PTTF) on a short visit to deliver lectures on the game.

“The veteran coach has acceded to our request and will arrive here from Bangkok on a four-day visit,” the PTTF president, S. M. Sibtain, told Dawn on Saturday.

He added that during his four-day stay in the country, the coach will deliver lectures in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad.

Yao Zhen Xu, 68, will be visiting Pakistan after almost three decades. The last time he came was in 1986 during the Asia Cup table tennis championship held in the city.

He has also served as vice-president and general secretary of the Chinese Table Tennis Federation and chairman technical committee of the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF).

“The PTTF will bear the cost of his domestic travelling and local hospitality,” Sibtain added.

It is pertinent to mention that the players who were groomed by the Chinese expert still hold him in high esteem. It was his training that helped Pakistan finish among the top six of Asia in 1984 and Farjad Saif’s appearance at the 1988 Seoul Olympics, where the sport made its Olympics debut.

The batch that learnt finer points from him among others include brothers Javed Hayat and Sohail Hayat, Javed Ghaffar, Arif Nakhuda, Arif Khan, Irfanullah, the late Shaheen Lateef, Munsarim Saif. Former national champion Farjad Saif was the youngest trainee.

The women’s who learnt finer points among others include Shakoor sisters – Rubina, Seema and Nazo, Naheed Waris, Farzana Feroz.

Published in Dawn, August 30th, 2015

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