KARACHI: The two month-long Sindh Sports Board-STA wheelchair tennis coaching camp and talent hunt initiative concluded at Union Club on Sunday.

In the trials held two months back, five wheelchair tennis players were selected for advance training. Aqeel Shabbir was the coach and Khalid Rehmani, PTF’s special vice president for wheelchair tennis was the camp commandant.

Rehmani informed that during the past two month the wheelchair tennis was part of STAs ranking tournaments which included 6th Indus Pharma national tennis, 17th Westbury Open, 3rd Ace Trophy ranking tennis, 23rd March Pakistan Day tournament and lastly during 5th Pizza Hut Karachi Games 2019.

Under the Umbrella of STA Wheelchair Tennis Talent Hunt initiative, the STA team visited two disabled persons organizations and selected four wheelchair players for future tennis training after Ramazan.

According to Rehmani, the five wheelchair tennis players who were given advance training are now able to take part in international competitions. He urged the corporate sector and Sports Depart-ment, Govt of Sindh to finance their participation in international competitions. “It would be a milestone in wheelchair tennis as Pakistan has never participated in any international wheelchair tennis competition,” he said.

It is pertinent to mention that PTF had donated four wheelchairs to STA for the tennis activities. “We need more wheelchairs to expand the coaching activities at more tennis centers of country,” said Rehmani.

Para Sports Pakistan provided technical assistance during the wheelchair camp and Union Club was the host of the camp. SSB extended sponsorship for the camp.

Published in Dawn, May 7th, 2019