ISLAMABAD, Sept 27: The table tennis teams of Pakistani and Indian provinces of Punjab will play a series on home and away basis. Table tennis has been included in the Inter-Punjab Games to be held in Lahore in November. The training camp for Pakistan table tennis squad for this competition will commence from Oct 15, for which Punjab boys champion Muhammad Farooq of Rawalpindi and girls champion Rabia of Jhelum have been exempted from trials.

A selected Punjab team will also be sent to Iran while Pakistani team for Punjab Games will comprise both professional and amateur players.

These decisions were taken at the general council meeting of Punjab Table Tennis Association, held at Iqbal Park Sports Complex in Lahore, and presided by S.H. Shah.

The meeting was attended by representatives from 34 Punjab districts. Also present were association’s deputy president Prof. Muhammad Riaz, senior vice president Khwaja Hassan Wadood and secretary Iftikharul Haq.

The meeting also decided to hold an All-Pakistan table tennis tournament in memory of late Malik Ata Muhammad to recognise his 35 years of services for the game.

The house elected Sajjad Asghar of D.G. Khan as treasurer of the association in place of Malik Ata Muhammad and also elected Muhammad Faheem Anwar, Secretary of Rawalpindi Table Tennis Association, as the vice president of Punjab Table Tennis Association.

On this occasion, S.H. Shah instructed all district associations to hold tournaments in their respective districts and also decided to organise next Punjab Inter-district championship in 2006 at Rahim Yar Khan.—APP