LAHORE: Pakistan’s table tennis prodigy Hoor Fawad, the first national player to break into Under-15 mixed doubles rankings, lamented the substandard facilities available to vie for a top spot in the rapidly progressing sport.

Hoor got a reality check in the recently-concluded Asian Games when she was outclassed 4-0 by Chinese top-ranked Sun Yingsha. The defeat made her realise about the increasing gulf in class between Pakistan players and their international counterparts.

“It was a great honour to play against Yingsha at this wee age but it also made me realise regarding the level of difference at the international level,” the 15-year old Hoor noted while talking to Dawn on Thursday. “The infrastructure here isn’t appropriate enough to prepare the players to compete at the highest level.”

Hoor — who clinched bronze medal at the WTT Youth Contender in the mixed category earlier this year — said that training for international events is very difficult here as modern courts’ surface is covered with mat and currently there is only one such court available in Karachi.

“On the elastic mat’s the player receives a jump from the court,” Hoor pointed. “But unfortunately we are lacking such facilities as most of the courts are made of wood. These small things can make a lot of difference at the top level.”

Hoor, though, admitted that to reach the summit of the sport the players have to work harder but she also feels that the competitors here have the potential and skills to do wonders if provided with better facilities.

Hoor also said that to take part in international competitions, players need sponsorships along side modern training. She said she is lucky to have one but it remains a struggle for others.

Published in Dawn, October 13th, 2023