LAHORE, Dec 17: A six-member Pakistan team comprising four men and two women will take part in the Al-Fajr international badminton tournament to be held in Tehran, Iran from Feb 2 to 5.

Pakistan Badminton Federation secretary, Aamer Hayat Khan Rokri, said Tuesday that the tournament would help Pakistan to build a strong team for the next SAF Games to be held at Islamabad in March-April.

Rokri pointed out that a training camp was already in progress at Islamabad in which top players were undergoing extensive training under coach Javed Iqbal, a former national champion.

Rokri said that Pakistan Satellite Circuit Badminton tournament was being organised in October/November 2003 in Islamabad in which players from eight countries would be invited. It would be for the first time in 25 years that an international badminton tournament would be held in Pakistan.

A ranking tournament would also be held at Faisalabad from Jan 17 to 24.

The PBF secretary said that top priority was being given in preparing national Under-19 team to take part in the Asian junior championship scheduled in Dhaka, Bangladesh in July 2003.

The secretary said that the PBF had approached the Asian Badminton Confederation to provide a coach to Pakistan for a six months. According to the plan, he said, the coach would visit all the four provinces to train players and coaches there after the SAF Games.