ISLAMABAD, Aug 6: Contrary to the claims made by Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF) officials work on the high-profile PTF Complex will begin soon, there appear to be no signs of that happening in the near future. The PTF has been unable to have the design for the project approved from the Capital Development Authority (CDA) although it has been almost three months since it was submitted.
Tennis secretary Rashid Khan says that the PTF chief Syed Dilawar Abbas spoke to chairman CDA Kamran Lashari on the matter and hopefully there will be some progress on this front shortly.
“The two officials met recently and the subject came up for discussion,” Rashid told Dawn on Saturday at the Complex where the finals of the National Women’s ranking tournament were held.
It was a chance meeting between the officials but does not quite show that there has been a serious push by the PTF. Had the matter been pursued by the tennis officials, the project would have taken off by now.
Munir Pirzada, a former secretary of the PTF says that serious and sincere efforts were required if the project was to be completed. “Chance meetings are not going to get them anywhere.”
It is a sorry state of affairs that the sprawling complex which covers an area of 10 acres is almost lying in the same state as it was when Dilawar and Rashid took charge of the PTF in April 2002.
“I visited the Complex recently and was surprised to see that hardly any work had been done since the current officials assumed charge of the PTF,” Pirzada said.
To make matters worse, the cost of construction that continues to skyrocket is bound to create problems for the PTF the longer they sit on the project.
The picture for the game’s managers had appeared quite bright when the Punjab Chief Minister Ch. Pervez Elahi donated Rs 5 million for the Complex while another Rs 10 million came from former Prime Minister Ch. Shujaat Hussain who laid the foundation stone of the project almost one year ago. It would have been wise of the PTF officials if they had made quick decisions and initiated work as soon as Rs 15 million came into their kitty.
But sadly, delay on part of the PTF whose secretary attends office only on Saturdays and a President who being a Senator is just too busy to spare enough time for tennis has left the project in doldrums.
The PTF’s plan is quite ambitious though. The first phase of the complex, if at all it gets started, will see seven courts including two centre courts, lounges, changing rooms and an extension of the existing players’ hostel. In the second phase there are plans to build a modern gymnasium and swimming pool.
While Pakistan have indeed done well on court under Dilawar with the national side now due to play in the World Group playoff, a lot more needs to be done on developing infrastructure.
Holding national and internationals events at the Islamabad Club costs the federation a lot of money, therefore having its own facility will absolutely do the PTF no harm.