LAHORE (Oct 12, 2022): Director General Sports Punjab Muhammad Tariq Qureshi and Pakistan’s international tennis star Aisam-ul-Haq inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the promotion of tennis among the young generation during a press conference at National Hockey Stadium on Wednesday.
Director Admin Syed Umair Hassan, PRO SBP Abdul Rauf Roofi, Aisam-ul-Haq’s brother Zain and other officials were also present on this occasion.
As per MoU, Aisam-ul-Haq along with Pakistan No 1 Aqeel Khan and other top tennis players will impart modern training to six players of Sports Board Punjab along with 16 players of Aisam’s Ace Academy for one year.
Addressing the press conference, Director General Sports Punjab Muhammad Tariq Qureshi said that Sports Board Punjab is going to initiate a partnership with Pakistan’s tennis stalwart Aisam-ul-Haq for nurturing teenage tennis players from across the province.
Highlighting the objective of the MoU, Director General Sports Punjab Tariq Qureshi said it is the right time to make collective efforts for the growth of tennis across the province. “Under the MoU, we will focus on the training of U-14, U-16 and U-18 players at our State of the Art tennis courts adjacent to Punjab Tennis Stadium. Aisam-ul-Haq along with Pakistan No 1 Aqeel Khan and other top tennis players will impart modern training to young camp probables”.
Director General Sports Punjab Muhammad Tariq Qureshi said that the work has started to convert the best talented players of Punjab into world tennis stars. “Aisam-ul-Haq and his team will train the best players of Sports Board Punjab Tennis Academy at the international tennis courts in the morning session”.
Director General Sports Punjab Muhammad Tariq Qureshi further said that Sports Board Punjab recently launched five world class tennis courts in Nishtar Park Sports Complex, table tennis and swimming academies to provide best facilities to young talented players of the province. “We are also going to launch athletics and cricket academies in the coming weeks,” he informed.
World tennis star Aisam-ul-Haq on this occasion expressed his determination to collaborate with Sports Board Punjab to find top class tennis talent from all over the Punjab province. “The prime objective of this MoU is to produce highly talented tennis players who can represent Pakistan in major international tennis events like Wimbledon and US Open etc”.
Aisam-ul-Haq further said that this MoU is signed for one year for the first time in the history of the country and hopefully this collaboration will continue in future as well. “The duration of MoU reflected the seriousness of Sports Board Punjab for the promotion of tennis in all parts of the province”.
He said the tennis courts of Sports Board Punjab have been built according to international standards and are equipped with all modern facilities. “I will not take any remuneration for coaching the young players. Being Pakistan’s number one player, it is my obligation to develop new players. I want to give the facilities that I and Aqeel Khan did not get during our initial stages to the young generation”.
Aisam-ul-Haq thanked Director General Sports Punjab Muhammad Tariq Qureshi for signing this historic MoU. “If this collaboration continues, I am quite upbeat that in three to four years, we will be able to produce better players than Aisam and Aqeel Khan
