LAHORE, 21st Feb 2024: The local and international tennis community gathered at the PTF-SDA Tennis Complex in Islamabad to kick off the ITF Pakistan Zainab Ali Naqvi Memorial World Junior Championship Leg-2 on Tuesday. This event pays homage to Zainab Ali Naqvi, a promising junior tennis player whose life was tragically cut short last week in Islamabad.
The tournament features a diverse lineup of 48 young athletes, both boys and girls, from across the globe, including countries such as Kazakhstan, Turkey, the USA, Hong Kong, China, Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, South Korea, Romania, Switzerland, Sri Lanka, the Netherlands, and Thailand. They join 30 of Pakistan’s own budding tennis stars in a display of sportsmanship and competition that transcends borders.
A poignant ceremony marked the beginning of the event at the PTF Complex, where Court No. 1 was officially renamed the Zainab Ali Naqvi Court in a lasting tribute to her memory. Zainab’s parents, who travelled from Karachi for the occasion, were the guests of honour. The ceremony also saw the presence of notable figures from the Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF), including former President Senator Salim Saifullah Khan and current President Aisamul Haq Qureshi, alongside a gathering of international and local participants, their families, coaches, and tennis enthusiasts.
The tennis community, represented by Senator Salim Saifullah and Aisam ul Haq, paid heartfelt tributes to Zainab, extending their condolences and expressing deep sympathy to her bereaved parents. The loss of such a young talent has deeply affected the tennis world, with promises to remember her spirit and dedication to the sport.
In the boys’ singles first round, Xiuyuan Guo of China, Doruk Elbirlik of Turkey, Pakistan’s own Ahmed Nael Qureshi, Ahtesham Humayun, Hamza Aasim, Amir Mazari and Bilal Asim, Kaigaoge Kang of China, Jacob Shen of Hong Kong, Shijijie Chen of China, Ilya Kryukov of Russia, Dong Hyeon Euom of Korea were among the victors.
Reference Link: https://www.nation.com.pk/21-Feb-2024/itf-pakistan-zainab-ali-naqvi-memorial-world-junior-leg-2
