16-May-2012
Waqar Hamza
KARACHI: Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF) has lost its interest in sending women tennis team to compete in Fed Cup’s Asia/Oceania Zone Group II tie in 2013, mainly due to poor results in the last two appearances.
“This is not cost effective considering the shortage of funds with the federation. The results we have had in the last two appearances have further discouraged us,” a source in the PTF told ‘The News’.
He further said that the federation incurs at least Rs500,000 on one tour. “We bear all expenses: food, accommodation, traveling, etc. for one appearance of Fed Cup. So we can’t go on any more,” he added.
He said that Pakistan gets $20,000 for playing one tie of Davis Cup, but nothing for the Fed Cup.
Secretary Sindh Tennis Association (STA) Khalid Rehmani said that the society discourages women tennis players. He said that it is true that there is no woman tennis player who can compete at Fed Cup. “Even now we don’t have more than six girls who are playing national level tennis in the country,” he said.
He admitted that with limited exposure there are no hopes of having good women players in future because usually girls think it sufficient to play at college and university levels. “They play every sport at this level just for the sake of participation, which does not let them focus on any single sport,” he added.
Khalid said that if there is any good player, they do not get chances to move forward.
Pakistan is currently ranked 77th in Fed Cup under Asia/Oceania group II. In the last tie played from January 30 to February 4 this year the country recorded just one win in Round-Robin against Singapore.
Pakistan first played Fed Cup between 1997 and 2000. After a break of more than a decade they returned in 2011. Pakistan have always competed in Asia/Oceania Zone Group I.
In 2011-12, Saba Aziz lost all seven ties she played, while Sara Mahboob Khan won only one match out of four. Sara Mansoor lost six out of seven ties. Ushna Sohail was more successful as she won seven matches out of nine in the cup.
In the six appearances in Fed Cup, the largest international tennis competition for women, Pakistan have won only eight ties and lost 19.
Source: http://www.thenews.com.pk/ |
