LAHORE – Former hockey Olympians Manzoor ul Hassan and Lt Col (r) Saeed Khan visited the Ali Embroidery High Performance Tennis Training Camp to motivate and support budding tennis talents.
Led by renowned tennis coaches under the supervision of camp commandant Rashid Malik (Tamgha-e-Imtiaz), the camp received a boost as the distinguished guests were introduced to the participants and coaches, including Aqeel Khan, Shahzad Khan, Ahmed Babar, Arif Feroz, and Azhar Hussain. Former PTF Secretary and Senior Vice President Col (r) Asif Dar, ex-international hockey player Naseem Ahmad and tennis player Imran Siddique also joined the visit.
Addressing the young tennis stars, Manzoor ul Hassan expressed his delight, saying, “I am thrilled to see these talented future tennis stars, who have the potential to achieve great success internationally. They need unwavering passion and dedication towards the game, setting high goals to bring glory to Pakistan. This winning mentality is what we desire in hockey and other sports too.”
Col (r) Saeed Khan praised Rashid Malik for his efforts in nurturing tennis talent and organizing numerous tournaments. He emphasized the need for a similar approach in hockey, calling for the identification and development of fresh talent along with increased opportunities to compete throughout the year.
Manzoor ul Hassan shared exciting news about a nationwide talent hunt initiative for hockey, discovering promising players from remote areas. These players will receive training at the Manzoor-ul-Hassan Hockey Stadium to restore Pakistan’s hockey glory. However, achieving this goal requires unity, merit, transparency, and grassroots development. Col (r) Saeed Khan urged the hockey federation to prioritize these principles to revitalize the national game.
Former PTF SVP Col (r) Asif Dar and ex-international hockey player Naseem Ahmad praised Rashid Malik’s efforts in sustaining tennis and called for support from corporate giants. Rashid Malik expressed his gratitude to the hockey legends and thanked CEO Ali Embroidery Mills, Tariq Zaman, for their generous support in developing tennis in Pakistan. He expressed hope that such sponsorships would elevate the future of Pakistan tennis.
