Camp in India improving Pak tennis players

Chandigarh, Mar 31 (UNI) Seven junior players from Pakistan undergoing training at a three-week coaching camp of the Chandigarh Lawn Tennis Association here, are benifitting a lot from the experience, according to the head of the team.

Head of the Pakistan team, Nazir Ahmed said that India offered better and advanced coaching system, good physical trainers and the Pak players are gaining a lot by training at the CLTA Complex having a number of synthetic and clay courts.

"I am confident that our young players would gain more confidence when they return to Pakistan after their training which concludes on April 17," said Nazir whose late father Chaudhary Chanan Din was a national tennis coach of Pakistan.

The Pakistan players are also watching top Indian and foreign players in action in the 10,000 US Doller ITF Men's Futures Tennis Tournament, the main draw of which began today.

Visiting India for the first time 63-year-old Nazir said "We have been receiving good response since we crossed over to India via Wagha Border. The faces are same, culture is same, language is same, customs and traditions are same. Even hearts are same.

The Pakistan players and officials are feeling at home." Regarding the Pakistan Tennis Federation's efforts to promote tennis in Pakistan, he said "It is making an all out effort to provide better facilities for training to the players.

A full-fledged modern tennis complex in Islamabad has been established. It is a big project which is almost completed. With six synthetic courts and four clay courts and floodlit facilities, it will be a new milestone for tennis." "The huge tennis complex is likely to be inaugurated in a month's time," he said. adding that the Punjab (Pakistan) Lawn Tennis Association had also created four synthetic courts at Bagh-e-Jinnah in Lahore.

"I am sure with such facilities, Pakistan would produce more world class players," added Nazir.

The Pakistan trainees are Khurram Nazir, Syed Muhamad Abbas Raza, Syed Zohair Raza, Gohar Riaz, Muhammad Waqas Malak, Muhammad Rehan Qureshi and Salman Ikram.

Mr Nazir said that Khurram Nazir and Syed Zohair Raza had earlier attended a coaching camp in Jassowal in Punjab.

Both the players will also play in the AITA Super Series starting on April 5 at the CLTA Stadium here, he added.

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