Pakistan Table Tennis returns to the international circuit after 5 years – Table Tennis Update
Pakistani table tennis players will participate in the GAC World Table Tennis Championship, which is set to begin from May 8, in Rotterdam, Netherlands.
Pakistani players will take part in the individual events of the championship, to be played over a week’s period.
The move is a welcoming one for Pakistan, as the nation’s players will be participating in a World Championship after five years. The Pakistan Table Tennis Federation (PTTF) is taking the initiative as a new beginning for the sport in the country.
The federation is sending five players, who have shown a commendable performance over the last five years in the national championship. The squad features Ali Faisal along with Asim Qureshi, Yasir Iqbal, Shabnam Bilal and Ayesha Iqbal.
Syed Owais Hassan, the runner-up of the 2011 national championship will not be participating in the event. Owais is the youngest player on the senior table tennis circuit in Pakistan. The player is a bright prospect and could probably prove to be a valuable asset for the country in the future.
The players will leave for Rotterdam on May 6 and will join 800 athletes from all over the world, who will be participating in the Championship.
The President of the PTTF, said, “I don’t have unrealistic hopes but I’m taking this as a fresh start for the sport in the country, We haven’t sent any player in the individual championship for the past five years therefore I think there is a lot of pressure on them to do well. However, we’re hoping this will boost their confidence and motivate them to go further.”
Ali Faisal is the current National Champion of Pakistan, who is currently residing in Germany. He visits Pakistan occasionally, especially for the national championship. The PTTF have not supported the players for the championship. The players are participating in the event after being sponsored by Pakistan International Airlines (PIA).
The current Pakistan Number two, Asim Qureshi has not participated in any international individual event over the past decade. He is not hoping much from the championship, as he is not in touch with the international playing circuit.
Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) really needs to pay serious attention towards table tennis, if they want local players to excel at the international level of the game.
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