BY AZHAR MUSTAFA
LAHORE: The Ali Embroidery Mills Junior National Tennis Championship 2023 kicked off at the Sports Board Punjab Tennis Academy, Nishtar Park Lahore, with a vibrant opening ceremony.
PLTA Secretary, Mr. Rashid Malik (Tamgha-e-Imtiaz), graced the event as the chief guest and formally inaugurated this prestigious tournament. During the colorful opening ceremony, Mr. Malik praised Ali Embroidery Mills Pvt Ltd for their significant contributions to the promotion of tennis in the country.
He acknowledged the generous support of Ali Embroidery Mills’ CEO, Tariq Zaman, in not only organizing national tournaments but also conducting the High-Performance Tennis Camps, which are playing a pivotal role in enhancing the skills of top players, who have gone on to achieve national and international recognition for their country.
The first day of the championship witnessed more than 20 matches, with top players securing comfortable victories, showcasing a high standard of tennis throughout the day. In the boys U-18 1st round, standout performances included M Shaheer Khan’s 6-0, 6-0 victory over Hanzla Anwar, Yafat Nadeem’s 6-1, 6-1 win against Hassan Ali (GC), Ali Talha’s 7-5, 6-2 victory over Abdullah Pirzada, Haider Ali Rizwan’s 6-2, 6-0 triumph against M Sohaan Noor, and Abubakar Khalil’s 6-1, 6-2 win over Abdur Rehman Pirzada. In the Boys U-16 qualifying round, Awais Ali Ansari emerged victorious with a 6-2 score.
For the Boys U-14 1st round, Amir Mazari (Aitchison) defeated Ahmad Khuda Bakhsh 4-0, 4-0. M Shakaib secured a 4-2, 4-1 win against Awais Ali Ansari, Bilal Awais outperformed Hassan Alam with a score of 5-3, 4-0, Abdur Rehman defeated Essa Bilal 4-0, 4-0, and Hamza Ali Rizwan claimed a 4-0, 4-0 victory over M Rehan. In the Boys/Girls U-12 1st round, Taha Asad won with a score of 5-4, 4-0, and M Umar Ali defeated Essa Khan Malik 4-0, 4-0.
