Pakistan to feature in three major table tennis events

KARACHI: Pakistan will feature in at least three major international table tennis events this year, a top official of Pakistan Table Tennis Federation (PTTF) told ‘The News’ here on Sunday after the federation’s executive committee and general body meetings which approved this year’s calendar.
PTTF chief SM Sibtain said that Pakistan would feature in the World Championships, which will start in China from April 28.
“This is an individual event and we may send three male and three female players. Normally for these competitions players themselves bear their expenses but we will try to get some assistance from Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) in sending some players for the competitions,” Sibtain said.
He said Pakistan would also participate in the South Asian Junior Table Tennis Championship in Dhaka in June. “If our team qualified for the Asian Junior Championship it would also feature in this event in late July in Korea,” Sibtain said.
“In September the team will be sent to Bangkok for the Asian Championship,” he said.
He also revealed that this year six All Pakistan Masters Cup Table Tennis tournaments would be staged at different centres.
“The first event of this series is in progress here at Islamia Club. Peshawar will host the second from April 6. Quetta will stage the third in June. Punjab will hold two tournaments in early August and late September. Islamabad will hold the last edition of the series in October,” Sibtain said.
Umpiring workshops will also be held on the sidelines of Masters Cup.
Sibtain said WAPDA would host the National Table Tennis Championship in November. National Junior Championship would be held in May in Mansehra.
PTTF secretary Kifayat Khan told this correspondent that he would try to invite Afghanistan and Tajikistan for the Masters Cup to be held in Peshawar.
“Besides inviting these nations, we will organise a special programme on April 6 which is the ITTF table tennis day,” Kifayat said.