ISLAMABAD: Islamabad will be buzzing with international tennis activities in December. The $15,000 Benazir Bhutto Shaheed ITF Future Championship will cap the engagements expected to be participated by the best players falling in the category. The championship at the Islamabad Tennis Complex (ITC) courts from December 16-24 would be the third international event in a row. The international engagements would start in the first week of December with the second event to be played from December 12 here at PTF Complex courts. Senator Taj Haider, chief patron of the Benazir Bhutto Shaheed ITF Future event, told ‘The News’ that with the cooperation of the ITC, the tournament has already become the part of Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF) calendar. “Following the humble beginning two years back, the event has become one of the leading tennis tournaments around. Now the event carries $15,000 prize money. This time around we expect some leading international players falling in the category.” Two years back Senator Taj Haider initiated the idea of organising the championship at the ITC courts. “In three years time we have started attracting some exciting international players. The event has already become one of the richest in the country.” “We believe the efforts to organise the event would go a long way in popularising the game of tennis in the country. The event has already become an attraction for the leading players in the country.” “Since the tournament is being played in the name of a great leader so the efforts are on to make it the best ever in the country,” Taj said.Fazale Subhan, chief organiser of the event, said that besides leading foreign players, country’s best would be seen in action in the qualifying as well as the main round. Subhan added that it would be a combined venture as our efforts had always been to promote the game.“The chief patron of the tournament has promised to bear all the expenses. We need to offer good cash incentives for the players so that the overall tennis standard could be improved.”Both Haider and Subhan thanked PTF President Salim Saifullah Khan for promising all possible help to make the event a success.
