ITF Asia 12&U team competition 2021

The South Asia regional qualifying event of ITF Asia 12&U team competition 2021 will get underway on Monday at the PTF-SDA Complex Islamabad.

Boys and girls teams from Maldives, Nepal, India and Pakistan will chip in the event.

This is the first time in Pakistan’s history that an ITF Junior Team event is being hosted by Pakistan. The event is being sponsored by Toyota-Indus Motors Company.

In preparation for the event, a hybrid Captains’ meeting was held on Sunday in which all the captains, the tournament referee and yournament director, ITF Development Officer for South Asia Jonathan Stubbs and ATF Executive Director-Operations Puneet Gupta took part. The draws for the event were also conducted, with Secretary-PTF Col Gul Rehman (R) starting the proceeding by taking out the first pick.

During the ITF event, besides proper security coverage to the foreign teams, Covid-19 SOPs will be strictly observed as per government of Pakistan and ITF protocols and guidelines, and no spectators or non-essential persons will be allowed inside the tournament venue.

Salim Saifullah Khan, President Pakistan Tennis Federation, welcomed the teams and wished them for the matches. He reiterated that such events were a golden opportunity for players to get international exposure at a young age, and expressed the hope it would a long way in developing young talent.

He said sports diplomacy would further help generate goodwill in the region.

The opening ceremony of the event will be held at 9:15 am on Monday with the following matches starting at 10:00 am.

• Boys: India vs Nepal

• Girls: Pakistan vs India, Nepal vs Maldives.