The Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF) made a mockery of itself when, at its general body meeting, it decided to re-name the Islamabad Pakistan Tennis Complex to Dilawar Abbas Pakistan Tennis Complex, while a life ban on ex-secretary Ali Akbar and a three-year ban on Davis Cup veteran Hamid-ul-Haq, who had been honoured with a Pride of Performance Award for his contribution to national tennis, are being imposed.

These decisions have taken the tennis circle by storm. Fans and devotees are entertaining great hopes that the NA Standing Committee on Sports probe into the PTF affairs as well as the re-naming of the tennis complex and bans on tennis dignitaries.

To set the record straight, the construction of the Pakistan Tennis Complex began during the four-year tenure (1991-95) of former PTF Secretary Munir Peerzada who succeeded in acquiring nine-and-a-half acres (76 canals) of land from the Capital Development Authority (CDA). The 99-year lease was also signed between the CDA and the PTF on nominal charges Peerzada, one of the three Pakistani Davis Cup veterans, qualified for the men's singles second round of Wimbledon in 1956 and got construction underway by first raising a boundary wall. Four courts and three-bedroom houses for officers and big halls for players were also built. Indeed, PTF President Dilawar Abbas did a commendable job by getting the tennis complex completed with modern facilities. He generated large funds for the project, but re-naming it after his name at the PTF meeting still seems unjustified. According to media reports, the PTF meeting unanimously decided to rename the complex to Dilawar Abbas. Insiders say that a powerful tennis mafia, which is considered responsible for the overall decline of local tennis; initiated the move to rename the complex.

It would have been much better if the former Senator Dilwar Abbas himself would have declined the offer. The August 17th meeting at Islamabad also disaffiliated Pakistan International Airlines and Balochistan Tennis Association for not paying their annual subscriptions for seven and six years respectively as well as their lack of interest in tennis. The fact that it took seven years to take action against these defaulters reflects on the poor working of the PTF. It is generally believed in sport circles that Dilawar Abbas, whose second tenure will end in about eight months, is close to PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain. However, under the National Sports Policy, no officer of the national sports federation or any other sports body, who has completed two terms of four years, will be eligible to seek re-election for that post.

The PTF's decisions to impose a life ban on former secretary Akbar Ali and a three-year ban on the veteran tennis star Hamid-ul-Haq is based on the ground that they are working against the interest of tennis. Without doubt, they are bitter critics of the PTF, which has miserably failed to promote tennis in the country. Disaffiliation of PIA and BTA by the PTF is clear proof that tennis affairs are being run arbitrarily and most of the affiliated units of the federation do not fulfil the constitutional obligations to promote the game in their jurisdictions.

Tennis activities have remained confined to a mere half-a-dozen cities of the country and no affiliated units developed permanent coaching centres to groom talented youngsters, with the result that no affiliated units have produced any star players.

There is a good number of private tennis coaching centres which train players on a commercial basis. These coaching centres are not affiliated with provincial associations and are interested only in organising tournaments for financial ends. Hence, there is a dire need for government bodies to step up and take charge.Tennis affairs are in bad shape and criticising the PTF (point in case; Akbar Ali and Hamid-ul-Haq) is no crime. The PTF has every right to defend its case in the media but imposing bans of this sort is blatant tyranny.