ISLAMABAD: Pakis­ta­n’s junior boys and girls tennis teams have landed in Sri Lanka for two crucial international events on Satu­­rday. The boys will compete in the Davis Cup Juniors (Under-16) tournament, wh­i­le the girls aim for success in the Billie Jean King Cup Juniors (Under-16) event.

Both events are scheduled from 19 to 24 Feb with practices already underway on Colombo’s clay courts.

Aqeel Khan, the seasoned tennis player, serves as the non-playing captain and coach for the junior Davis Cup team, featuring Hamza Roman, Mikaeel Shahbaz, Ali Baig and Abubakar Talha.

Sara Mansoor, another experienced player, leads the girls’ team, consisting of Amna Ali Qayum, Soha Ali and Zunaisha Noor.

The teams were selected following trials in Islama­bad. Notably, junior player Hamza showcased impressive form in the recent ITF Junior event in Islamabad, reaching the final but losing against China’s Kia­g­aoge Kang.

Published in Dawn, February 19th, 2024