Asif Dar slams PTF leadership for Pakistan tennis decline

Former Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF) Secretary General Col (R) Asif Dar has raised serious concerns over the alarming downfall of Pakistan tennis, blaming the current PTF regime for the sport’s decline. Col (R) Dar, in a statement, said: “Ever since the current officials forcefully took over the PTF offices by allegedly using forged votes from the so-called International Club of Pakistan (ICP), our tennis has been in free fall. The administration has failed to protect the integrity and performance standards of the sport at every level.” Highlighting Pakistan’s recent international failures, he added: “Our women’s team, already relegated from Group II to Group III last year, delivered one of their worst-ever performances this year. The President’s cousin, Ushna Sohail, lost to a 15-year-old schoolgirl and then withdrew mid-match the next day, citing exhaustion after just six games. This sums up the current state of our women’s tennis.” The former PTF Secretary was equally critical of the men’s team, citing a “100% defeat rate in Davis Cup ties” under the current administration. “Instead of addressing these failures, the federation continues to boast about an isolated U12 victory against India, while conveniently ignoring the Under-16 team’s 2-0 loss and the highly controversial handshake incident involving imported American player Mikaeel Ali Baig.” He strongly criticized the PTF’s decision to include Mikaeel Ali Baig in the Davis Cup squad without trials. “Baig was favored over a long list of deserving juniors and seniors who are miles ahead of him in terms of national rankings and international results. What logic justifies sidelining players like Abu Bakar Talha, Nael Qureshi, Salar Khan, Hamza Roman, and Raza Ali from Karachi?” he questioned. “It’s disheartening to see players like Raza and Abu Bakar, who have won ITF Junior events, being ignored, while Mikaeel Ali Baig, who couldn’t even pass the first round, is gifted national representation. Many of our senior players could easily outplay him, yet they are systematically kept out.” Col (R) Dar lamented that the current state of Pakistan tennis is being masked by “sugar-coated statements fed to selective media outlets,” while real issues are swept under the rug. “This isn’t just poor management, it’s a deliberate marginalization of merit, structure, and vision. Pakistan tennis deserves better, and unless immediate corrective measures are taken, we are headed for irrelevance on the global tennis map.”