"Tennis in KP is Being Left to Survive on Personal Resources": KP Tennis Association Senior Vice President Umar Ayaz Khalil Raises Alarm Over Funding, Infrastructure and Outsourcing

 

Musarrat Ullah Jan ,KikxNow , Digital  Creator

PESHAWAR: Senior Vice President of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Tennis Association Umar Ayaz Khalil has claimed that the provincial sports sector has neglected tennis for years, alleging that the Directorate of Sports has provided no financial support for the game over the past five to six years, forcing him to organise tournaments from his own pocket to keep the sport alive.

Speaking about the state of tennis in the province, Khalil painted a bleak picture of shrinking infrastructure, rising costs and what he described as policy failures that continue to hold back talented players.

He said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa effectively has only one playable public tennis facility in Peshawar's Shahi Bagh, while the tennis courts at the Peshawar Sports Complex have an excessively fast surface that, according to him, is unsuitable for player development and increases the risk of injuries.

"In a standard synthetic court, a player may compete for around 15 years. On the Peshawar Sports Complex surface, that career can effectively be cut in half. Players develop persistent foot pain and other physical problems," he claimed.

Khalil further alleged that regional tennis infrastructure is virtually non-existent, saying there are no proper courts in Dera Ismail Khan, Swat, Bannu, Mardan or Abbottabad. As a result, most of the province's competitive players come from Peshawar, while a handful from Abbottabad and Mardan only continue playing after relocating to the provincial capital for education.

He argued that the absence of facilities outside Peshawar has severely restricted grassroots development and denied thousands of young athletes access to the sport.

Calling tennis one of the most expensive sports in Pakistan, Khalil said the financial burden has become another major obstacle.

"A quality racket costs around Rs90,000, while a single can of tennis balls costs approximately Rs2,400. To reduce expenses, I purchase used tennis balls from Karachi and distribute them among young players so they can continue practising," he said.

Reflecting on his own career, Khalil said he represented the province at Under-16 level, finished runner-up in the Under-18 category and was offered a scholarship by Aitchison College, which he ultimately declined because of his commitment to tennis.

"Having been a player myself, I understand the challenges these young athletes face every day," he said. Despite these obstacles, Khalil insisted that the province possesses considerable untapped talent but lacks institutional backing.

He contrasted Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with Punjab, where he said sponsorship-backed tournaments are held every year, whereas similar opportunities are almost non-existent in KP.

According to Khalil, he personally financed a tournament at Benazir Bhutto University in memory of his late father after discovering that many students had never even seen organised tennis.

 

He said the event produced a 32-player women's draw, which he described as unprecedented, and eventually helped identify Amina Bibi, who later won a bronze medal at the national level.

He also pointed to international success achieved despite limited support, citing Peshawar's Shayan Afridi, who won a gold medal in Sri Lanka, while naming Shoaib, Inam Gul and Yousaf Khalil among other talented players emerging from the province.

However, he said many KP players are forced to travel to Islamabad for training and competition because they do not consider local facilities suitable for high-level tennis.

Commenting on the provincial government's proposed outsourcing of sports facilities, Khalil expressed serious concern, arguing that the move could further weaken an already struggling sport.

"If outsourcing proceeds without safeguarding players' interests and ensuring affordable access to sports infrastructure, tennis could effectively disappear from the province," he warned.

At the same time, Khalil welcomed the recent financial assistance provided by the Adviser to Sports to medal-winning athletes, describing it as a positive step that should become a permanent policy rather than a one-time initiative.

His remarks add to growing criticism from sections of the sporting community over what they describe as inadequate investment in sports infrastructure, limited regional development and the absence of sustained institutional support for athletes in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

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