The Pakistan Tennis Federation has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Kazakhstan Tennis Federation (KTF).
The ceremony included Senator Salim Saifullah Khan, President PTF, and Bulat Utemuratov, President KTF.
The MoU signing ceremony took place on the sidelines of the AGM and Elections of the Asian Tennis Federation (ATF), in Bangkok, where chiefs of member Asian nations have gathered to elect the next President and other Office Bearers.
The MoU is important for the PTF as it will be key in the development for players, coaches, officials and fitness trainers. The KTF has excellent tennis facilities in their country, complemented by a large number of experts in each discipline of tennis.
Both Federations intend to have annual exchange programmes whereby players from each country will get opportunities to participate in tournaments and other relevant events, with a preferential status in terms of Wild Card allocations. Similarly, exchanges of Coaches and Officials are envisaged, as is the organising of courses and instructional programmes in each country.
Major emphasis will be placed on the long-term Junior Development Plan enabling both Federations to organize training camps to prepare the best junior players for the tournaments in either country and in the Asian region.
Commenting on the MoU after the signing ceremony, President Salim Saifullah Khan said: “This is, indeed, a very important development and holds rich promise, particularly for Juniors and high-performance players in various categories. There is a lot we can learn from our brotherly country, Kazakhstan, and the understanding augers well for the development of tennis in Pakistan. I am thankful to President Utemuratov and the KTF Management for their encouragement during earlier talks, leading to the signing of the MoU, and I keenly look forward to the success of the intended events.”