After a lot of uncertainty and hesitation, the tennis team from India has finally come to our city. They are here to play an important Davis Cup Group I tie against Pakistan at the Sports Complex Grass Court on February 3-4.
The All Indian Tennis Association (AITA) tried many things to change the location of the match. First, they went to the Davis Cup Committee and then to the Chair of the Independent Tribunal, asking to move the game to a neutral place. But both times, their requests were rejected. So, they had only two choices: either come to Pakistan and play the match or not come and face a penalty from the International Tennis Federation (ITF), along with the risk of being demoted. Worried about the penalty and the chance of falling to a lower level, the Indian team decided to come to Pakistan, and they arrived in Islamabad late on Sunday evening.
This is the second time in a few months that Pakistan has won against India’s wishes on an international platform. First, the DCC (Davis Cup Committee) rejected India’s concerns and allowed the tie to be in Pakistan. Then, the Chair of the Independent Tribunal supported the decision of DCC/PTF (Pakistan Tennis Federation) and dismissed the AITA’s worries.
The team that came to play includes five players, two physios, a coach, a manager, and a coordinator. When they arrived at the airport, the secretary of Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF), Col (rtd) Gul Rehman, and other federation officials welcomed them. The upcoming tennis match is surely creating a lot of excitement and anticipation.