LAHORE, Oct 13 (APP): Abubakar Talha, Amir Mazari of Aitchison College and Omer Jawad registered commanding victories in the boys’ U-18 category, while M Ibraheem Hussain Gill impressed in the U-14 event as the Aitchison College Junior National Tennis Championship 2026 was inaugurated on Tuesday at the Aitchison College, Mall Road, Lahore.
Organised under the auspices of the Punjab Lawn Tennis Association (PLTA), the championship has brought together promising junior players from across Pakistan, providing them with an opportunity to demonstrate their abilities and compete for national honours.
Dr S. M. Turab Hussain, Principal of Aitchison College, inaugurated the championship as chief guest. The opening ceremony was attended by Rashid Malik, Sitara-e-Imtiaz and Tamgha-e-Imtiaz, Senior Executive Vice President of the PLTA; tournament referee Sajjad Rasul; assistant referee Asim Raza; and tournament coordinator Faheem Siddiqui. Players, parents, coaches and media representatives were also present.
Speaking on the occasion, Rashid Malik encouraged the participating players to compete with determination, discipline and sportsmanship. He expressed confidence that the championship would help identify and develop emerging talent, enabling young players to progress towards representing Pakistan at international competitions.
Malik also thanked Dr S. M. Turab Hussain and the Aitchison College administration for their cooperation and support in hosting the national-level event. He expressed hope that the institution would continue contributing to the promotion of tennis and supporting similar competitions in the future.
In the boys’ U-18 first round, Abubakar Talha delivered a dominant performance, defeating Haroon Arif 6-0, 6-0. Omer Jawad also secured a straight-sets victory over Faizan Haider by the same scoreline. Aaliyan Ali beat Abdullah Zeeshan 6-0, 6-1, while Abdullah Yousaf defeated Abdul Rehman 6-0, 6-1.
Other winners included Amir Mazari, Abdullah Razzaq, Hamza Ali Rizwan, Mahad Rashid, Arham Tariq, M. Muaz and Ameer Abbas Bhaghat. Ahmad Fareed Yawar fought back after losing the opening set to overcome Ibrahim Ahmad 0-6, 6-4, 6-3.
The boys’ U-14 competition also produced several convincing results. M. Ibraheem Hussain Gill defeated Mahad Rashid 4-0, 4-0, while M. Muaz, Ahmad Fareed Yawar and Ibrahim Leghari also recorded straight-set wins. Shayan Afridi beat Hadi Ali Rizwan 4-1, 4-0, and Daniyal Abdullah overcame Ameer Abbas Bhaghat 4-1, 5-3.
Source: APP (Associated Press of Pakistan)
