LAHORE   -  The MT400 Pattaya 2024 Masters, scheduled from May 25 to 30 in Pattaya, Thailand, is set to witness an unprecedented level of partici­pation from Pakistan. 

Esteemed Pakistani senior players, including the highly ex­perienced Rashid Malik, Waqar Nisar, Shahid Waqar Mahmood, Khurram Imtiaz, Shaharyar Sala­mat, Mohammad Sohail Malik, Hamood ur Rehman, Raheel Ma­lik, Major Saeed Ikram Ullah, Abid Malik from Lahore and Hameed ul Haq from Islam­abad are rigorously preparing for this significant 400 points ITF seniors event. Training sessions for these veteran athletes are being held at two premier loca­tions: the Nishtar Park Sports Complex and the La­hore Gymkhana, featuring state-of-the-art tennis courts. The ath­letes are dedicating three hours daily to intensive training aimed at enhancing their fitness and performance for the challenging tournament ahead. 

In a conversation with The Nation, celebrated coach and former Davis Cup player Rashid Malik shared his efforts in en­couraging senior players to participate more actively in both local and international senior events. “My encourage­ment has led to an increased interest among senior players to compete in ITF Seniors events, particularly the MT400 Pattaya 2024 Tennis Tournament,” Ma­lik expressed. 

Waqar Nisar, representing La­hore Gymkhana, highlighted the team’s comprehensive prepara­tion strategy. “We are adapting to the slow hard courts of Pat­taya by training on both clay and hard surfaces here. It’s a groundbreaking moment for Pakistan’s senior tennis as we send a large delegation to com­pete in such a prestigious event,” he stated. Nisar also pointed out the growing popularity of tennis among senior players in Paki­stan, a trend that bodes well for the sport’s development. 

Mohammad Sohail Malik, Vice President of Punjab Lawn Tennis Association (PLTA), outlined the organization’s commitment to promoting senior tennis events throughout Punjab. “We are keen on reinstating the Senior events in Lahore, last held in 2018, and we urge Pakistan Ten­nis Federation (PTF) to facilitate this by engaging with the ITF,” he added, highlighting the im­portance of hosting regular ITF Seniors events in Lahore for the sport’s growth.