ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will be hosting the International Series Badminton Tournament from Tuesday here at the Liaquat Gymnasium of the Pakistan Sports Complex after a gap of eight years.
Addressing a press conference on Monday here at the Pakistan Sports Complex, Wajid Ali Chaudhry, Honorary Secretary, Pakistan Badminton Federation (PBF), said he was glad that the issue between the two parallel badminton federations was over and finally Pakistan was hosting an international badminton tournament.
He said players from countries including Malaysia, New Zealand, Canada, Iraq, Nepal, Syria and Pakistan will take part in the tournament. “Minister for Inter Provincial Coordination (IPC) Mian Riaz Hussain Pirzada, was likely to be the chief guest at the opening ceremony,” he said.
We are also trying to host Asia’s biggest Badminton event that was scheduled to be held in March or April next year. “For that we are in talks with Badminton World Federation (BWF) and Badminton Asia (BA),” he said.
Wajid Ali Chaudhry said Rs 3.5 million was required to host the tournament and I am grateful to the Pakistan Sports Board (PSB) Director General Dr Akthar Nawaz Ganjera for making this tournament happen.
He said the tournament carries a cash prize of US $6,000. The events to be contested in the tournament include mens singles, ladies singles, men doubles, women doubles and mixed doubles.
Replying to a question, he said that Nadeem Khan and Sajjid Hussain were qualified coaches and the news regarding them being unqualified was baseless.
It may be mentioned that Nadeem and Sajjid who were appointed as national coach and PBF technical committee head, respectively had failed to qualify in the BWF level-II coaching course. But Wajid said they had passed a course held in Lahore therefore they were appointed on the said positions.
