Sports stars cheer for Khawaja Iftikhar Memorial Tennis Championship

LAHORE: Sports legends from all across Pakistan wish luck to participants of Khawaja Iftikhar Memorial Tennis Championship 2024. The tournament is scheduled to be held from December 14 to 21, in Lahore.

Pakistan’s squash legend Jahangir Khan said, “Khawaja Iftikhar Ahmed is a big name in the history of Pakistani tennis”. Cricket superstar Shahid Afridi said that the tournament will provide an excellent opportunity for the players to showcase their skills.

Former cricket team captain Mohammad Hafeez said, “It is a wonderful event to pay tribute to the legacy of Khawaja Iftikhar”. Superstar Rashid Malik said that this tournament will bring together players from the Davis Cup and Fed Cup.

The ever-loved Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi said, “Khawaja Iftikhar Ahmed dedicated his life to the promotion of tennis”, adding, “An important chapter in the history of tennis in Pakistan is ready to be written.”

Tennis stars from across the world including Sania Mirza, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Grigor Dimitrov expressed their best wishes for the championship.

Indian Tennis star Sania Mirza conveyed vest wishes to Aisam-ul-Haq and other players for the event. “Hope this will help the game of tennis in Pakistan grow,” she said.

Bulgarian Tennis player Grigor Dimitrov said, “I wish my friend Aisam-ul-Haq and all the players the best of luck for Pakistan’s biggest tournament”.

The tournament will be held at the Sports Board Punjab Tennis Academy, located at Nishtar Park Lahore.

THE LEGACY OF KHAWAJA IFTIKHAR AHMED

Khawaja Iftikhar was the grandfather of Aisam-ul-Haq, and the undisputed tennis champion of the Indo-Pak region pre-partition. He played for British India and then for Pakistan.

He was one of the highest ranked players in India from 1940 to 1946, and continued to hold the same mettle in Pakistan from 1947 to 1956.

Khawaja Iftikhar was the recipient of one of the highest civilian honors of Pakistan ‘Tamgha-e-Imtiaz’ as well as the Pride of Performance award. He retired from professional sports in 1962.

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