Islamabad
Pakistan’s promising Huzaifa Abdul Rehman is determined to step into the slot of next superstar of the tennis in Pakistan by taking over the keys of the game during the next decade. ‘I’ve been training really hard since the time I began tennis at the age of four. Since then I never became complacent. Whether I’m in Pakistan or abroad; whether it is off season or I’m there to play in some tournament I never give up my training,’ Huzaifa told APP on phone from United States of America (USA) where he is undergoing training at Florida’s Next Generation Tennis Academy.
Like other sports, the tennis season was suspended in March across the world due to the coronavirus. The hiatus is likely to continue as no immediate end to the pandemic seems in sight. However, there was no break for the 18-year-old Huzaifa, who preferred to stay in Florida where several other talented youngsters like him are undergoing rigorous training while adhering to the safety measures.
‘I’ve been here even before the outbreak of this pandemic. Instead of rushing back to my country I chose to stay here. I know as a pro you need to keep going and doing hard work even during such unfavourable times,’ he reckoned. Pakistan has produced some really good players in tennis with two of them – Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi and Aqeel Khan dominating the country’s tennis scene during the last 15 years. —APP
