By Hameed ul Haq
Pakistan’s junior tennis team recently participated in the Asia/Oceania Final Qualifying of the Junior Davis Cup (U-16) held in Shymkent, Kazakhstan, from May 19 to 24, 2025.
Total 16 national teams from Asia and Oceania competed for qualification to the World Group stage. Pakistan faced India in the 11th-12th position playoff, where India secured a 2-0 victory.
After losing 2 matches and winning only 1 in group stage, Pakistan couldn’t advance further and played for 9th to 16th position play-offs. In the play-off rounds Pakistan could secure only 1 win against Iran but lost from Thailand and India. Pakistan came 12th out of 16th after losing from India 2-0 in the last and crucial match.
This was a dream team of Pakistan, as 2 out of 3 players participated in Junior Davis Cup consecutively for the 3rd year straight. These two players couldn’t even win a single match despite being experienced. While the 3rd player performed slightly better than these two but he is a US-based Pakistani player. The hopes were high that this team could make history but their performance fell short.
Despite significant backing from the Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF) President and the establishment of the ACE Academy under the umbrella of the National Training Center (NTC) at the PTF Complex, the initiative has yet to deliver meaningful results or produce any notable tennis talent. Despite years of operation and substantial institutional support, PTF has failed to develop players capable of competing at regional or international levels, as reflected in Pakistan’s underwhelming performance in events like the Junior Davis Cup. The disconnect between the resources invested and the outcomes achieved raises serious questions about the effectiveness,
Additionally, the match against India was marred by an incident involving a Pakistani player’s unsportsmanlike behavior during the post-match handshake, which drew widespread criticism and overshadowed the sporting event.
A post-match gesture during the Davis Cup tie between India and Pakistan sparked controversy, largely fueled by Indian media outlets.
The incident involved Mikaeel Ali Baig, a USA-based Pakistani dual national who was called up to represent Pakistan in the tie. After a tough loss, a video emerged showing him appearing not to shake hands properly with his Indian opponent and hitting his hand not once but twice — an action interpreted as unsportsmanlike conduct.
While the indian junior player and team remained calm and composed, this incident could’ve been referred to the international governing bodoes such as the Asian Tennis Federation (ATF), International Tennis Federation, etc.
Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF) President Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi hastily acknowledged the incident and issued a public apology to the Indian team. While perhaps well-intentioned, this move was widely seen as premature and ill-advised. By apologizing without a formal inquiry or context, the PTF effectively accepted blame, inadvertently strengthening the narrative pushed by segments of the Indian media.
Historically, PTF has taken a much firmer stance on controversial matters. In 1996, during an under-14 tournament in Delhi, Indian officials—backed by an Indian-origin referee—questioned the age of Pakistani players and escalated the issue to the International Tennis Federation (ITF). At that time, the PTF Secretary firmly contested the claim. The ITF, after reviewing the matter at the highest level, apologized and confirmed the eligibility of the Pakistani players. That incident set an example of standing firm in defense of players rather than caving to external pressure.
At last, has this incident been reported in the Captain/Coach report to the Pakistan Tennis Federation upon arriving back. It seems it was kept out intentionally and took the PTF and entire tennis fraternity by surprise. In addition, was the player along with the team given a warning that such an incident wouldn’t happen again in the country or abroad.
In contrast, the current episode was a missed opportunity for PTF to take a stronger, more measured approach. Rather than engaging in public diplomacy over an on-court moment, the federation could have handled the matter internally or through proper channels. Apologizing hastily without clarity not only gives legitimacy to an unconfirmed accusation but could also risk disciplinary consequences for the Pakistani team. The role of leadership is to protect athletes, the interest of sports, and the country’s image particularly when they are representing their nation under immense pressure and not to feed into speculative media narratives.
Lastly, the Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF) and its current management circulated misleading claims that Pakistan had “made history” by qualifying for the Asia/Oceania Final Qualifying round of the Junior Davis Cup in 2025. However, this narrative is factually incorrect and misrepresents the country’s actual tennis history. Pakistan has participated in the Asia/Oceania Junior Davis Cup qualifying rounds multiple times in the past. Therefore, portraying the 2025 qualification as an unprecedented achievement is not only factually inaccurate but also diminishes the efforts of past players and teams who have represented Pakistan at similar levels. Such misrepresentation raises concerns about the credibility and transparency of the current PTF leadership.
The writer is. (Pride of Performance) Ex-Davis Cup captain coach and former national champion.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect editorial policy of Pakistan Observer
