Peshawar
Pakistan Table Tennis Federation (PTF) with the collaboration of World and Asian Table Tennis Union here on Monday launched the first ever Advanced Training and Coaching Camp under qualified international table tennis coach with ‘Aim for Stars Pakistan Project’.
President Pride of Performance international coach Arif Khan, a scion of the Khan clan, was the chief guest on this occasion who formally launched the Training and Coaching wherein top semi-finalists of the National Cadet and National Junior Squash Championship, both male and female, called from across Pakistan.
Setup Training and Coaching under Aim for Stars Pakistan Project is to accomplish the target to ensure due opportunities to the existing talent to come and play under qualified coaches.
Arif Khan is one of the most accomplished table tennis players the nation has produced to date.
A product of Islamia Club, of course, Arif represented the country for almost a quarter-of a century, from 1974 to 1998, which envisaged four Asian Games between 1974 to 1986, eight biennial world championships and as many Asian championships, apart from the Commonwealth table tennis championships, Asia Cup, the US Open, China Open, Japan Open and numerous other events.
The 53-year-old Arif, who grew up playing in Islamia Club, has taken over the reins from his late father and is making concerted efforts to fill the vacuum.
Though, like a player, he has also made his mark in coaching globally as ITTF course conductor, he, somehow, lacks the charisma of his mentor.
Talking to APP, Arif Khan said that Asian Table Tennis Union with the collaboration of PTF and Table Tennis World body want to develop the game at the grassroots level.
International Course, Training and Coaching conductor, Arif Khan said that the world table tennis body initiated the Aim for Star Pakistan Project even in other table tennis playing countries of the world.
The three-time national champion in men’s singles — 1983, 1987 and 1993 — apart from capturing many other honours, Arif rose to fame by pocketing back-to-back gold medals at the Kolkata SAF Games in 1987 and the Islamabad SAF Games in 1989..—APP
