LAHORE: The Inter-University Women’s Tennis Championship 2023 officially began at the GC University Lahore, marked by a vibrant inauguration ceremony attended by sports officials, participating teams, and a large number of spectators, here on Saturday. The tournament, organised under the Higher Education Commission, features 16 teams who are representing universities from all over the country, including last year’s winners Lahore College for Women’s University. The first day of the tournament saw some exciting matches, with the University of Management Technology (UMT) defeating Government College Women’s University Sialkot and Punjab University beating Islamic University of Bahawalpur (IUB). The tournament is expected to showcase some of the top talent in women’s tennis from universities across the country, as they compete to be crowned the Inter-University Women’s Tennis Champions of 2023. During the opening ceremony, Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Asghar Zaidi emphasised the significance of events like this in advancing women’s athletics and their role in fostering a more inclusive and equitable society. He said: “This tournament will provide an excellent opportunity for talented women from different universities to showcase their skills in tennis and compete at the highest level.” He also recognized the hard work of GCU Director Sports Waseem Akhtar and his organizing committee in putting the tournament together. The tournament will be held for three days, with the finals scheduled for Monday (today). Students, faculty members, and the university community are encouraged to come out and support the teams, as this event is a great opportunity to come together and promote women in sports, encouraging more participation and further advancing gender equality in the athletic arena.