LAHORE: Young tennis stars Asad Zaman and Bismel Zia, both representing Ali Embroidery Mills and trained under renowned coach Rashid Malik, clinched the U-18 boys’ and girls’ titles respectively while Ohad-e-Mustafa and Aiman Rehan claimed the boys’ and girls’ U-14 titles at the Kamran Steel Punjab Junior Tennis Championship 2025, held at the Punjab Tennis Academy, Bagh-e-Jinnah, Lahore.
Asad Zaman produced a dominant display in the boys’ U-18 final, defeating Ohad-e-Mustafa by 8-2, showcasing solid baseline play and tactical maturity beyond his years. In the girls’ U-18 final, Bismel Zia was equally impressive, overwhelming Eesha Rabbi with a emphatic 6-0 victory. The twin successes highlighted not only individual talent but also the impact of structured coaching under Rashid Malik, one of Pakistan’s most respected tennis mentors.
The championship featured competitive matches across multiple age categories, reflecting the growing depth of junior tennis talent in Punjab. In the boys’ U-14 final, Ohad-e-Mustafa bounced back strongly to edge M Muaz in a closely contested encounter, winning 7-6. The girls’ U-14 title went to Aiman Rehan, who defeated Eesha Rabbi 6-0.
In the U-14 doubles final, M Muaz and M Ayan combined well to overcome Khadija Khalil and Ibrahim Talha 6-2, while Muaz later added another accolade by winning the boys’ U-12 final, narrowly defeating M Ayan 7-6. The girls’ U-12 crown was claimed by Khadija Khalil, who beat Aiman Rehan 6-1, and the U-10 mixed final saw Daniyal Afzal Malik prevail over Hadi Ali Rizwan 7-5 in an entertaining contest.
The concluding ceremony was graced by Mr. Usman Ali Ashraf of Kamran Steel Re-Rolling Mills Pvt Ltd and Mr. Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi, President of the Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF), as chief guests. Guest of honour Mr. Waqar Nisar, Finance Secretary of the Punjab Lawn Tennis Association (PLTA), along with players and their families, were also present.
Senior Executive Vice President of PLTA Rashid Malik thanked Kamran Steel for its continued support of tennis in Punjab. He also expressed special gratitude to Tariq Zaman of Ali Embroidery Mills for backing title winners Asad Zaman and Bismel Zia, and to Ali Mukhtar of Fatima Group for supporting promising juniors M Muaz and M Ayan. Malik also appreciated the presence of Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi for motivating young players with his encouraging address.
Speaking on the occasion, Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi congratulated all winners and runners-up and reaffirmed the PTF’s commitment to junior development. He revealed that the federation is striving to provide maximum national and international exposure to talented youngsters, including overseas training opportunities, citing Shayan Afridi and Rashid Ali as recent examples. He urged young players to continue working hard, assuring them that PTF will keep supporting junior tennis through increased ITF events and development pathways.