150 players vie for ranking glory
The All Pakistan Juniors/Seniors National Ranking Tennis Championship 2026 marks a landmark moment for the city, with Rashid Malik overseeing a six-day festival of tennis.
Asher Butt
For more than 27 years, Sahiwal waited. The tennis courts of the city remained active—club members played their friendly matches, young hopefuls dreamed of bigger stages—but the national ranking circuit had become a distant memory. No longer. On June 2, 2026, Sahiwal Club threw open its gates to more than 150 players from across Pakistan as the All Pakistan Juniors/Seniors National Ranking Tennis Championship 2026 began, marking a historic return of national-level tennis to a city with a rich sporting heritage.
The six-day championship, running until June 7, has brought together some of Pakistan’s leading and emerging tennis talent to compete across a packed schedule of junior, senior, and men’s categories. For the players, it is a chance to earn ranking points. For Sahiwal, it is a chance to remind the country that tennis thrives beyond the major urban centres.
A tournament for all ages: Packed categories across six days
The championship’s breadth reflects the organizers’ ambition to make this a genuinely inclusive event. The men’s singles and doubles (Punjab Ranking) competitions will showcase the region’s top adult talent, while the seniors 45+ and 55+ doubles events prove that tennis is a sport for life.
For the younger generation, the tournament offers a full spectrum of age-group competitions: boys and girls U-18, U-14, and U-12 singles and doubles events, along with boys and girls U-10 singles. The presence of girls’ categories is a particularly welcome sign of the growing depth of women’s tennis in Pakistan.
With over 150 participants, the tournament has already exceeded expectations. Local hotels are fully booked. The Sahiwal Club’s courts are buzzing from morning until evening. And the city, long starved of major sporting events, has embraced the championship with genuine enthusiasm.
The opening ceremony: Commissioner, deputy commissioner, and a crowd of supporters
The official opening ceremony was attended by Commissioner Sahiwal Division Dr Asif Tufail as chief guest, while Deputy Commissioner Sahiwal Capt (R) Samiullah Farooq graced the occasion as guest of honour. The event drew a large gathering of players, coaches, parents, sports enthusiasts, and members of the local tennis community—a turnout that underscored the significance of the moment.
Speaking on the occasion, Commissioner Dr Asif Tufail praised the joint efforts of Sahiwal Club and the district administration for bringing a major national sporting event back to the city after nearly three decades.
“It is a matter of pride for Sahiwal to host such a prestigious championship,” Dr Tufail said. “We look forward to witnessing high-quality and competitive tennis throughout the week.”
He wished all participants success and expressed hope that the tournament would become an annual fixture on Sahiwal’s sporting calendar.
Deputy Commissioner Capt (R) Samiullah Farooq echoed those sentiments, noting that the district administration had provided full support to ensure the smooth conduct of the event. For a city that has often felt overlooked by national sports federations, the presence of both the Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner at the opening ceremony sent a clear message: Sahiwal is ready to host again.
Rashid Malik: The driving force behind Sahiwal’s tennis revival
No discussion of this tournament would be complete without acknowledging the man who made it happen. Rashid Malik, the renowned tennis administrator and former Davis Cup player, is serving as tournament director. A recipient of both the Sitara-i-Imtiaz and Tamgha-i-Imtiaz, Malik brings decades of experience, credibility, and passion to the role.
Addressing the participants, Malik encouraged young players to compete with determination and sportsmanship, urging them to pursue excellence and strive to represent Pakistan with distinction at the international level.
“I would especially like to thank Commissioner Sahiwal Dr Asif Tufail for hosting this event in Sahiwal,” Malik said. “I hope that it will be conducted every year here.”
The sentiment was not merely ceremonial. Malik has been a tireless advocate for decentralizing Pakistani tennis, arguing that talent exists in every corner of the country and that national tournaments must travel beyond Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad. Sahiwal is proof of that vision in action.
The tournament’s officiating team reflects the same commitment to professionalism. Faheem Siddiqui is serving as tournament referee, while Hamza Naeem is coordinating the event. Rashid Malik heads the disciplinary committee, with Salman Habib (Sports Secretary), Mian Naveed Malik, Ch Asif, and Nathan Asher as members. The organizing committee is being headed by Hassan Said, with members including Hamza Naeem, Ch Hamza, Dr Ali, and Zeeshan Sheikh.
On-court action: First round results
The early rounds of the tournament have already produced compelling tennis. In the men’s singles first round, Shahzaib Hassan, Ahmad Hameed, Zakir Ullah, Hassan Kamran, Suleiman Junaid, and Alyas Khan advanced comfortably to the next stage. Each victory was met with appreciative applause from a knowledgeable local crowd that has waited 27 years for this moment.
In the boys U-18 category, Ahtesham Humayun, Ahmad Shuja Rehman, Rashid Ali Bachani, Shayan Afridi, and Abdul Basit secured victories, showcasing the depth of young talent emerging from across Pakistan. The quality of play in the junior categories has been a particular highlight, with several matches extending to three sets and displaying shot-making well beyond the players’ years.
The U-14 competition saw M Ahsan Bari, Ali Muntazim, Behroze Memon, Haseeb Mustafa, and Shayan Afridi progress after impressive opening-round performances. The emergence of Shayan Afridi as a standout performer across multiple age groups has drawn attention from the tournament officials, with whispers that the youngster could be one to watch in the coming years.
The support system: Cheezious, Adams Foods, and local administration
Major sporting events do not happen without support, and the Sahiwal championship has been fortunate in its partners. The tournament is being supported by Cheezious, Adams Foods, Sahiwal Club members, the Commissioner Office, and the Deputy Commissioner Office.
The involvement of local businesses and government offices reflects a collaborative model that other cities could usefully emulate. When the public sector, private enterprise, and civil society work together, national tournaments can thrive outside the traditional metropolitan centres.
What this means for Sahiwal
For a city of approximately 400,000 people, hosting a national-ranking tennis event is more than a week of entertainment. It is a statement of identity. Sahiwal has produced athletes of note across multiple sports, but tennis has often been the preserve of the elite clubs in Lahore and Karachi. This tournament changes that perception.
Young children watching from the stands—many of whom have never seen a national-level tennis match in person—are now dreaming differently. They are imagining themselves on those same courts, competing for ranking points, representing their city and their country. That is the intangible but invaluable legacy of events like this.
The tournament runs until June 7. By the time the finals are played, Sahiwal will have hosted more than 150 players, countless matches, and a week of high-quality tennis. And if Rashid Malik has his way, it will not be another 27 years before the next one.
