Maria Imran 
Aitchison College Junior National Tennis
The Aitchison College Junior National Tennis Championship 2026 was inaugurated on Tuesday at the college premises in Lahore. Principal Dr S. M. Turab Hussain opened the event as chief guest, joined by Rashid Malik, tournament referee Sajjad Rasul, assistant referee Asim Raza and tournament coordinator Faheem Siddiqui.
Aitchison College Junior National Tennis Opens in Lahore
Players, parents and coaches also attended the ceremony, creating a lively and supportive atmosphere. The setting reflects the growing role of schools in nurturing sporting talent across Pakistan.
Commanding Wins in the Boys’ U-18 and U-14 Events
In the boys’ U-18 first round, Abubakar Talha defeated Haroon Arif 6-0, 6-0, while Omer Jawad beat Faizan Haider by the same scoreline. Aaliyan Ali and Abdullah Yousaf also won in straight sets, and Amir Mazari of Aitchison College progressed alongside Abdullah Razzaq, Hamza Ali Rizwan and Mahad Rashid. Ahmad Fareed Yawar recovered from a lost opening set to beat Ibrahim Ahmad 0-6, 6-4, 6-3.
The U-14 event produced equally convincing results. M. Ibraheem Hussain Gill defeated Mahad Rashid 4-0, 4-0, while M. Muaz, Ahmad Fareed Yawar and Ibrahim Leghari also won in straight sets. Shayan Afridi and Daniyal Abdullah added further strong performances.
Pathways Towards International Tennis
Rashid Malik urged the participants to compete with determination, discipline and sportsmanship. He expressed confidence that the championship would help identify emerging talent and thanked Dr Turab Hussain and the Aitchison College administration for hosting the national-level event.
Pakistan’s tennis story already has proud chapters, including the Davis Cup win by Aisam-ul-Haq and Aqeel Khan, and junior events provide the first step on that ladder. Global careers such as Simona Halep’s retirement announcement and Sania Mirza’s farewell to tennis show how long journeys begin with early competition.
The wider policy question concerns how such events can be linked to lasting development. Regular junior circuits across the provinces, affordable coaching, shared use of school courts and clear routes into senior ranking events would help talented players progress, and closer partnerships between schools and the national federation could widen participation for years to come.
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