It is high time that the incumbents who have served for eight long years should step down and make room for others in the larger interest of the game.
THE electoral campaign for the quadrennial elections of the Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF) has picked up momentum and at least four candidates including the incumbent president are in the run for the top slot, it emerged on Saturday.
The present body completes its two terms spread over eight years on April 1.
Dilawar Abbas, who succeeded Saleem Saifullah at the helm of PTF in 2002, was re-elected unopposed in the electoral meeting held at Islamabad on April 2, 2006. Major (retired) Rashid was also re-elected as secretary.
Besides the incumbent, other people who are in the run for the president ship includes two sitting vice-presidents Rao Iftikhar and Brig (retired) Khalid Sajjad Khokhar and Senator Salim Saifullah.
Veteran Davis Cupper Zulfiqar Rahim and Col Qaiser of the Army have come forward as strong candidates for the post of secretary.
The PTF has 14 votes and who-so-ever secures eight will be elected for four years.
The electoral list comprises Sindh, Punjab, Balochistan, NWFP, Army, Navy, Air Force, POF Wah, Veteran’s Association, International Club of Pakistan, Wapda, Railways, HEC and Islamabad.
It has been learnt that the PSB has written at least three letters to the president of the PTF within a short span of time in the recent past reminding them to hold elections. The first letter was written on Feb 8 asking them to hold the election. A reminder was send on Feb 15 followed by third letter on March 4 which said: “The PTF would become “defunct” if it failed to hold elections by April 2”.
In the meantime, the PTF has convened its annual general meeting in Islamabad on April 10 to decide the date of elections, the PTF said in a communication to the PSB dated March 24.
“It will be a clear violation after expiry of the date prompting the POA and the PSB to intervene and hold elections,” a source revealed to Dawn.
Sensing danger of not allowing contesting elections for the third term, former Senator Dilawar Abbas has already earned the nod of members to become PTF patron.
A study into the electoral college of the PTF show that three votes of the services (Army, Navy and the Air Force) along with POF Wah matters most as they go together so does three votes of Sindh (STA, veteran’s association and IC) in addition to the support of Balochistan.
Subh-e-Nau, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), whose enormous contribution to the promotion of tennis, particularly ladies, for the last several years speaks volumes is an associate member with no voting rights.
The body was granted associate membership in June 2008 and its chairperson Shahida Kauser Farooq is an elected lady council member. Other two ladies council members are Nighat Saeed and Shaheen Khan.
It is high time that the incumbents who have served for eight long years should step down and make room for others in the larger interest of the game.
Source: http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/the-newspaper/sport/heavyweights-lineup-for-top-ptf-posts-as-polls-near-830
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