Pakistan secured a historic silver medal at the ITF Masters World Team Championships in the 45+ age category after going down 2-1 to top seeds and tournament favourites Spain in a closely contested final at the Jamor Tennis Centre.<\/p>\n
The runners-up finish marks Pakistan\u2019s best-ever performance at the ITF Masters World Team Championships and places the country among the leading nations in the 45+ category.
\nAccording to information made available here by Pakistan Tennis Federation, the decisive contest came in the second singles, where Pakistan\u2019s Aqeel Khan was beaten 6-4, 6-2 by Spain\u2019s Francisco Javier Martinez Baena in a clash between two of the tournament\u2019s leading players.
\nAqeel had enjoyed an outstanding campaign, registering a series of impressive victories in both singles and doubles alongside former Pakistan No. 1 Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi. However, after several consecutive days of demanding and high-intensity matches, fatigue proved a decisive factor against a fresh and formidable Spanish side.
\nPakistan\u2019s impressive journey to the final included victories over the United States, Canada, hosts Portugal and Sweden, earning the team a well-deserved place on the championship podium.
\nThe medal ceremony was held at the Jamor Tennis Centre, where Pakistan received the silver medals and runners-up trophy from the President of the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and the President of the Portuguese Tennis Federation.
\nThe ceremony was also attended by Paulo Domingues, Ambassador of Portugal to Pakistan, whose presence and support were warmly appreciated by the Pakistani contingent.
\nCompeting against more than 30 nations and over 300 players, Pakistan emerged as the only Asian country to win a medal at the championship, underlining the growing strength and competitiveness of Pakistani players in international Masters tennis.
\nFollowing the medal ceremony, Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi congratulated his teammates and thanked everyone who contributed to the team\u2019s memorable campaign.
\n\u201cThis has been an unforgettable week for Pakistan tennis. I want to congratulate my teammates Aqeel Khan, Shehryar Salamat and Hadi Hussain for their commitment, professionalism and outstanding teamwork throughout the championship,\u201d Aisam said.
\n\u201cEvery member of the squad played an important role in helping us reach the final.\u201d
\nAisam also expressed his gratitude to the team\u2019s sponsors, Lama Retail, SICAS Schools, Tablevelics and Faizan Steel, saying their generous support had made Pakistan\u2019s participation possible.
\nHe also appreciated the Pakistani media for following the tournament and keeping the public informed through regular match reports, photographs and video coverage.
\n\u201cWe are equally grateful to all our supporters in Pakistan and abroad whose encouragement meant so much to the team,\u201d he added.
\nAisam extended special thanks to the Ambassador of Portugal to Pakistan, Paulo Domingues, for attending the closing medal ceremony and supporting the team during its stay in Portugal.
\n\u201cGestures like these strengthen the friendship between our two countries and meant a great deal to our team,\u201d he said.
\nPakistan\u2019s historic silver medal is a fitting reward for a team that displayed resilience, sportsmanship, determination and unity throughout the championship.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Pakistan secured a historic silver medal at the ITF Masters World Team Championships in the 45+ age category after going down 2-1 to top seeds and tournament favourites Spain in a closely contested final at the Jamor Tennis Centre. The runners-up finish marks Pakistan\u2019s best-ever performance at the ITF Masters World Team Championships and places […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":560832,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-560817","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-sports"],"yoast_head":"\n