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Indian players to make entry into Pakistan

NEW DELHI SEPT. 27. The relationship between India and Pakistan has been very smooth, for many years, as far as tennis is concerned. The players have been playing across the border without much hassle, to the extent that Aisam Ul Haq Qureshi, a regular visiter to India from Pakistan has been given a wild card for the Challenger tournament to be played in Tumkur in Karnataka, ahead of many Indian players.

Rohan Bopanna and Aisam Ul Haq Qureshi had played doubles together recently in the Challenger circuit in Europe and the US, and went on to win a title in America.

There will be a new chapter added to the tennis exchanges, when seven Indian juniors along with a coach, physically walk across the Wagah border on Sunday, for competing in two ITF junior tournaments to be played in Islamabad over the next fortnight.

In a fine gesture, the Pakistan High Commission here opened its office specially to give the visas for the players and the coach, this morning.

"The players were all busy in the ITF tournament in Mumbai and returned only on Friday night. Thus, we could not apply for the visa earlier. We are very thankful to the Pakistan authorities for opening their office and giving us the visas within 30 minutes'', said the Director of the National Tennis Academy, Mr. Sunil Yajaman, who had coordinated programme with the officials last evening.

The players, Rupesh Roy, Sumit Prakash Gupta, Vivek Shokeen, Kaushik Das, G. K. Shweta, Poojashree Venkatesh and Daksha Mullay are all members of the national academy. The coach travelling with them would be Birbal Wadhera.

Since the bus to Pakistan had been booked full, the NTA sought permission from the Ministry of External Affairs, to let the Indian team walk across the Wagah border, so that it can take a taxi to Islamabad. Once again, the permission was granted without any hitch, and the authorities informed that the security at the Wagah border would be alerted about the team's schedule to ensure a smooth passage.

The team was scheduled to catch the Chhattisgarh Express this evening, and reach Amritsar on Sunday morning.

Another player, Pooja Paul from West Bengal, took the easy way out, and has already flown into Pakistan with her coach for competing in the same set of tournaments.

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