Ishtiaq Ahmed, a well-known figure in Bangladesh鈥檚 tennis, is currently serving as the general secretary of the Bangladesh Tennis Federation鈥檚 ad hoc committee. In an interview with 抖阴精品鈥檚 Wahid Ullah Bakul, he stated his desire to reform and improve the country鈥檚 game.
抖阴精品: Are you confident that this committee is capable of bringing notable progress?
Ishtiaq Ahmed: Tennis is an expensive sport, but I鈥檓 optimistic about financial support. Our committee consists of diverse professionals committed to voluntary service. If even half of the well-off members are passionate about the game, I believe we can drive meaningful change.
NA: Depending on your available resources, what kind of short or long-term plan can you make?聽
Ishtiaq: The initial plan will be to create a strong national player pool through grooming up the available national and age-level players. If we can provide them with good training, we can expect good results within a short time. Side by side, we will have to run the Junior Tennis Initiative training programme to hunt for new talents. I also have a plan to arrange prize-money tournaments, at least four per year, to encourage players to pursue professionalism. Offering substantial prizes, ranging from Tk 1-2 lakh.
NA: We never had a star tennis player; what are the obstacles to having one?聽
Ishtiaq: The main obstacle is the financial crisis. A player needs to spend a significant amount of money on kits, food, and nutrition. The federation will have to look into it; otherwise, the aspirants will give up their hopes at the initial stage. We will pass the budget in the first meeting.
NA: How would you find new talents when aspirants cannot avail facilities of tennis courts at the district level?
Ishtiaq: In the past, we got some potential players from Rajshahi, Noagaon, and Chattogram districts through the talent hunt programme. So, we have plans to launch the talent hunt initiative at the country鈥檚 grassroots level. Despite our requests through the NSC [National Sports Council], many district administrators have not provided tennis court facilities for local aspiring players, which is a significant obstacle. However, we will work to ensure afternoon court access for some players in their local areas.
NA: What are the prospects for Bangladesh tennis?
Ishtiaq: Currently, we at best can expect to uplift our team position in the Davis Cup. Now we are in group five and can advance to group four with our available players. If we set a target now to play in the 16-team world group of the Davis Cup, it will take a minimum of five years with uninterrupted grooming initiative for a new group of players.
NA: Considering there is no specific time frame for the tenure of this ad-hoc committee, doesn鈥檛 the NSC鈥檚 decision seem contradictory?聽
Ishtiaq: There is no ambiguity regarding the indefinite tenure because there is no separate provision for the ad-hoc committee鈥檚 tenure in the BTF constitution. Usually, the sports ministry or the NSC mentions a time frame for an ad-hoc committee, but it did not happen this time. So, this committee can run for an indefinite period unless the ministry or NSC interferes.
NA: What specific reforms are needed in the BTF, and what plans does the current committee have?
Ishtiaq: We will hold our first formal meeting on December 2. If we see any necessary constitutional amendments, we will initiate the changes. We鈥檒l assess the available scopes.