Davis Cup | Don’t see any reason for India to feel unsafe, PTI chief rules out shifting venue

08/12/2019

Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF) coach Salim Saifullah has informed that Pakistan wouldn’t be shifting the venue for the Davis Cup tie outside the country as all the security and preparations are in place. The coach has also offered the option of hosting the match without spectators if needed.

After the Indian Tennis Federation (ITF) were quite confident of travelling to Pakistan despite security concerns, the scrapping of Article 370 from Kashmir and the anticipated unrest thereafter has induced them to ask the International Tennis Federation to shift the Davis Cup tie to a neutral venue.

However, PTF chief Saifullah, on Sunday, has refused to do that stating that the Davis Cup Asia/Oceania Group-1 tie would be held in Islamabad on the scheduled date of September 14-15. He stressed on the preparations that the hosts have been making at the Islamabad Sports Complex.

“We are sticking to our original programme of hosting the tie on 14-15 September and I don’t see any problem or reason for the Indian team to feel unsafe to come to Islamabad,” Saifullah said, reported PTI.

“They will stay for four days in Islamabad, which is a safe city. We have made top-level security arrangements for them at their hotel and the venue. So what is the problem for them to play in Islamabad? If they want, we will not even have spectators for the tie,” he further added.

While informing that ITF has not yet contacted the PTF for shifting the venue, Saifullah also pointed out the fact that the tie was an important one for Pakistan in terms of promoting the sport. He has been willing as far as hosting the tie without any spectators.

“As it is, after a long time we have started hosting our Davis Cup ties at home,” the PTF chief added.