CLEVELAND, OHIO/LONDON: The Junaid Family Foundation (JFF) has announced its sponsorship of the World Tennis Women’s 15,000 Futures Tennis Tournament, which will be held in Islamabad from October 12 to 17, marking what organisers describe as the first WT women’s event to be hosted in Pakistan.
The tournament, sanctioned by World Tennis and being organised in partnership with the Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF), is expected to bring around 40 international players to Islamabad, where they will compete alongside emerging Pakistani female tennis players.
JFF said its sponsorship of the tournament was part of its wider commitment to women’s empowerment, health and wellbeing and would provide an international platform to highlight the achievements of women athletes.
The foundation has been involved in healthcare and development programmes in Pakistan, including large-scale maternal and child nutrition initiatives. It said its support for the tennis tournament represented an expansion of its work beyond direct health interventions to initiatives promoting women’s visibility, achievement and wellbeing.
“Investing in women’s health has always meant more to us than clinical interventions,” said Ansir Junaid, Chairman of the Junaid Family Foundation.
“This tournament lets us support world-class athletes while putting a spotlight on the health and wellbeing of women and girls across Pakistan.”
He said: “The event will form part of a significant period for women’s tennis in Pakistan. Another Futures Tournament will follow, while the Billie Jean King Cup Asia/Oceania competition will also put women’s tennis in the spotlight.
Our title sponsorship would associate the foundation’s work with a landmark event for women’s sport in Pakistan while helping the tournament reach international tennis audiences.
The participation of around 40 overseas players is also expected to provide Pakistani female players with an opportunity to compete against international athletes on home soil and gain greater exposure to competitive international tennis.”
The foundation said its involvement reflected its broader objective of supporting platforms that create opportunities for women and girls while promoting their health, development and participation in public life.
The Junaid Family Foundation operates both in Cleveland, Ohio, in the United States and internationally in Pakistan. Its initiatives focus on healthcare and development, education, equity and diversity, and civic engagement.
The foundation says its programmes are aimed at addressing generational poverty and creating opportunities for long-term prosperity, with women and children forming an important part of its development work.
The October tournament will bring international women’s tennis to Islamabad while providing Pakistan’s emerging female players an opportunity to compete on home courts in an international event.
