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Pakistan Will Not Hold the Davis Cup- ITF Organizers Pull Out

by harringtola | March 20, 2009 at 07:04 am

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The impact of the violence in Pakistan is spilling out into areas having more of an economic impact on the country.

Pakistan lost the right to host its Davis Cup series against the Philippines because of security fears in the wake of the attack on Sri Lanka's cricket team in Lahore.

Pakistan had been due to host the best-of-five series from July 10-12, but the ITF said the Philippines will now have the choice of venue "based upon existing advice from the ITF's security consultants."

The continued public displays of violence as well as the threat of violence perpetrated on athletes and visitors has removed Pakistan from the world stage for tennis and surely more to come.

On March 3, gunman attacked Sri Lanka's cricket team as it traveled by bus in Lahore. Six police officers were killed and seven team members injured. It was the most high-profile attack on a sports team since 11 members of the Israeli Olympic team were killed at the 1972 Munich Games.

Since the attack, several events have been pulled from Pakistan, including a junior tennis tournament that had been scheduled for Karachi.

The Pakistan tennis federation still has the right to appeal the ITF's decision.

"We've not heard anything yet," Robinson said.

Pakistan, which reached the semifinals of the Asia-Oceania zone's Group II by beating Oman 4-1 earlier this month, had also been scheduled to host the first round series. Instead, it was played in the Omani capital of Muscat because the ITF's security consultant advised the tennis body to change the venue to another country.