LAHORE: Asian American Sports Club (AASC), a prominent organisation led by overseas Pakistanis, has formally launched its Lahore chapter, unveiling an expansive plan to provide world-class training, scholarships, and international exposure to talented and deserving athletes across the country.
Speaking at a high-profile media briefing, AASC Chairman Sid Siddiqui, who specially travelled from New York, along with President Amir Rasul and Mian Usman of Urban Developers, outlined the club’s far-reaching vision. Siddiqui announced that the organisation is expanding its footprint across South Asia by affiliating with institutions in China, India, the UAE, Bangladesh, and other regional nations, aiming to uplift the standards of sports, education, health, and youth development.
Siddiqui said, “Our mission is simple, identify deserving Pakistani athletes, train them professionally, support them academically, and prepare them for global success. We are already working at a national level, but my ultimate destination is the international stage.” He added that Pakistani communities in the United States are eager to contribute through structured, sustainable models, and AASC provides exactly that platform.
One of the most significant announcements came when Sid Siddiqui revealed that Central Park Lahore has become the first formal affiliate of AASC in Pakistan, providing its state-of-the-art sporting infrastructure for training camps, athlete development programs and future international events.
Mian Usman, Managing Director of Central Park and President of AASC Pakistan Chapter, welcomed the partnership, saying, “Seventeen modern sports facilities have already been inaugurated at Central Park. Under Vision 2030, we aim to transform this venue into Pakistan’s premier Sports City. With AASC’s global expertise, we will groom future stars, sponsor deserving players, and even send them abroad for high-level training.” He added that Central Park will extend maximum support to sports bodies and talented athletes across multiple disciplines.
The Asian American Sports Club announced that it will actively support, train and develop athletes in tennis, cricket, snooker, badminton, arm wrestling, kabaddi, padel tennis and pickleball.
AASC President Aamir Rasool reaffirmed the club’s regional ambition. “We are grateful to Central Park and Urban Developers for providing one of the finest sports arenas in Pakistan. We have added several Asian countries to AASC because our purpose is to uplift sports and athletes across Asia. We will hunt promising talent and fully develop it.”
AASC also announced leadership for its Pakistan and tennis chapters, Usman Anwar, MD Urban Developers, President of AASC Pakistan Chapter, Sania Naeem and Musa Haroon, Vice Presidents; and Imran Ahmad Siddiqui, President, and Khalid Siddique, Vice President. Faisal Khan, Vice President of Arm Wrestling Division.
Faisal Khan of Arm Wrestling disclosed, “We were approached by Sid Siddiqui because we have been organizing a good number of arm wrestling events in Pakistan and our recent event was participated in by over 4,000 active participants. Under Vision 2026, the ‘Fakhre Pakistan Open Challenge’ will be hosted at Central Park. A full-scale training camp will be held before the event, with strong participation from female athletes.”
AASC confirmed plans to hold international tennis and multi-sport events next year, along with long-term training camps designed to groom athletes for global competitions. Scholarships, academic assistance, mentorship, and social support will be extended to deserving players. With AASC’s arrival, Central Park’s world-class infrastructure, the Vision 2030 roadmap, and the involvement of overseas Pakistanis, Lahore is poised to become a dynamic hub for youth development and regional sports excellence.
