Last year, I blogged about Aisam ul-Haq Qureshi, a Pakistani tennis player who played at last year’s Wimbledon with an Indian partner, Prakash Armitraj. The pair didn’t go very far into the competition, but their partnership sparked headlines and media attention, with Dawn noting, “The pair believe their tennis doubles partnership shows sport can transcend the boundaries between people — and say the warm response to their joining forces shows how the situation has shifted in recent years.”
This year, at the U.S. Open, Qureshi has partnered with another Indian player – Rohan Bopanna – and the pair has been subsequently dubbed the “Indo-Pak Express.” The Star Ledger (via Sepia Mutiny) noted in its coverage,
Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi looked around the perimeter of the court Tuesday and saw what he’d hoped for. They were sitting together. Pakistanis and Indians, blurred along the bleachers, one just like the other. They were clapping for the same thing. Cheering in unison…“There was a lot of Pakistanis and Indians in the crowd cheering for us,” Qureshi said. “And you couldn’t tell the difference, who was Pakistani and who was Indian, they were all mixed together and supporting the same team.”
Bopanna and Qureshi also teamed up for this year’s Wimbledon warm-ups, declaring, “Stop War Start Tennis.” Qureshi told Sports Illustrated, “Obviously we have to look at the bigger picture. Nelson Mandela, Arthur Ashe, all those big legends: Definitely you can change people’s minds through sports. Football does that; there’s no reason tennis can’t do it. Our combination is very rare and we’re getting all this publicity and hype. And I feel like we can use it to change peoples’ minds. Minds are changing anyway. Every time Indians and Pakistanis come and support us, minds are changing.”
Pakistan’s cricket team – what with their spot-fixing, match-fixing, [insert-here]-fixing – have disappointed us time and time again. Qureshi, in comparison, is pretty damn refreshing and inspirational. And frankly, between the Qureshi-Bopanna partnership and the Sania Mirza-Shoaib Malik love story, I’d take the former any day. More tennis diplomacy, if you please.
(Shout-out to Ramez for the tip. Thanks!)
We most definitely need something refreshing! There isn’t much difference between Pakistanis and Indians and I hope that people can see that. Also, focusing on differences can be exhausting…or so I think. I hope they manage to get ahead in the U.S. Open.
Thanks Sahar – I agree it really is refreshing, though I am always cautious about the tangible power of citizen diplomacy versus state-to-state. There has been a lot of people-to-people interaction between Pakistanis and Indians for awhile, and yet our state governments have fair more tenuous relations. It’s an interesting dichotomy, to say the least.
If anyone wants to watch Aisam & Rohan’s match today, you can stream it live: go to uspen.org, click on video and radio, then live video and click the grandstand court. The matches are live and the streaming is in high def (thanks again Ramez).
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have no idea when you wrote this piece kalsoom but THE MAN has already made us even more prouder by setting the record of first Pakistani to have ever made into semi-finals of any grand slam event… woho!
http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/sport/40-aisam-qureshi-in-mixed-doubles-semifinals-at-us-open-tns-08
Thanks LVII!
Aisam is being awarded the Sitara-i-Imtiaz. Only the third athlete to have been awarded this honor. Imran Khan and Jahangir Khan are the others. Quite an accomplishment.
Tennis has been such a neglected sport in Pakistan and today what Aisam achieved is purely due to his resilience and hard work. I hope he and his partner, Bopana could bag the title.
They’re one step closer! Going to the semi-finals!! http://www.dawn.com/wps/wcm/connect/dawn-content-library/dawn/news/sport/07-qureshi-bopanna-s-us-open-smooth-sailing-continues-ha-05
This has been a great U.S. Open for Qureshi. In addition to his success with Bopanna, he and his mixed doubles partner Kveta Pescke are also thriving. (They advanced to the next round today as well.)
I actually caught Qureshi and Pescke’s mixed doubles match on Saturday and have some photos on my site.
Regarding Pak-Israel doubles..this statement is patently false..
“despite pressures from “both” communities.”
There is only pressure from Pakistan…with its one-track-mind.Israelis have no such qualms or over-inflated egos..they are quite willing to do business with whoever is willing to do business with them except the ones who wants to kill them..
Its sickening to observe Pak commentators using BOTH indiscriminatingly in every context irrespective of “facts” and circumstances.I guess its one of the issues blocking introspection.
Wow.
Kannan…ur right….
I think Pakistan’s education system is to blame…
They taught their children about hate and wrong facts only!..
for eg:- They have been taught from childhood that they represent World wide Muslim community only!!!..
Where as they are forgetting a simple fact that INDIA has more number of Muslims than Pakistan..that too more educated and more rich!….
I remember once in a T20 Cricket Cup Final,after losing to INDIA… Pakistan’s Cricket captain was saying “Sorry to all Muslims around world(?)”….
Where as Indian team also consists of 3 muslims and interestingly the Man of match award was also to one of the Muslim from indian team!!..:-)
This guy is my hero! Great example that we should all follow.
Whohoo!! They made the finals!!
Heres a great interview the pair: http://www.thedailyforehand.com/2010/9/3/1628718/bopanna-qureshi-india-pakistan
Pakistan – India Zindabad!!!
Woohoo….No confusion…great combination…..poing!!!
(Okay…that’s stolen from the Bingo Ad)
Dear Kalsoom
I was very eager for this blog to appear, when I read that our famed pair has reached finals of U.S.open.
In doubles, both are fantastic players, & i wish that by winning Grand Slam title, they can give us the best EID gift this year.
I am very small man & do not understand if any socio-political significance is atatched to this but sincerely feel that they whould win.
Regds
Umesh Bhawalkar-Mumbai
Million dollars speech by Aisam Ul Haq Qureshi at arthur ashe stadium. More power, success and respect to him. Finally something to cheer about!
First of all EID MUBARAK!
Aisam-Rohan pair is the proof(if ever one was needed)that together,India-Pakistan can come together and become world beaters!QED.
I watched their final- really was rooting for them to win. But they did make their statement. One nice comment I heard somewhere was that its rare that India and Pakistan are rooting for the same thing!
Amidst all the Quran burning controversies in US, you should u do a post on this ‘dude you have no Quran’ guy ! Makes you heave a sigh of relief, that for every nutcase, there are voices from within to neutralize them and give hope.
See below if you have not already come across it:
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/hottopics/detail?entry_id=72182