It may not be directly related to our course, but it’s such a good story I have to post it. One of our “personalities of the week” from last week, Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi made the finals of the US Open in both the mixed doubles and men's doubles. Unfortunately he lost in both (to the top seeded teams), but it’s still been quite a tournament for him. He is the only Pakistani tennis player ever to reach the final of a Grand Slam.
Even more importantly, he and men's doubles partner Rohan Bopanna, from India have used their sporting prowess to make a political statement. As a New Times article notes: “Bopanna and Qureshi, whose countries have engaged in three major wars and remain in dispute over the Kashmir region, have spent much of 2010 using their doubles partnership to try to improve relations between their countries … [They] first played together in 2003 but did not become devoted teammates until this year, when they played under the slogan ‘Stop War, Start Tennis’. They are each 30 years old and are working to promote understanding and tolerance in their countries.”
See the rest of the article at: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/09/sports/tennis/09straightsets.html
Maybe we could consider them an example of the “Fish Philosophy”. The have taken their lives as journeymen tennis professionals and given it a whole new meaning.
John
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