Match Point
Aisam-ul-Haq is my hero!

Aisam-ul-Haq is my hero!

It did not go down as we all hoped but it doesn't matter. Aisam, Bopanna we salute you – thank you for making both our countries proud.

Jahanzaib Haque September 10, 2010

It did not go down as we all hoped against the Bryans at the US Open, but it doesn’t make a difference.

Aisam-ul-Haq is my new national hero and his partnership with Rohan Bopanna has shown us just what India and Pakistan can jointly achieve if we look beyond our differences and recognize what binds us together – and what better place to learn that lesson than on a tennis court.

Cricket has let us down, hockey has near-faded from memory and football has yet to emerge, but Aisam has shown us that with enough courage, integrity and hard work, our country is capable of producing people of caliber whom the whole world can look up to, regardless of the challenges we may face along the way (Tennis in Pakistan? Who would have thought!). Here’s hoping to seeing some of that same passion in other fields as well.

Aisam, Bopanna we salute you – thank you for making both our countries proud, thank you for giving us something to smile about on Eid and thank you for giving our nation’s aspirations the much-needed injection of hope.

You are both winners in my books. And 10,000 adoring fans on Twitter agree with me!

@stupefy: We are not terrorists, we are peace loving country and we want peace in the world as much as you guys want." - Aisam #Pakistan

@FiveRupees: Aisam for President/PM/Army chief/Chief Justice! Yeah!

@meAmna Aisam for President & Prime minister and whatever comes in between!!! Aisam Qureshi we love u! Great man, even better Pakistani!

@Saba_Imtiaz Seriously, cut funding to cricket and give it to tennis players like Aisam. What a great match.

@alzeee:What a beautiful example of how we can improve our image just by playing sports. #PakTennis #Aisam #USOpen

hassaan_a standing ovation for Aisam -ul-Haq and Rohan Bopanna! have made us so proud!! :) we want to see more of him! n brilliant comments about Pak

MominaKhawar Tomorrow is Eid and 9/11 anniversary. Aisamtook perfect advantage to help us clear out our differences. Thank you Aisam xx

@kaalakawaa: Well done Aisam and Bopanna! It's so nice to actually be proud of your sportsmen.

WRITTEN BY:
Jahanzaib Haque The writer is web editor, The Express Tribune jahanzaib.haque@tribune.com.pk

The views expressed by the writer and the reader comments do not necassarily reflect the views and policies of the Express Tribune.

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COMMENTS (33)

Hameed | 14 years ago | Reply amazing how one man can change the perception and sports. Great job Aisam. You have provided the fuel for future aisam's of this country.

afsheen | 14 years ago | Reply dear u r da hero..........hero of mothers example 4 brothers love 4 sisters &pride 4 fathers ..............u r da best keep up the spirit

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ayan | 14 years ago | Reply u played very well.The line which u say at the end was very good and courageful.keep it up and go on.love u.

summiyia | 14 years ago | Reply ooo heroo tusi great ho

safeer | 14 years ago | Reply I LIKE YOUR PASSION ND PATPRIOTISM ...................... GREAT

hina latif | 14 years ago | Reply WE ALL LOVE U!!!!!!!!! U r ur real hero!!!! May God bless U!

samina ashfaque | 14 years ago | Reply Congratulations! Aisam we are proud of you. Unlike Imran Khan who only praised himself for winning the world cup you really made us proud for showing us how a true patriot should be like . I congratulate you and your family and Bopanna for making it possible

Think therefore | 14 years ago | Reply 80% of cricket stars are basically upstarts from the streets of PK... not someone with class like Aisam... also due apologies to Imran Khan... the rest are all pathetic...ub to uss afridi kay sar pa dandruff kay siwa kuch nahin....

Parvez | 14 years ago | Reply You and Bopanna have done us proud. Be careful of the Veena Malik's of the world - oh!! you lucky man.

Sidra | 14 years ago | Reply Standing ovation for Aissam.He for once makes me a PROUD PAKISTANI!!! Definitely want to see more of Aissam in the near future!!!I truly wish he continues to clim the ladder of success and give us forlorn pakistanis a reason to be proud the world over.Hats off to Aisam!!!!

Mariam Mazhar | 14 years ago | Reply Your speech was Eid gift for us Pakistani Aisam!!!

Talat Haque | 14 years ago | Reply true winners ! love you both

Samreen A.Khan | 14 years ago | Reply hats off for our champ! =)....u make us feel proud!

zehra khokhar | 14 years ago | Reply amazing player and really loved the comments which he gave during the ceremony......!!! WE ALL LOVE YOU ASIM....AND REALLY PROUD OF YOU...!!!

Sheeba | 14 years ago | Reply Aisam, u were great!! hats off to u for everything u did, including the game, the speech in the end and representing u as the ambassador of Pakistan

Lalit | 14 years ago | Reply best illustration of our misplaced priorities as far as sports are concerned.this has been an old malady of south asia,that cricket has always been having the lions share of public attention while other sports irrespective of their better performance are rendered step-motherly treatment.its a well known fact that test-cricket is played by a few nations all connected by a colonial past..may be 10 or so ..and our ranking swings all the time from 1 to 5 sometimes even below.while more internationally prominent sports in which we have a better standing ,a few of them like boxing,badminton,tennis,shooting,wrestling,weightlifting and chess are far from becoming a craze..even an olympic gold is unable to change the public perception.peole in general know a rookie cricketer more than a seasoned campaigner of other sport.public -private both sectors need to come forward to enhance these games stature and people need to share the enthusiasm and celebrate other games victories too..

Asad Faraz | 14 years ago | Reply Absolute Pride. A true national representation! May Allah Bless Aisam

Zeeshan | 14 years ago | Reply Aisam you have made us proud. I had tears un my eyes after your speech. You are the first one who has shown real face of pakistan to the world. Even before the match, my views were even if you win or lose, you have done the best you could with the resources you have. We love you and you really are our hero.

Nauman Afzal | 14 years ago | Reply Beautiful work by the duo. You have done us proud Aisam. Now let's see the Government doing something about it other than mere lip service.

Mariam | 14 years ago | Reply May God bless you for bringing honor to the country.

jai | 14 years ago | Reply It was a good try boys. Reaching the final is no small feat. It's participation and a sporting attitude that matters and you both are winners on that count.

IZ | 14 years ago | Reply Great to see someone stepping up when so many have let the country down!

Syed Nadir El-Edroos | 14 years ago | Reply Aisam's comments during the presentation ceremony will probably do more to shape Pakistan's image in America, than all the statements by diplomats, politicians, generals etc. Lets hope, that this will usher in some much needed impetus to public donations to flood relief efforts globally.

Syed Nadir El-Edroos | 14 years ago | Reply Finally someone setting an example for all of us to emulate

Dr Muneeb Shahid | 14 years ago | Reply Youre the man Aisam.. :) Way to go!! We couldn't ask for a better Eid Gift.. Seeing you in final and Pakistan flag in the court was enough for a treat.. Godspeed for the future.. Prayers..

Silent Observer | 14 years ago | Reply Hats off to "indo pak express"

Sakina | 14 years ago | Reply Love him!! yu make us proud..long live champ...

rehman | 14 years ago | Reply i think its high time that we realize that the more we incline toward the east where we have secular democracy and a power of moderation the more better it will be for us and the more we go towards the west and the middle east we would have dictatorships and intolerance and violence. we r still suffering from saudi interference.its high time we go back to our roots and join india

Madeeha Ansari | 14 years ago | Reply I watched a doubles tennis match for the first time in my life today. It just so happened to be the same one as you did. Uptight though I am, I found myself whooping and cheering and punching the air while impatiently waving off my brother’s running commentary. The Bryans were solid winners playing on home courts - they should have been the easy favourites vis a vis the crowd. However, the thousands of people in the audience were keenly conscious of what the self-styled “Indo-Pak express” represented. They were so good-humoured about supporting the desi duo, it really felt like everyone does want the same things for the world. The twins shared a womb. It took considerably more initiative to facilitate cross-border coordination. We needed this, right about now. Man, it was beautiful.

Naveed Alam | 14 years ago | Reply V r so damn proud of u man.... ♥...... u may hav lost da match, but u hav won our hearts by ur speech :D

Khurram Zahid | 14 years ago | Reply He knows how to brand our country Pakistan, he is a true brand ambassador...

Sajjad Ahmed | 14 years ago | Reply No Matter what the result, Aisam ul Haq , you've achieved what great many in our history haven't been able to do by far !! Such display of sportsmanship and ambassadorship for the country is far above what words can possibly describe! Hats off !

Sajjad Ahmed | 14 years ago | Reply o Matter what the result, Aisam ul Haq , you've achieved what great many in our history haven't been able to do by far. Such display of sportsmanship and ambassadorship for the country is far above what words can possibly describe! Hats off !

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