Feature: Murtaza brothers living a dream

The brothers from Jhania won combined total of 10 out of 12 tournaments throughout the year.

For teenagers Muzammil and Mudassir Murtaza, tennis is more than a sport; it’s the culmination of the dream that their brother Yaseen fostered over the years.

The brothers from Jhania, a village in Punjab, grew up practicing their sport on a handmade clay court that their brother had constructed from his Rs300,000 savings that he managed to accumulate during his time as a labourer in Saudi Arabia six years ago.

Yaseen now lives his dream of becoming an international athlete through 14-year-old Muzammil and 16-year-old Mudassir who became national sensations in just two-and-a-half years.

Both teenagers topped the Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF) singles rankings in the under-14 and under-16 category in 2013 winning a combined total of 10 out of 12 tournaments throughout the year.

“We belong to a family of wrestlers and we are born athletes. Now it’s a court instead of a wrestling ring,” Yaseen told The Express Tribune.

“I saw tennis courts on the internet in Saudi Arabia, copied the structure and made a court in my village with a volleyball net. But it was only in 2009 when I read about a tournament in Islamabad. I took them to the PTF Complex. But the authorities told us that we cannot participate in the event because it’s only for the PTF players. They almost sent us home.”

After the PTF snub, Pakistan’s top player Aqeel Khan and others helped Yaseen take the teenagers to train in Lahore for a month before competing in the national tournaments.

The comfort of their home court though was no longer there.

“I practiced 10 hours a day on the real tennis courts, it was nothing like what my brother made for us in the village, it was bigger and required a lot of strength,” said Muzammil.

He further said that he enjoys his position as the U14 national champion and does not regret leaving school. The 14-year-old competed in the Juniors Davis cup for Pakistan in Malaysia in the Qatar Asia Junior Team Cup last year.

On the other hand, elder sibling Mudassir won the Hassan Tariq Rahim Masters Cup Tennis Tournament under-18 title in Lahore this month and said his aim is to become the next big player for Pakistan in the international circuit.

“Quitting tennis has never been in mind, it is everything to me and my brothers,” said Mudassir. “While the money we receive by winning tournaments is a big help, it is more about being the best for me.”

Instead of reading books, both Mudassir and Muzammil watch videos of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal to better their technique.

“When we are in Lahore or Islamabad, we have the access to internet so we watch videos during our tournaments,” said Mudassir. “But back in the village we spend at least eight hours on the court.”

Meanwhile, Indian coach Birbal Wadhera, who coached both brothers, claims that the case of Muzammil and Mudassir reinforces his belief that real talent comes from the middle class of any society.

“What sets them apart from the others is their burning ambition for excellence,” said Wadhera. “Mudassir doesn’t even have a full hand, he has only three fingers and a thumb and still he bangs the ball better than average players, so there is something extraordinary in him.”

“But the question is, does the PTF or these kids have any sponsors?  Athletes need resources; all the columns like their diet, the tournament participation, their travel should be filled. But without at least a three-year programme, these players may not have a future. That would not do justice to their talent.”

The writer is a reporter at the Sports desk of The Express Tribune.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 3^rd, 2014.

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