ABUJA:
While the International Tennis Federation (ITF) World Tennis Tour Juniors typically flies under the radar, a recent event in Abuja, Nigeria, captured global attention — thanks to a unique girls’ doubles team featuring players from Pakistan and India.
Teenagers Soha Ali of Pakistan and Sidhak Kaur of India partnered in the doubles event, exemplifying the ITF’s theme of “sports unite nations.” Their collaboration stood out in the context of ongoing tensions between the two countries, which have fought three wars since gaining independence in 1947. Bilateral sporting ties remain limited, with cricket among the most affected.
Their partnership drew comparisons to the iconic Indo-Pak duo of Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi and Rohan Bopanna, famously known as the “IndoPak Express.” That pair reached the men’s doubles final at the 2010 US Open and were celebrated for promoting peace through sports.
Soha and Sidhak advanced to the semifinals of the girls’ doubles after a straight-set victory, 6-3, 6-4, over Nigeria’s Fego Aiyetoma and Tolu Vyashi. The win sparked widespread media interest in Nigeria and Pakistan, with reporters eager to speak with the trailblazing duo.
However, their campaign ended in the semifinals, where they were defeated 2-6, 2-6 by the Nigerian pair of Goodnews Aina and Success Ogunjobi.
Despite the loss, their participation carried symbolic significance. Pakistan Tennis Federation President Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi expressed pride in the partnership:
“As a player and as President, I was thrilled to see Soha team up with Sidhak. I’ve always believed sports should transcend political divides. It brings people together — that’s the real beauty of it,” he told Telecomasia.net.
Aisam, who has frequently partnered with Indian players throughout his career, emphasized the shared culture and mutual respect that sports foster:
“Our cultures are similar, and I’ve always received great friendship and respect from Indian players. Sports is a powerful tool for improving relations.”
Interestingly, Sidhak Kaur also has a sporting legacy — she is reportedly the grand-niece of Surinder Singh Sodhi, a key figure in India’s 1980 Olympic gold medal victory in field hockey.
The ITF permits players to choose their partners through mutual agreement before the event. However, both girls chose not to speak to the media, reportedly out of concern about potential backlash in their home countries.
Nonetheless, their on-court partnership has already made a powerful statement — that in sports, unity can triumph over division.
