Rohan Bopanna and Aisam-ul-Haq Qureshi say their friendship will survive ICC Champions Trophy match
What's the story?
Tensions on both sides of the Radcliffe line are building as India and Pakistan are set to lock horns in the fourth game of this year's ICC Champions Trophy tournament on 4 June at Edgbaston.
However, the tension does not exist just in the Indian subcontinent but across other parts of the world too. It seems even more evident between the Indo-Pak Express of tennis, Rohan Bopanna and Aisam-ul-Haq-Qureshi.
Bopanna and Qureshi, who once famously wore the T-shirts saying "stop war, start tennis" at Wimbledon in 2010, will cheer for opposing sides, however, the rivalry between India and Pakistan on various fronts does not seem to have affected their friendship one bit.
Qureshi said, "Rohan is like a brother to me, on and off the court. As countries, we have political differences but not me and him." Both the tennis stars, who have played cricket at junior levels, Bopanna being a batting all rounder and Qureshi a bowling all rounder, have, till date, kept the cricket rivalry aside and been icons of peace.
Qureshi further said, "We have respect for each other and each other's families. However, I don't expect him to cheer for Pakistan and he wouldn't expect me to cheer for India."
The context
India and Pakistan are set to face each other in their first encounters of the ICC Champions Trophy 2017. Both of them belong to group B alongside South Africa and Sri Lanka. The match will take place at 3 PM IST on 4 June 2017 and will be the fourth match between the two neighbours in Champions Trophy history.
Pakistan have the upper hand in terms of Champions Trophy victories, winning two of the first three matches. However, India have made a clean sweep of their archrivals in World Cups, having won all the matches between the two sides till date.
The heart of the matter
Bopanna and Qureshi were partners in men's doubles from 2003-11 and in 2014. They reached the knockout stages of Grand Slam tournaments twice with the US Open Final in 2010 being the highlight of their partnership.
Bopanna was awarded the renowned Arthur Ashe Humanitarian of the Year award in 2010, along with Qureshi. The duo was also awarded the Peace and Sport's Image of the Year award after voting from the fans.
Both the men watched the 2007 T20 World Cup Final, which India won by beating Pakistan, just an hour before a tennis match that they eventually won.
What's next?
At present, Qureshi has flown to England to focus on the grass season after being defeated in the Round of 32 in the French Open while Bopanna is still present in the competition. Both men will follow the encounter closely and cheer on their respective nations.
Author's take
The Bopanna-Qureshi friendship is one of the best examples of how sport rises above everything else. India and Pakistan need such partnerships to help improve relations between the countries.