WHEN 10-year-old Bahraini tennis prodigies, Sophia Bader and Fatima Al Baajari stepped onto the court yesterday in the Smrikva Bowl Tournament in Pula, Croatia, they created history: they had become the first children from the GCC to ever play in the prestigious annual tournament.
First held in 1996, the week-long tournament features 64 players – 32 girls and 32 boys – aged 10 or under from around the world.
“Sophia and Fatima looked as if they belonged on that court, alongside the best players in their age-group from across the globe,” their coach, Joseph Henriques, told the GDN by phone from Pula. “The results of their matches don’t matter in the larger scheme of things – what matters is how they played and how well they acquitted themselves.”
Although both lost 4-0 in the short sets they played – Sophia to Croatian number one Ana Cerovic and Fatima to Montenegro number one Nada Nezrvic – they won the hearts of the watching crowd because of the spirit they showed, Henriques added.
“The 4-0 results are no reflection of what actually happened in those matches,” he explained. “Sophia engaged her opponent in long rallies and refused to be a walk-over. Fatima moved so well, hit the ball hard and made her opponent work for her victory. The girls they were playing had participated in eight or more such tournaments – for Sophia and Fatima, this was their first ever international tournament.”
Now, although the two were out of the competition, they were going to play in the consolation round, starting from tomorrow, Henriques continued.
“That, also, has several stages,” he explained. “If they win their first round matches, they go into the second round, and so on. This is a huge learning experience for them, in more ways than just playing tennis at such a competitive level.
“Both of them have made lots of friends with the other children. They have had the chance to learn about other cultures. Most importantly, tennis-wise, they have shown that they belong at this level. All they need is more exposure to tournaments like these and they will make their mark in future.”
Even the tournament organisers had recognised Sophia and Fatima’s history-making achievement in being selected for, and playing in, the tournament, Henriques said.
“During the orientation on the first day, they made a point of introducing our two girls and highlighting the fact that they were the first children from their region to take part in the tournament,” he added.
“Everyone here understands that Sophia and Fatima are not only breaking new ground, they are also paving the way for other children from their part of the world to follow in their footsteps.”
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