ISLAMABAD: From using charpoys as tennis nets to eyeing glory for Pakistan at the upcoming Junior Davis Cup in Malaysia, it has been some journey for 15-year-old Mohammad Muzammil.

The emerging star, ranked amongst the top three in the national under-18 rankings, has been working hard over the last few months with the Davis Cup Asia/Oceania Pre-qualifying round to be held in Sarawak from Feb 27 to March 5 in mind.

“Hard work and passion are the keys to success,” Muzammil, whose elder brother Mudassir is placed second in the under-18 rankings, told Dawn on the sidelines of the Kulsum Saifullah National Ranking Championship here on Tuesday.

But five years ago, the Mohammad brothers — sons of a peasant from Tehsil Jahanian of district Khanewal — had no idea they would be representing Pakistan internationally.

It was the passion of their eldest brother, Yasir, which paved the way for their breakthrough. Yasir, Muzammil and Mudassir started playing the game informally, using a charpoy as the net in the middle of their courtyard. “It was in 2003 when Yasir saw a tennis match on television for the first time which fuelled his desire to become a tennis player,” recalls Muzammil.

“Due to various reasons, including financial issues, he had to drop the idea but in 2009, he got to know through newspapers about open trials for Davis Cup being held in Islamabad.

“Although unaware of basic knowledge of the game, he rushed to Islamabad where Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF) officials told Yasir he was over-age and it would be difficult for him to be groomed as a player. However, they encouraged him to introduce us and so began our journey.”

On his return, Yasir focussed on making his younger brothers competent tennis players, asking both Muzammil and Mudassir to take up the game seriously. Later the same year, Yasir got the chance to attend a training camp in Lahore where he learnt the basic skills of the game. When he came back to Jahanian, he developed a clay court for his brothers to formally train on.

A year on, Mudassir played a national ranking tournament in Karachi and although he didn’t perform that well, it sparked realisation amongst the brothers that they could participate in national events.

“We started to give more time to practice,” Muzammil tells, “...and in 2011 came a major breakthrough as Mudassir managed to win the U-14 national championship.”

In the tournament’s next edition, it was Muzammil’s time for glory. In the last year, Muzammil made it to the final in four national ranking tournaments, only to be beaten by his brother on each occasion.

With Mudassir out of the on-going Kulsum Saifullah tournament due to illness, the title is Muzammil’s for the taking.

“I’ll try my best to win it,” he says, “With Mudassir not participating, I believe I have a golden chance of clinching the title.”

Published in Dawn, January 7th, 2015

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