New Tennis Courts Inaugurated at LUMS
On November 11, 2021, members of the LUMS community gathered on campus to inaugurate the Syed Dilawar Abbas Tennis Courts. The new courts feature a tennis wall for practice, as well as a cushioned surface that give players more accuracy, less slippage and less risk of injury. This new state-of-the-art facility has been made possible due to a generous donation by the family of the late Syed Dilawar Abbas.
The new courts at LUMS are a fitting tribute to him, as he was passionate about tennis, having served twice as the President of the Pakistan Tennis Federation, Vice President of the Asian Tennis Federation and member of the Constitutional Committee of the International Tennis Federation. In his distinguished career, Syed Dilawar Abbas served as a Senator and the Chairman Senate Committee Petroleum and Natural Resources; Minister of Irrigation and Power; Chairman Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Ltd. and Group Chief of Attock Oil.
Representing Mr. Abbas’ family at the ceremony was his nephew, Mr. Ali Murtaza. Alum and CEO of Fauji Foods Ltd., Mr. Haseeb Aslam (MBA ‘93), was also present at the occasion. Mr. Aslam is a renowned tennis player who has previously represented Pakistan at the Davis Cup. The guests were welcomed by members of LUMS leadership, including Rector, Mr. Shahid Hussain; Vice Chancellor, Dr. Arshad Ahmad; Head of Department, Office of Sports, Wellness and Recreation, Mr. Babar Asad Khan; Director, General Administration and Services, Colonel Amer Khan Durrani, and Director, Office of Advancement, Ms. Nuzhat Kamran. They were joined by members of the Sports Society at LUMS (SLUMS).
Dr. Ahmad extended his appreciation to Mr. Abbas’ family for their generosity. “Your dedication, support and commitment to students getting involved in sports is unparalleled. We are really grateful,” he said.
Mr. Hussain also expressed his thanks and said, “It is encouraging to see the promotion of an activity that is not only a healthy sport but has a lot of viewership as well. I’m sure our young tennis players and members of the sports association will keep these courts busy!”
“It is our privilege and honour that the memory of the elder of our family, Syed Dilawar Abbas, is preserved here at LUMS. I’m sure he would be very happy,” shared Mr. Murtaza. He also noted that while supporting cricket is important, equal attention should be given to promoting other sports in the country as well.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony was followed by friendly doubles matches on the new courts. Dr. Ahmad and Mr. Aslam played against Mr. Murtaza and LUMS tennis coach, Mr. Fayyaz Khan.
Fatima Mirza (BSc Economics ’22), Vice President Training and Development at SLUMS, shared her excitement about the inauguration, and said, “This will encourage students at LUMS to try a sport other than cricket or football. We have a lot of good players, and now they can practice here. Since a lot of faculty members play tennis, it’s also a great opportunity for us students to bond with our instructors.”
This new facility is an exciting addition to the LUMS campus, of the LUMS community can safely try their hand at tennis and discover a new hobby.