Jeddah: Mohammed Amer, a young Hyderabadi student at International Indian School, Riyadh represented Saudi Arabia at the recently held International Junior Badminton Championship in France.
Amer was among four players who represented Saudi Arabia in the tournament known as YONEX 3 Border International U19 Cup held in Saint Louis, which is located on French, German, and Switzerland borders.
The Saudi team beat Switzerland however, it lost to Germany in the tournament.
14-year-old Amer who was born in Saudi Arabia has been fond of badminton since childhood, he is hailing from a unique sportive family that loves the game, which most Indians don’t know other than cricket. When Gopi Chand won the all-England badminton championship in Britain there were fewer cheers whereas the joy reached the skies in the same week Harbhajan Singh took a hat-trick and V. V. S. Laxman scored 281 in the Kolkata Test against Australia.
Like him, his sister, Maheen Asim, who completed her schooling in Riyadh and is now pursuing an undergraduate degree in Hyderabad, is also a lover of the sport.
The sister-brother duo participated in some regional tournaments in Qatar, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates. “Amer secured 3rd rank in CBSE National games held in Rajasthan in January”, said Asim, father, who works in Riyadh.
The news of Amer participation in an international tournament on behalf of the Saudi team is being hailed by the Indian community in Riyadh.