Peshmerga Park Coaches
Faris Ayed, a physical education teacher who contended for the Iraqi national team and at age 31, is now a junior coach in his free time. “We have these kids who want to come here and play and practice and we cannot support them with shoes or balls or racquets,” he said. “Only the parents… they are working day and night, they come here, they go to Baghdad, they go to Iran or Turkey for training and tournaments. (Photo by Carlotta Cardana)
Mahmood Nasser, Faris Ayad’s first coach and a fried of his parents. Ayad’s mother, a Kurd, met his father, an Arab, during a mixed doubles match while both were students at Mosul University in the early 1980s. “From there, they became a successful team,” Nasser said. (Photo by Carlotta Cardana)
To donate money, go to the Peshmerga Park Tennis Team Just Giving Page or contact Adrian Brune at ambrune@gmail.com for a donation of lightly used tennis balls, racquets, shoes and clothing.