Iraqi/Kurd Tennis 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. Nasser still competes in over-50 competitions across the country. His eldest son recently moved to the United States to play tennis for a small college in Kansas.