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It was a big surprise for the finalists of the Khar Gymkhana All-India women’s open tennis tournament, when Bollywood actor Aamir Khan climbed up the umpire’s chair during the sixth game of the deciding set. Haryana player Himani Mor and Tamil Nadu player Tanushree Palanivel were fully immersed in the battle when the actor, who was watching the match, decided to take on the role of the umpire mid-way through the match.
After the match when Aamir was asked about his step to move from the stands to the umpire’s chair, Aamir was quoted as saying by The Hindu, “I thought umpiring would be better and decided to do something about it.”
He praised both players for their intensity. “Every point was fought for. I congratulate Himani and Tanushree for a good exhibition of tennis.”
http://youtu.be/jLZVUlOXU70
Himani ended up winning the match 7-5, 4-6, 7-5. When she was later asked if she knew that the actor was coming to see the match she replied, “I was excited on being told he would be coming to watch, and kept an eye out for him.”
“I didn’t expect him to be the umpire but I loved the gesture. This made my victory even sweeter,” Himani added.
But Aamir’s visit to the match and later on his umpiring stunt didn’t exactly make for the best atmosphere for the players. Both the players felt distracted from the game because of the media and fans who were chasing the Bollywood superstar.
Himani said, “There were so many distractions till then…the cameras, fans chasing him. I knew the focus had to be on winning enough points against a tough opponent.”
Tanushree said, “Initially, it was tough to focus, but got used to it as the match progressed.”
After this high drama event was over, Aamir played for few minutes with the winner of the match Himani.
Aamir’s fondness for the game of tennis is well-known; he has expressed the same several times during his life as a celebrity. He was even a state level player himself when he was in school. He now wishes to promote the sport in India, as can be seen in his interview after the match above.
