International Women’s Day

March 8th was an ideal day to combine multiple celebrations : It was International Women’s Day and also the beginning of the end of the school year for the McMaster University tennis teams. Ordinarily, the teams compete in their respective men’s and women’s sections, so it was a special treat to bring them together for a Saturday evening mixed doubles event.

Two graduating seniors – Eva Feddema and Ray Sivakumar – were designated as captains of Team Maroon and Team Grey. After three rounds of play and pairings changed for each round, the total score was a tie. Each team nominated one pair to contest a dramatic one-point tiebreak. Team Maroon won the toss, elected to serve, and subsequently claimed the victory.

Thanks to the Ancaster Tennis Club for donation of court time, as well as the clubhouse for the after-match pizza party. To mark the day, the men’s team presented chocolates to the women’s team, recognizing and respecting them as extraordinary leaders and role models.

We don’t have the same facilities and competition schedules for Canadian university students as are available in the United States, but it’s still a great experience for the players to be on their university teams. Huge thanks are owed to the dedicated coaches who make this possible through their volunteer support of the players.

Thanks to Mustapha Jamal for photos and for his vision in creating this terrific event.