Tariq Abdul-Hamid is a Denver guy, born and bred. He is also a tennis player and longtime ambassador for the sport. On Friday night he’ll become the first African-American to be inducted into the Colorado Tennis Hall of Fame. In advance of being honored, Hamid took time out to chat with Denver Post staff writer Chris Dempsey.
Q: Why bring tennis to the ‘hood?
A: It’s an opportunity that was afforded to me. Someone that really helped me was the honorable Hiawatha Davis Jr. It was long before Hiawatha died. It was because Hiawatha really loved tennis and he always wanted to aspire to tennis, so he was supportive. So we decided a long time ago, ‘Why don’t we try and bring tennis and golf to the inner city, and really try and get some excellence out of it, instead of mediocrity?’ And if we could get some real good youngsters to come out of these programs, hopefully they might become professionals. But if they don’t, you’ve got some real good people and they’ll get a free college education.
Q: So what’s the payoff been?
A: I’ve always been a community and political activist. It’s just getting another alternative into the community.
Q: How special is the induction to you?
A: It was never about the awards. It was about the struggle. It was giving youngsters another alternative and showing them that although you may be a part of the indigenous population and although you may be disenfranchised, with a strong work ethic and persistence you can achieve.
How do you start off where you’re at and achieve a quality of life? Key decisions are made at country clubs; either at a golf course or a tennis court. You can get an education, but if you’re a golfer or a tennis player, that gives you a little more social mobility.
Q: So this was about more than just teaching kids to play?
A: It’s really about producing good citizens and productive human beings. We strive for excellence, that’s our mantra. Never settle for mediocrity.
Q: How did the community embrace you at the start?
A: It didn’t. The black people that this was designed for, they rejected it.
Q: But you kept going.
A: Our philosophical approach to this is ‘The little ones come first.’ For me and Hiawatha, the mark of success was, how many youngsters did you reach out and touch in their formative years to let them know that they can have a better quality of life? All that I’ve tried to do is do for other youngsters what was done for me. So the whole thing is just to give back and introduce people to a sport of a lifetime. It’s a great sport.
Q: What does being the first African-American to be inducted into the Colorado Tennis Hall of Fame mean to you?
A: That tells you something. I’ve been doing this for almost 45 years. Who were my mentors? What type of recognition do they get? I don’t stand on my own. There were a lot of great people that were way ahead of the curve on this. It’s a historical thing, and I’m appreciative that the tennis establishment has recognized me. I’ll do it with humility, but still the struggle continues.
Top five
Tariq Abdul-Hamid is, and has always
been, a tennis guy. Here
are his all-time top five players:
1. Arthur Ashe
2. Rod Laver
3. Jimmy Connors
4. Andre Agassi
5. Pete Sampras
Chris Dempsey: 303-954-1279 or cdempsey@denverpost.com
