Brunel’s Pakistani tennis twin brothers target social change

In a luxurious house in Lahore, Pakistani twin brothers Abraiz and Sharaiz Usman spar on their private tennis court.

The Usman brothers, 25, share a special bond having played thousands of points together since the age of eight.

Abraiz moved to London’s Brunel University in 2023 to pursue a Master’s in Law, and Sharaiz soon followed the year after.

Their connection was put to the test at the West London Varsity in the deciding men’s doubles match against hosts St Mary’s University, but they lost 6-1, 6-0 to a stronger pair. This meant St Mary’s clinched the overall men’s title 2-1 for the third year running.

Abraiz told Sports Gazette: “There’s an extra pressure on you when you’re playing together, because it’s your brother by your side and you get the pressure coming from them as well.”

There was more joy for Brunel in the women’s tennis, as they prevailed 3-1. But Brunel’s men’s team had the odds stacked against them, since they prioritised sending their final-year students instead of their best athletes.

For Abraiz, it was his first and only Varsity experience, which will be a treasured memory with his twin brother despite the defeat.

Graduating in April, Abraiz hopes to enter the UK’s real estate industry. He is well aware of his privilege having been born into an upper-class family in Pakistan where his dad works as a bureaucrat.

“Me and my brother are fortunate as we both come from a privileged class in Pakistan,” said Abraiz.

“When people think about Pakistan, they may think about Covid, pollution, but it’s not just that. Those factors do play a role but we have to consider the class difference as well. A lot of my friends are living life even better than most people over here.

“But if you’re from the middle or lower class then it’s really, really bad for you, without access to even the basic resources.

“Tennis, being an expensive sport, mostly people from the upper class play. Obviously for us, our dad loved it and he had the money to build courts in any house we stayed. That was a privilege we used positively.”

Unlike many others in his position, who aim to preserve the status quo which protects their advantages, Abraiz intends to use his privilege to effect social change.

He added: “If they start distributing their resources, they’re going to have to sacrifice their lavish lifestyle so they’re never going to do that.

“My passion is in political activism, so I’m going to do something about that as well.”

The Sports Gazette is providing the official cover of the West London Varsity follow the live blog for updates