Issue link: http://itf.uberflip.com/i/1393022
ITF World Summer 2021 31 progressing tennis in Brunei to the levels at which they feel it should be operating. In the meantime, there is no harm in delving a little deeper into those fascinating backgrounds. "I am also the lead guitarist in the metal band Senjakala," said Yusree. "Occasionally, we do gigs outside of Brunei and my band have had gigs in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia, performing all our own songs. "Our biggest was in Indonesia in 2018 when we were one of 40 bands selected to perform at Hammersonic Festival in Jakarta together with other big bands from around the world. I love music and this is a massive passion of mine. "Another passion is racing. I am a race car engine builder and engine tuner, having been involved in racing since 1997, and I get quite a lot of requests from customers who want me to build or tune their cars. "I sometimes have to turn down their requests because I only do this part-time, but I always offer them my other race car mechanic friends within my network." While Yusree is still relatively new to the administration of tennis, his love for the game blossomed long ago and intensified as he watched Andre Agassi defeat Goran Ivanisevic in the 1992 men's singles final at Wimbledon. He subsequently embarked upon learning the intricacies of the game, although not even this on-court education was mundane, with there inevitably being a story worth telling. "Suddenly I wanted to take up tennis seriously," he said. "I went up to my school mate, Guy Collison, who was once a top-ranked junior player in his age group but had to stop chasing his dream of being a professional due to having asthma. "We agreed that he would teach me tennis if I taught him how to play the guitar. He went on to become a session musician working for Sony BMG and Warner Music, record labels that developed and launched a host of famous artists, including Savage Garden, which he was involved with. "It made me proud knowing that I was the first person who introduced him to the guitar." While there may well be tales to rival or even surpass those of Brunei's officials, their case for having some of the more interesting backstories among tennis administrators has been made. And as with tennis development in Brunei, the next chapter awaits. n Above Yusree and Didi have big ambi ons for tennis in Brunei