Tennis Player Reaches
out to Disadvantaged Children in Pakistan
Professional
tennis player Hassan Akmal ’01, M.P.H. ’04 has
used his talent and influence to extend a helping hand to
many.
Akmal reached out to disadvantaged children from Pakistan
as an international ambassador of Right to Play, an athlete-driven
international humanitarian organization that uses sport
as a tool for the development of youth in disadvantaged
areas of the world.
At age 29, Akmal launched Invitation to the Truth, a nonprofit
organization that brings people of different faiths and
backgrounds together to reform forced migration and refugee
relief. Using tolerance of different religions as a guiding
principle, Invitation to the Truth raises funds for natural
disaster relief and orphanages around the world. The organization
has raised more than $10,000, which it sent to Pakistan
after a devastating earthquake and to survivors of the tsunami
in Aceh, Indonesia.
Akmal
with children |
Akmal’s interest in
immigration and poverty can be traced back to his undergraduate
roots at UCLA. On top of earning a Bachelor’s of Arts
degree in history and a Bachelor of Science degree in biochemistry,
Akmal minored in Arabic and Islamic Studies. He also completed
a research project with the UCLA School of Public Health
on American-Pakistani’s aculturalization and public
health. Continuing to pursue his passion for public health
in foreign countries, Akmal attended the University of Columbia,
where his studies focused on forced migration and refugee
health.
During his time on the UCLA men’s tennis team, UCLA
was the #1 ranked team every year, Pac-10 Team Champions
twice, National Indoor Team Champions every year and NCAA
Finalists one year. After graduating, Akmal pursued his
professional tennis career by participating in the ATP Tour
and the Pakistan National Davis Cup Tennis Team. Find out
more at Akmal’s own Web site.
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