Masud Hasan Jamali, one of the key figures behind the development of tennis in Bangladesh, has died at the age of 91, the Bangladesh Tennis Federation confirmed on Monday night.
Jamali, a former general secretary of the federation, was closely involved with the sport from its formative years following the federation’s establishment in 1974. Although tennis has never been among the country’s most popular sports, Jamali is widely credited with laying much of the infrastructure and organisational foundation that still exists today.
“During Jamali bhai’s time in the 1980s, our tennis complex was built,” said the federation’s current general secretary, Istiak Ahmed Karen. “His contribution to the modernisation and development of tennis in Bangladesh is unmatched. He never compromised on the quality of tennis courts.”
Beyond administration, Jamali was also a former player and a passionate mentor. He is remembered by many as the driving force behind the career of his son, Shovan Jamali, regarded as one of Bangladesh’s finest ever tennis players. Shovan remains the only Bangladeshi to have competed in the Wimbledon qualifiers.
“Mahmud bhai would drop Shovan at the tennis complex on his way to the office and pick him up again after work,” Karen said. “Shovan could not speak and had physical challenges, yet Mahmud bhai managed to turn him into a top-level player despite those barriers.”
An electrical engineering graduate from BUET, Jamali began his professional career at the Power Generation Board. His involvement in sport dated back to his university days, before he established himself as a leading tennis organiser.
He served as general secretary of the Bangladesh Tennis Federation from January 15, 1986, to February 20, 1990, and again from September 16, 1996, to March 11, 1998. After elections were introduced within sports federations in 1998, Jamali was defeated by Chanaul Haq Babul in the race for the general secretary’s post and subsequently withdrew from active involvement in tennis administration.
In later years, Jamali lived a quiet life away from the sporting spotlight. The death of his only son, Shovan, after a battle with cancer deeply affected him both physically and emotionally. Although he spent part of his later life in Australia, he had recently been largely bedridden in Bangladesh.
Jamali is survived by his wife, a daughter and numerous admirers across the sporting community. The Bangladesh Tennis Federation has expressed its condolences, describing his death as a significant loss to the sport in the country.
