Muhammad Naeem Mir a Pakistani Tennis player born in Lahore on 12 April 1937 was National Tennis Champion of Pakistan, a Davis Cupper and Junior Wimbledon Semifinalist (the only Pakistani to reach highest level in singles event of the most prestigious event in tennis). He belonged to a highly educated family where sports was loved as much as academics. His father Mir Abdur-Rahim was a Civil Servant / top official in Pakistan railways and a top engineering student of Roorkee University of India.
Education
Muhammad Naeem Mir did his Master's Degree in Applied & Pure Mathematics from Government College Lahore, which is considered a top institute of Pakistan. During the period when he was perusing for his degree he was also Pakistan No. 1. He was a unique combination of a top student and a top sportsman at the same time.
Sports Career
He was the only tennis player of Pakistan who was both boy's and men's singles champion at the same time. He was the first Pakistani to become National Champion in the era during which foreign players visited Pakistan to play the National Championship. He went to play Junior Wimbledon in 1956 and lost in semifinals in a very close match against Rod Laver, who later became a tennis legend. He also played Davis Cup for Pakistan. His tennis career was short lived as he astonishingly left tennis at a very young age of 20 years old. When asked why he left tennis at such an early age he said that my father though being a very high salaried public official could not further financially support him due to a big family of 15 children. Naeem did not get any financial support from the government as well and tennis being one of the most expensive support could not be perused without financial assistant. It was a sad end of an extraordinary sports career. Later on he luckily got tennis scholarship in USA's top university but when he was leaving for USA his father requested not to leave Pakistan as all his other brothers had already left Pakistan, Naeem sacrificed his career and declined the offer of USA's top university scholarship just for the love of his father. Naeem also had great love for the sports of boxing and when he was in tennis team of college due to non availability of a boxer in a certain weight division knowing his boxing skills he was asked to represent his university in boxing championship, astonishingly he won all the fights knocking out most of his opponents. He was asked by the boxing coach to leave tennis and start boxing career but he refused due to his love for tennis and handsome looks, which could not be retained in boxing.
Occupational Career
He started job at 'Caltex Oil Company' as Marketing Manager, however after seven years he left the job and started his own business. As in sports and education Naeem became a successful businessman. Naeem was considered a handsome man of his time and was offered role of a hero in a movie but as he was married at the time and had children to support, he could risk to alter an already successful career. He continued his hard work as he was in sports and education and developed a large commercial estate.
Family
Naeem belonged to a family of tennis champions. His elder brother Nasim, his younger sister Shehnaz and two younger brothers Zufiqar and Haroon were also tennis high level international players. His family was also very successful in academics field having PHDs and foreign graduates from top universities of the world. Out of all his family and all tennis stars of Pakistan Naeem was the only person who was able to further peruse the tennis career in shape of his children. His two daughters Marriam Naeem Rahim / Haeelma Naeem Rahim were National tennis champions of Pakistan, who represented Pakistan in several international events. His son Usman Naeem Rahim was Pakistan and Asia No.1 in juniors tennis and his youngest son Ali Naeem Rahim was also inter-university champion. Usman Naeem Rahim went on a tennis scholarship to states and unfortunately met a swimming pool accident which left whim paralyzed and he later on died after few years.
Death
Naeem died on 31st March, 2019 at the age of 82 due to prostate cancer.