Mumbai: At a time when sports teams are refusing to tour Pakistan and Team India’s visit scheduled for next month appears in doubt, a group of Indian women tennis players are enjoying success on court and warm hospitality off it across the border.

Thirteen Indians have been in Islamabad since last week to play in back to back $10,000 ITF events and, despite the Mumbai terror attacks, are feeling as safe and secure as they would back home in India.

“We have no problem at all. We are being well taken care of,” says Poojashree Venkatesh, who won the singles title of the first tournament on Saturday.

It was the 18-year-old Karnataka girl’s maiden seniors’ title and she also reached the doubles final with Treta Bhattacharya. Incidentally, it was at the same venue in 2002 that Poojashree won her first junior title, in doubles.

Poojashree’s effort is all the more creditable considering that she had to play through her semi-final and final when the terror drama was still on in Mumbai.

“We were getting to know of what’s happening in Mumbai by watching Pakistan TV but I was focused on the game,” Poojashree told The Telegraph on Wednesday from Islamabad.

The players will return to India after the second tournament this week.

Sunil Yajaman, who is coaching Poojashree and a few other girls, put it more succinctly.

“My whole perception of Pakistan has changed after coming here. I feel at home. The people here are so nice and warm, especially to Indians,” he said.

“People here share all the sufferings that we have been through as a result of terrorist attacks. They come and say ‘sorry’. They are equally pained by what has happened in Mumbai.”

“The venue is five minutes’ walk from our hotel and we spend the whole day at the venue. There is security but there is no fear psychosis,” Yajaman said.

From Pakistan’s point of view, it was the first women’s tournament they were hosting although they have conducted junior events for girls in the past.

“It’s a huge improvement for them,” says Yajaman. “I remember their women players during the 1995 SAF Games in Chennai, there were wearing salwar-kameez. Now they wear the regular tennis dress.”

“Probably the tournaments here are organised better than in India … I would surely come back here again to play,” says Kesica Jayapalan.

Some eye-opener there for all of us!