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Politics : Idea Of The Day -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: IQBAL LATIF who wrote (47896)	2/27/2005 6:48:57 PM
From: IQBAL LATIF	Respond to of 50167

Agassi amazed by multi-racial harmony in Dubai DUBAI: Andre Agassi left Dubai disappointed to have lost a semi-final to Roger Federer but delighted with the possibility of being a sort of self-styled ambassador for the Middle East. Agassi, whose father Mike represented Iran as an Olympic boxer, claimed to be amazed at the cosmopolitan culture and prosperity of the fast-developing Emirate and appears to believe he might help change some American perceptions. “It’s been an incredible week for me and it’s taught me a lot being here. You see so many different people living together peacefully that it’s amazing to watch and it’s a privilege to be here,” he said. “Seeing a thousand cranes in action in Dubai impresses even me, someone who is coming from Las Vegas. If I were to take a message back home it would be ‘come to the Middle East before you form any opinions’.” Agassi is saying that he will bring his wife, Steffi Graf, and his children next time he comes, which will apparently happen whether or not he decides to play in the 2006 Dubai Open at the age of nearly 36. He has also admitted he is trying to line up some kind of business deal in Dubai and there is said to be a possibility that he might buy a holiday home, only 250 miles across the Gulf from his father’s country of birth. Agassi was visibly moved by the way a multi-racial Middle East crowd reacted to him, an American, when he was playing. As well as proving an even bigger draw than world number one Roger Federer, with many unable to get into Dubai’s 5,000 capacity centre court when he was playing, Agassi continually brought a tumultuous response. “What is happening here is a reflection of a lot of vision and passion,” he said. “Seeing all these different people living peacefully together - it’s the way the world is meant to be, and the chance to share this with my wife and kids would be a pleasure.” Of course Agassi will be able to share things others would not. His visit to Dubai has included a viewing of the city from a 700-foot high helipad, where a tennis court was specially laid down for him, a meeting with Sheikh Mohammad bin Rashid, the Crown Prince, and a stay at the world’s only seven-star hotel. That is the Burg Al Arab, in which every rooom is a duplex suite with a personal butler, and which boasts an underwater sea-food restaurant. It also claims to be the world’s tallest hotel, and was evidently to Agassi’s taste. “Maybe I can play my semi-final on top of that next time,” he said. Agassi is also reported in the Tehran Times to be considering a visit to Iran “eventually”. His father shortened his appellation from the Iranian name of Agassian after arriving in the United States at the age of 18. afp