When Yusuf Karim was born in 1935, his family and community could never have imagined the sporting legacy that was to unfold over three generations. This Khoja family has created three sporting icons and the Karims have become a true sporting dynasty.
A new documentary and book tell their story.
Yusuf’s short but prolific cricketing career was followed by 25 years as an unbeaten tennis champion in Mombasa, Kenya His sons Aarif and Aasif became celebrated sportsmen, grabbing headlines in tennis and cricket.
Record breakers
At 16, Aasif became the youngest player on the Kenyan coast to win the triple crown in tennis. He then switched to cricket and played regularly for Kenya for the next 20 years. He remains the only Kenyan to captain his country professionally in both sports – at the Tennis Davis Cup and the Cricket World Cup.
The Karim story lives on through his cricketer son Irfan, the youngest Kenyan to score a One Day International century. He has quickly established himself as a permanent member of the Kenya national side and has played professional cricket in the UK forCounty Durham and now Leicestershire.
Between Yusuf, his sons and grandson, the Karim family haveforged a dynasty that will be part of Kenyan sporting folklore for a long time to come. Read more about the book and documentary here: http://mailchi.mp/world-federation/karim_dynasty-89981