FRIAR Paul Arinze is the Wimbledon umpire who oversees serving Gods and serving God.
The catholic priest has also taken charge at the US Open and the Olympics but the high calls he makes from his umpiring chair come second to his higher calling from the church.
FRIAR Paul Arinze says tennis has helped his concentration as a priest
Andrea Jaeger, who reached the Wimbledon final in 1983, became a nun
And he believes both his loves – priesthood and tennis – help each other.
The “specialist in forgiveness” grew up in Nigeria but lives in Wisconsin, USA.
And he reckons his religious understanding of how people can lose their temper makes him a better umpire.
Arinze once told the BBC he can “understand how players react in the heat of competition and that they do not mean what they say”.
So he’s able to stay calm if trouble flares out on the court.
He said: “I understand how players react in the heat of competition and that they do not mean what they say.
“It is important not to make the situation worse – even if you know you are in the right.”
In return – so to speak – he reckons umpiring has improved his concentration in his day job.
He explained: “When I counsel someone, they can speak for a long time but I maybe only need to reply to 20% of what they say, and it is important that I do not miss that part.”
It was that focus that helped fellow American Andrea Jaeger reach world No2 and a pair of Grand Slam finals – before retiring as a player and later becoming a NUN.
Arinze’s enthusiasm for tennis was more humble – born of watching matches at the University of Madison.
Of course, he rejects the notion of sport being as valuable or as other aspects of life.
But he does understand how each moment – let alone each contest – can APPEAR to be the most important thing to the participants, be they the players or the fans.
And it’s perhaps that empathy which is the bridge between sport and religion.
