She is young, beautiful, hardworking, stylish and sporty. She epitomizes what average Indians are not. She excels in sports. For all of 20 years that she is, she has fought all the odds that were stacked against her. She represents that rare girl power that has dared to dream big in international arena. [Image source]
Sania Mirza deserves all praise coming her way if only because she comes from a country that renders sports and games as a rubbish. Instead of professionals, politicos preside over sports bodies, and since this tribe is only concerned about vested interests in place of that of the nation, India is a waste-ground of everything related to sports.
With that as a backdrop, it becomes clear why Sania’s efforts are so laudable. She competes in tennis, a power-sports, where every performance on court counts. There’s just no option to unwind and undo patchy doings of the past. Even if that happens – and that does happen except for legends like Roger Federer – she nevertheless has to toil on and on.
It goes to Sania’s credit that despite being a Muslim – that too a woman – she hasn’t stopped trying her best to achieve the maximum that she can. Her career-best WTA rankings have been 31 in singles and 24 in doubles. Perhaps winning a Grand Slam may remain a dream for her, but her willingness to slog it out come what may is something that will undoubtedly leave its trail in the minds of Indian sportspersons, especially the female performers.
Her achievement reminds that of athlete Soma Biswas, who too swam against all odds to win 2nd consecutive silver medal in hepthalon in 2006 Asian Games in Doha.
But then Sania is human too. She has hurt her knee recently, which means she’d be out of action for several weeks, and her WTA ranking will also nosedive. Her distraught image, coming out in wheelchair in Mumbai airport, is a drag on sports lovers’ minds like me. Here is wishing her a speedy recovery. She has many things to prove, which she will. No doubt there.
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