In Praise Of Sania Mirza

In a cricket-mad country, to capture the public imagination in any other sport takes a truly remarkable effort, more so when the athlete is a woman. That’s exactly what Sania Mirza has done, having just won the Australian Open with doubles partner Martina Hingis, their third Grand Slam win in a row. The duo has notched up the most consecutive wins in the history of tennis. More than all that is the inspiration Sania brings to women athletes all over this country. She once said, “When I said I wanted to play Wimbledon, they said ‘you’re from Hyderabad, learn cooking.’” Her independent spirit—she married a Pakistani cricketer—and dedication and talent have made her the most famous female sports star in the country and earned the 29-year-old the Padma Bhushan last month. After her latest win, she said: “I was the hunter, now I’m the hunted. I enjoy both.” Very modest words for an athlete who is at the top of her game.