Let’s talk money, DC takes a look on what it takes to be the best in the game

Hyderabad: The Telangana government’s decision to present a cheque of Rs 1 crore to US Open mixed doubles champ Sania Mirza has gathered some attention. Maybe, it’s because the cheque is the second such one just a few weeks before US Open, Sania was handed another Rs 1 crore following her nomination as ‘Brand Ambassador’ of India’s newest state.

A sum of Rs 2 crores then, in as many months, has gathered its share of critics with many asking, why so much on one person and one game?

Because tennis, unlike other sports in India, needs a massive personal effort from players and their families. And if you’re at the top of the game, like Sania is now, the costs triple often “going into crores”.

“That’s the expense. When Sania was starting out, we would just drive across the country for tournaments and you have to play as many as you can, otherwise, rankings would fall. Trains couldn’t be booked on time and flights were out of the question. Every penny saved meant another tournament. says Imran Mirza, Sania’s father.

But now that Sania Mirza is at the top of her game, the spending has risen exponentially. “We’re talking about the A-game here. So, you need your own physio, your own trainer, psychologist and an exclusive entourage, forming a total crew count of at least nine people constantly traveling with you. The costs then are huge,” reveals 2014 German Open badminton champ, Aravind Bhat.

He adds, “At the top levels of the game, you need attention and care, which is why we had Saina Nehwal opting for another coach because you need special training. And the cost of that special training can cost a player at least Rs 4 lakh a month. Tennis, which is way more expensive, will need double of that, even if Sania is playing doubles. So, if the Telangana government is giving out a crore, it’s no big deal when compared to what say, the West spends on its players.”

The senior Mirza admits. “The cost of Sania’s training, in a year, is in the crores. But she’s also giving back. Just before leaving for another tournament on Friday, she wrote out a cheque of '5 lakh for a kid,” he adds.

And being ‘single’ in sports such as tennis and badminton takes even more investment. And Sania was just not able to cope with the physical demands of covering an entire court by herself. She was suffering back-to-back injuries and for successful tennis singles’ career, the cost is stunning.

S.M. Arif, who coaches badminton’s Jwala Gutta, remembers an interesting conversation. “I was at a dinner table with Leander Paes in Sydney, when I asked him why he chose to settle for a doubles career? He simply said it would be very difficult to find sponsors and that he wouldn’t be able to afford the top-level training on his own,” he says. “And state incentives come in only when a sportsperson has been performing consistently. But before that, a player has to train and reach that level which can be quite an expensive affair. Jwala spends around Rs 5 lakh to Rs10 lakh per year for her training but how many can afford that?” he asks.

Then there’s city’s next best ‘shot’ at medals, shooting, where a basic air rifle costs upto Rs 2.5 lakh. Amit Sanghi, former national champion and president of the Telangana State Rifle Association, reveals the break-up. “It’s expensive to start out but the rifle is a one-time investment.

“Meanwhile, shooters like Jaspal Rana and Gagan Narang have their own institutes where athletes get personal attention from coaches, but they’ll also have to spend around '10 lakh yearly for that special training.”

Not cheap, if you want your athletes to be at their best, to take on the best. Which is why Parupalli Kashyap, the man who recently received Rs 50 lakh for his Commonwealth Games win, completely agrees that spending money on Sania was right. “It’s fair because we, players, are after all winning for the country. It’s only in war and sport that you lift the nation’s flag and these incentives help us lead our lives and train in a better way.”

Bhat adds, “Telangana is also a new state and it’s good that it is spending on sports. If Sania is in her top form and she’s also representing state and country in the highest levels of sport what else do we need? It costs to be the best, that’s the truth.”