Slam dunked in grand glory
Sania Mirza who was in Bengaluru recently for an event talks about her connect with the city and more
By : namita gupta
Update: 2015-09-22 00:48 GMT
Looking confident in a bright orange shirt and grey track pants, Sania Mirza confessed to a ‘lot of good things happening’ for her, as she stopped by at the Indiranagar Club in the city on Saturday. The World Number One, who has to her credit two Grand Slams, couldn’t have asked for a better year, as she states in a matter-of-fact rapid stance, “I’ve surpassed my dreams and have won all the matches that I had set for myself. Next year is the Olympic year, and it will be great to keep winning slams. As tennis players, we have to be greedy. If we’re not greedy then, it’s better we just put our rackets down.”
We ask Sania who flew to Bengaluru straight after attending her sister Anam’s engagement in Hyderabad on what she feels about coming to Bengaluru and she states with a twinkle in her eyes, “Bengaluru is really close to me. It’s a city where I always used to visit as a child, as one of my closest uncles lives here. For me it was like coming to second home from Hyderabad. I love this place.”
Reminiscing on how it all began, Sania recalls, “I was six when I started out. The first thing I remember was that the coach didn’t want to take me in as I was really small, but then a month later he called my parents and told them that he had never seen a six-year-old hit a ball like that. There were a lot of challenges like lack of facilities, coaches, courts, infrastructure, finances, lack of a proper system and when I started playing 23 years ago. I’ve been fortunate enough and have great memories through the years-winning my first slam, the US Open, Wimbledon, Austrian Open and being the highest medal winner at Asian games.”
On the personal front, when we ask what her husband Shoaib Malik thinks of her and she states, “He’s a wonderful husband. Infact, he’s more of a friend and since we knew each other from before we tied the knot, there is a mutual understanding. Also it helps as we both play a sport that’s at it’s highest level, so it’s easy to support each other during times of pressures, as we both lead stressful lives. It’s an extremely high, emotionally charged life. If I inspire him in some ways, so does he on how to come back and fight hard.” And it’s not just about playing on the court, Sania also keeps busy at her tennis academy, where “I teach the youngsters the things that I didn’t have. The guidance and sharing experiences helps them, besides the regular coaching. As the UN goodwill ambassador, I’m trying to educate women to believe that we are equal. I live as an example and it’s not about just what you wear or how you speak, but about what you believe. If you believe in yourself then you’ve won half the battle.”