Sania Mirza is not apologetic for being one of a type. Just a few folks selected to name her a trailblazer whereas some labelled her a insurgent. She says she is none and simply lived life ‘on her own terms’.
Splashed with mind-blowing success and achievements that no Indian feminine tennis participant may get pleasure from and that are unlikely to be emulated within the imminent future, Sania has lived an inspiring life.
During a free-wheeling chat at her villa in Dubai, Sania implored the society to just accept variations in opinion and not model as ‘villain or heroes’ the individuals who dare to do issues in their very own means. “I do not suppose that I broke the foundations. Who are these people who find themselves making these guidelines and who’re these people who find themselves saying this is the norm and this is the stereotype.
“I think each individual is different and each individual should have the freedom to be different,” Sania informed PTI information company in an unique interview, earlier than bidding adieu to her tennis profession.
The world can be a lot totally different if we taught our daughters to attract boundaries as usually as we informed them to be ‘well mannered’ __ https://t.co/ExkLZum953
— Sania Mirza (@MirzaSania) February 15, 2023
The 36-year-old Indian added, “I feel that’s the place as a society we are able to most likely do higher, a little bit the place we are attempting to hail folks or make folks the dangerous guys simply because they’re doing one thing in another way.
“And I don’t necessarily think that I was some kind of a great rule-breaker or some trendsetter. That’s not what I was trying to do. I was living my life. We all say things differently, we all have different opinions. I think once we all accept that we are all different, and we can co-exist with those differences is when it will not be about breaking the rules anymore.”
Holder of six Grand Slam doubles titles and a year-end WTA Championships trophy to go along with a career-best singles rank of 27, if Sania is not a trend-setter then what is she?
“I do look at myself as trying to be as authentic as possible. That’s what I’ve tried to do. I’ve tried to stay true to myself. And I have tried to live life on my own terms. I think everybody should be able to do that and have the freedom to do that without being told that you are breaking the rules because you are doing something that you want to do,” she stated.
“That is something I take a lot of pride in because I think that it’s not that I was necessarily different. I might have been different to you, but that doesn’t mean that I am someone who is a rebel, or someone who is breaking some kind of rules. It’s just my individuality and another person’s individuality.”
First Indian lady to win a WTA title __
First Indian lady to win a Grand Slam title __
First Indian lady to grow to be World No. 1 ____ @MirzaSania, who’s taking part in the ultimate WTA match of her profession in Dubai this week, created *A LOT* of historical past over the past twenty years:
— TENNIS (@Tennis) February 20, 2023
Loads has modified in Indian sport in the previous couple of years, however within the not too distant previous, girls athletes struggled for acceptance and recognition, and have been not even thought of worthy of pursuing a profession in sport. And if one was from a Muslim household, it was harder.
There are Muslim girls wrestlers who battle exterior the mat simply to have the ability to pursue their ardour. In the case of Sania, she was lucky that her mother and father shielded her from adverse feedback which may have affected her morale, and let her observe her tennis desires.
They managed to strike a superb steadiness the place she may pursue tennis with out hurting non secular sentiments. She, principally, had her legs and arms coated whereas taking part in.
Sania says not supporting girls athletes is not restricted to simply Muslim households. “I don’t think it is just a Muslim community issue. We need to get that very straight. It’s in the sub-continent itself otherwise if that was the case we would have a lot more young women playing from all communities,” former world No. 1 doubles star stated.
“I don’t know they (mother and father) felt stress or something however they did not make me really feel that stress. They saved me protected, I did not actually perceive it a lot till I grew a bit older. I did hear the whispers right here and there from aunts and uncles, ‘kaali ho jayegi to kya hoga, shaadi kaise hogi’ (in case your complexion turns into darkish who is going to marry you). This kind of stuff, each lady will inform you from this aspect of the world.
“A young woman is considered compete only when she looks good or rather looks a certain way, gets married, have a kid. These are the tick marks that a girl should have to become complete. One of the reasons for my comeback and play as a mother was to show that you can be a world champion and still have a complete life. It does not mean that you have to sacrifice some parts of your life. That you can’t be a mother, a wife or a daughter. You can still do it and be a world champion,” Sania asserted.
The OG hustler, @MirzaSania!_#StrongerTogether | #ThankYouSania pic.twitter.com/xrXxb38uTn
— Olympic Khel (@OlympicKhel) February 18, 2023
She was accused of disrespecting the Indian flag when that was not the case. She was chided for ‘supporting’ pre-marital intercourse when she had not stated something like that. She was additionally accused of capturing inside a mosque for industrial profit when really she had not entered the restricted space. A Fatwa was additionally issued towards her for sporting an un-Ismalic gown (skirt).
Asked what damage her probably the most, Sania selected not to return to the disturbing incidents of the previous. “Honestly I don’t keep in mind. It’s been too lengthy. And truthfully it doesn’t trouble me in any respect. I feel that the whole lot that occurred in my life has made me the individual that I’m right this moment and it has made me very sturdy as a human being internally and it has made my self-belief even stronger.
“My honest truth is I don’t remember. I have a great ability to omit a lot of bad in my life. It is not something that is relevant in my life, it’s not bringing me any positivity,” she stated.
(with PTI inputs)
