Sania Mirza through the Sportstar Aces award held on February 27, 2023.
| Photo Credit: Emmanual Yogini
Tennis legend Sania Mirza would not know a lot about cricket however as an elite athlete for the final 20 years, she feels she will be able to help Royal Challengers Bangalore girls cricketers to take care of the mental side of issues within the inaugural Women’s Premier League.
Sania, who has been roped in because the mentor by RCB for the WPL beginning right here on Saturday with the opener between Gujarat Giants and Mumbai Indians.
RCB, led by India opener Smriti Mandhana, will open their marketing campaign in opposition to Delhi Capitals on Sunday.
“I know nothing about cricket. I thought (when I was made mentor) what I am going to do, what am I going to talk to the girls. I am recently retired, last week actually. So I was thinking what’s my next step in life. So my next step was try and help women athletes around and in India,” Sania was seen talking to RCB contingent, video of which has been posted on franchise’s official twitter deal with.
“In any sport, to help with the mental aspect of things which I have been through for the last 20 years,” Sania mentioned.
Asked by a participant how laborious it was for her was to retire, Sania mentioned: “I was actually ready. I have a son who is 4 and honestly the last one year has been a struggle. I had three surgeries. I just though it was good to go out on top. I just wanted to stop.” Sania mentioned as mentor her function can be to help the RCB of their journey in direction of maiden WPL title.
“I was in individual sport, so photo shoot, media attention everything I handled on my own, so I thought ok I can actually give something to the girls,” she mentioned.
“It’s normal to feel the pressure but you just have to know how to deal with it, block the noise a little bit and Indian media is tough.” Stating that battle is a component and parcel of each sportsperson’s life, Sania reminded the RCB gamers their targets behind taking over the sport of cricket.
“There is struggle in everything. We didn’t used to get courts, we used to cow dung based courts. We didn’t have coaches. The coaches who were there were not experts. Then there is normal struggle of girls,” she mentioned.
Champions are those who win even when conditions are opposed.
“Our job as an athlete is to inspire the next generation. You are only as good as how you perform on that day. The champions are one who are not winning all the time, the champions are one who are winning when they are not playing well.
“You have to bear in mind why you began enjoying cricket, since you love the sport,” Sania concluded on her first day with the side.
