Coaches refused to let their girls train with me: Sania Mirza

Name a successful sportsperson who has had it easy. You wouldn’t find one on this planet. They walk the field of nettles, train bloody hard, push their bodies to the extremes, and are often given the snub by sponsors. Wouldn’t Sania Mirza know? She still recalls her early days when she would be refused sponsorship. They would ask a counter-question: Which Indian woman has ever succeeded in tennis?

Strange as it may sound, she also had a tough time convincing coaches from other countries to allow their girls to practise with her. “They thought since I came from a country that had never produced a top level female tennis player, there was nothing to gain for their girls if they practised with me,” Sania said.

She is saddened to realise that India hasn’t had a single player in the top-100 in the game’s history. “One has to defy heavy odds to make it to No 7 in the world, which I was fortunate to achieve in my career.” 

The tennis selection row before the London Games was no less painful. She had accused the All India Tennis Association (AITA) for not handling the matter in a professional way. But that’s not how she wanted to be in the news.

@namitahanda