She grew up playing tennis on courts smeared with cow dung! When Sania Mirza began her career in tennis, some 22 or 23 years ago, little was heard of this game in a country where cricket was a religion. But, a determined Sania, knew that she wanted to be the best tennis player and today, she is ranked No.1 in the women’s doubles rankings, worldwide.

“When I started my career as a tennis player, people would come to me and say, ‘When will you stop playing this game? You will lose your complexion and who will marry you then?’” Sania recalled. She adds that times have changed now and girls who want to pursue a career in tennis have plenty of opportunity these days.

Sania Mirza was recently in Coimbatore city on invite from Varnam Foundation and Miracle Media Events Private Limited. The two joined hands in order to organize a marathon to create awareness for cent per cent vote polling. The marathon was flagged off by Sania.

Post the marathon and the valedictory ceremony, addressing the media, Sania said that is her second visit to Coimbatore. “I came to this city to play a tournament 15 or 16 years ago. The city has changed so much since then. The people of Coimbatore are very warm, inviting and friendly,” Sania said.

Moving the focus from the city to the game, Sania replied to a question as to why doubles combination continues to work well for the men and women in India. “Unlike the Americans and Europeans, we Indians are not that fit or endowed with strong legs. We however have strong hand-eye coordination which is why the doubles combination works well for us.” said the No.1 women’s doubles player.

Winning 41 matches in a row, when asked how she handles defeat, she said that losing matches is a part of the game. She also added that as an athlete, she is trained to face defeat and she also assures that she will bounce back soon.

Sania was in all praise of the Government of India. She is happy that the Government has introduced several schemes to support sportspersons in India. This, according to her, is very encouraging. Olympics is for athletes what Oscars are for actors. When asked what her plans are for the Olympic Games, Sania said that she currently has no plans.

Before leaving, she informed the media that she was flying to the US for a month-long practice session.