Sania Mirza, one of the nation’s biggest sporting icons, who recently decided to call time on her illustrious career which spanned nearly three decades, has been a stalwart for women in sports not just in India but throughout the world.
The multiple-time major winner has served as an inspiration for an immense number of girls who picked up a racquet and decided to follow their dreams.
On the occasion of international women’s day, the 36-year-old was part of an all-women forum made up of women who have managed to push the boundaries of old and have set an example for those to follow.
Mirza opened up about her journey and how grateful she is for having impacted so many lives in a positive manner through her exploits on the court.
“People say retirement makes it easier, but I haven’t slept for more than 3 hours,” she began on a jovial note.
Reflecting on her curtain call she said, “It hasn’t been long since I hung up my boots, but the feeling is slowly sinking in.”
“It feels weird to board a flight without my tennis racquet. I got on a flight this morning without my kit and it felt like something was missing”, she joked.
After all these years of travelling with the kitbag and racquet by her side as her trusted companions, it is pretty understandable that she misses her closest confidants by her side.
However, Mirza has shown no signs of slowing down as she picked up a mentor role at the newly formed Women’s Premier League franchise Royal Challengers Bangalore.
“I’m very excited about the next phase of my life. It has been 30 years since I started playing. I picked up the racquet when I was 6.”
“I came into the public eye at an early age, when I was to trying to figure things out for myself. And the pressure to perform day in and day out is immense.
“It is a lot easier for me to understand that not everyone can comprehend the human side of a sportsperson now that I am 36 years old now. But it wasn’t the case back when I was a teenager.”
“My parents stood by me and guided me through all the attention and I am immensely grateful for that.”
It is probably this maturity and awareness that the RCB management wanted to be imparted to their young squad and opted to rope in the former tennis star into their fold.
Reflecting on her adventurous career, Mirza said “Nobody but my parents believed in me back when I started. And by nobody I mean nobody.
“If someone had told the six-year-old that this is the kind of journey I’d have, I would have grabbed it with both hands”, Mirza asserted.
A lot has changed ever since Mirza took her first tennis lessons across all spheres and walks of life.
Technology has advanced rapidly, and sports science has come leaps and bounds, but what Mirza views as the biggest growth in the recent past is the representation and prominence of women in the field of sport.
“A lot has changed in these 30 years, and it is a pride that I say outside a few cricketers, the biggest athletes in India now are women”, said a glad Mirza.
“And if I have inspired a few girls to get into sport I think I have fulfilled one of my grandest purposes.”
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