Unfair towards Sania

Some awfully tough, and I think unfair, comments from Matthew Cronin at tennisreporters.net today about Sania Mirza:
"I like Sania Mirza quite a bit, even though she's a bit too arrogant for her Top 40-ranking. But the 19-year-old has to know that as a Muslim from Hindu-led India, she's going to be dealing with religious issues for the rest of her life, including her fashion choices. She's a national hero in short skirts, and the Islamic fundamentalists do not want her to exert any real influence on other young women who might get "heretical" ideas about dressing the way they want to.

To her credit, Sania has stuck up for the positive principles of her religion. But, the fact is, there are numerous negative ones, such as the existence of extremists who have declared a "fatwa" on her. That's when it's either time to stand up and say that your religious opponents are wrong and don't represent the thinking of many young Muslims, or you leave that religion. You cannot exists in the middle in these disputes, nor can you ignore them by saying "I'm an athlete and I don't want to discuss politics." Politics exist in every part of life, like it or not."

Sania's endorsement rules - six products in 30 days

India's rising tennis star Sania Mirza will not do any commercials that portray her as a "glamorous object" and endorse only six products at a time, for which 30 days in a year have been earmarked.

Mahesh Bhupathi, who owns globosport, the company that manages Sania, has himself decided on the ceiling for the world's 34th ranked player.

"If we wanted, Sania could do 10 endorsements like the cricketers. She could be doing 75 days of endorsements work like the cricketers," said globosport vice-president Anirban Das Blah.

Sania, who became the first Indian woman to enter the fourth round of the US Open recently, is currently endorsing five products.

"Everyone knows that we are going to announce a (new) deal in the next two-three weeks. Once that is done, we will have to drop old endorsements for her to sign on more endorsements," said Blah.

"We have always said we will do maybe six at a time, not more," he emphasised.

Blah said that Sania, who plays in the WTA Sunfeast Open at Kolkata starting on Monday, would not appear in commercials as a glamorous object.

"We are not going to work with brands that interfere with her tennis, those who (want to) treat her as a glamorous object rather than a tennis player, that make demands on her time at the cost of her tennis, especially at this stage."

He said that his company would not immediately try to cash in on Sania's soaring popularity.

"Sania is not going to be a cricketer -- this is tennis. If you are a top tennis player you earn so much prize money that you don't have to worry so much about endorsements."

"(Suppose) Sachin Tendulkar is earning Rs. 1 crore (Rs.10 million) from the BCCI and Rs.30 crores (Rs.300 million) from endorsements, so obviously, his primary business is endorsements. That's not true of tennis."

Blah disclosed that the company's main focus as of now would be Sania's tennis.

"We are going to focus on tennis. Yes, today maybe because she is doing a few endorsements, her value has skyrocketed. I know the prices that I am being offered today in the marketplace are as high or higher than what (Rahul) Dravid gets offered," he said.

The company signed Sania just before she won the junior Wimbledon doubles along with Alisa Klyebanova of Russia in July 2003.

"Back then we didn't view we would make any money. We committed to support her up to Rs. 40 lakhs (Rs. 4 million) a year. It was to be adjusted against the funds that came in from GVK Industries (Sania's current sponsor) or whatever."

Anirban said that Sania had such potential that globosport had to help her fulfil it. "Mahesh was really clear about that. Fundamentally, that cannot change for us as a company. We make enough money as an organisation with our Bollywood business, with all other endorsements, in-field placements, event management."

From Kolkata Newsline: Women commandos to protect Sania

KOLKATA’s wallscape has started changing fast. With India’s latest tennis sensation Sania Mirza’s “scantily” dressed posters occupying more and more space and Muslim fundamentalists issuing threats, Kolkata Police is gearing up for the Sunfeast Open Women’s Tennis Tournament which starts at Netaji Indoor Stadium on September 19, the first major event in the city where Sania will appear since acquiring stardom.

The police will deploy women commandos to steer the participants, especially Sania, out of harm’s way during the “big event”...

Maulana Siddiqullah Chowdhury, secretary of the West Bengal unit of the Jamat-e-Ulema Hind, said, “Islam never allows women to wear skirts, shorts and sleeveless tops. But this girl is violating all these norms. No doubt, she has brought a bad name to the religion, which never permits women to dress scantily. I think she should not be allowed to enter the city.”

--- Sania needs to handle the situation with steady Mind. Maulanas need to understand that in tennis you can't wear long skirts. Siddiqullah get some counseling.

"More than to play I'd love to come here for a holiday" - Sania

After making an early exit from the tennis tournament in Bali with a straight set first round defeat, Sania Mirza said she would prefer holidaying in the Indonesian island rather than playing there.

“Actually, more than to play I'd love to come here for a holiday. It’s not one of the best places to play tennis here. You don't feel like doing anything. But it's a lovely atmosphere and I'd love to come back next year,” Sania was quoted as saying in the tournament's officials website.

--You deserve a break after the kind of performance in US open 2005.

More Info on Mirza

Date of Birth:15 Nov 1986
Birth Place:Mumbai
Nationality:India
Height:1.67 m
Weight: 54 kgs
Profession:Tennis player
Education:Nasr School
Family
* Father: Imran Mirza
* Mother: Nasima
* Sister: Anam
Started playing at the age of 6
Plays Right Handed (Double Handed Backhand)
Coach:Krishna Bhupathi
Physiotherapist:Mr Badrinath
First ITF junior event abroad:Lahore , Pakistan
Has visited 35 countries
Favourite tennis player:Steffi Graf
Education:10th standard (SSC) in the first division with 63 per cent marks.
Likes to stay at home, just watch a movie and surf the Net.
Dislikes:Apple and bananas
Personal Favourites
* Food: briyani
* Actor: Akshay Kumar
* Actress: Raveena Tandon
* Songs: rap and Hindi
* Dress: Salwars, Jeans
* Colours: black,red and blue
Would like to see the movie:Black
Prefers: Advantage India to advantage Sania
Strengths:Ground strokes
Needs to improve:Her fitness
Tennis accessories
* Racquet: Head
* Clothing: adidas
* Shoes: adidas
Sponsoring Companies:GVK group and Adidas who picked her when she was only 12.
Current Endorsement deals:GVK Industries, Sahara, Atlas Cycles, Tata Tea and Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh

Daily Routine:Three hours of physical fitness training, in a day which includes all kinds of training, gym 3-4 times a week, some speed work, endurance and agility.

As a junior:The US Open 2003 is her last Grand Slam as a junior after which she will be playing in the seniors.
Her grandfather:Muhammad Zafar Mirza, played university-level cricket. He also played club cricket for Middlesex in England. But his first love was hockey.
Facts
The first woman from India to capture a WTA Tour title, when she paired with Lizel Huber of South Africa to win the Hyderabad Open doubles title.
Became the first-ever Indian girl to have won a Grand Slam title when she triumphed in the girls' doubles event at Wimbledon partnering Alisa Kleybanova of Russia.
Her dad Imran Mirza and mom Nasima were watching a Steffi Graf and Conchita Martinez battle, when they decided to make their daughter a Tennis star.
Annually Sania requires 40 lakhs for her expenses and Andhra Pradesh government is trying their level best to see that the lady scales height.

Plans after Tennis:Interior Decoration or start a tennis academy
Credits her success:Parents, coaches and God..
Mental strength:Prays five times a day and says that is as good as meditation.
Security:Two armed police guards will shadow Sania wherever she goes in the state.
About her
Her coach: " Sania has the right material to reach the very top"
Leander Paes:"I personally feel that she is one of the frontrunners of Indian sports"
Mahesh Bhupathi:"She's on a roll and it's obviously not going to last forever. But she deserves it all."

Dream man:"I think he needs to understand me and he needs to be a nice person and not have any ego hassles. I need a guy who understands me."
Aim:To be a top 50 tennis woman professional player and stay there for 3-4 years
Quote: "Do not worry about winning or losing. Work hard and you will be successful."

After Sania who is next in India

US-based Shikha Uberoi is the next Indian, after Sania, in the singles ranking. Shikha, who made her Fed Cup debut for India this year fell from her previous ranking of 122 to 151.

---- I hope that more Sania Mirzas start playing and performing in the tennis circuit.

Sania Mirza and Koneru Humpy-achievers yet poles apart

Like Sania Mirza, Koneru Humpy is a ‘first’ for an Indian woman. Born on March 31, 1987, she is a chess grandmaster. Her April 2004 FIDE ELO rating is 2513, placing her as No. 3 in the world for women. Humpy was originally named Hampi by her parents but her father later changed it to Humpy, a more Russian sounding name. Koneru Humpy has setup a new World Record of becoming the Youngest-Ever Woman to achieve the Men’s GM Title. Humpy has achieved the Men’s GM Title at the age of 15 years , 1 month, and 27 Days beating Judith Polgar's record of 15 years, 4 months and 27 days.

Fellow-Hyderabadi Sania Mirza is only a year older. Since her debut at the US Open, in which she made it to Round 4, before losing to top-seed Maria Sharapova, Sania is ranked No.42 in the WTA rankings. Sania is an icon in India, is grabbing endorsements left, right and centre and has suddenly become the poster-girl of international sports. Where does that leave Koneru Humpy? Literally-nowhere. She’s had her moments on national TV and a page or two in national news magazines, but then its zippo. Nada.

There is a not-so-subtle difference between the two, you see. Sania is the streaked, midriff-baring , PYT with loads of attitude, huge earrings and a nosepin to match. Humpy Koneru, in contrast, is the bespectacled, shy, youngster-certainly not one who looks like she can keep pace with Gen X. Is it not enough to be an achiever anymore? Has the age of superficial behaviour reached such mammoth levels that achievers must also be spin-doctored to look and act a certain way? What if Sania resembled Humpy and didn’t attend post-match media interactions in T-shirts which say ‘I am cute? No s***.?

We have heard how Sania’s favourite colours are red and black, how she likes Ocean’s 11 and Brad Pitt and Hugh Grant. Likes listening to hip hop including Eminem, ... also likes playing cricket and swimming ... most admires Gandhi ... also admires tennis play of Steffi Graf.

And we want to hear more. The country and several parts of the world are in the grip of a Sania Mania and no one is denying it, or wanting to anyway. Research and researchers tell us that in society, attractive people tend to be more intelligent, better adjusted, and more popular. This is described as the halo effect - due to the perfection associated with angels. Research shows attractive people also have more occupational success and more dating experience than their unattractive counterparts. One theory behind this halo effect is that it is accurate -attractive people are indeed more successful.

According to an article by Charles Feng of Stanford University, ‘Looking Good: The Psychology and Biology of Beauty’, research shows attractive people have more occupational success and more dating experience than their unattractive counterparts. An alternative explanation for attractive people achieving more in life is that we automatically categorize others before having an opportunity to evaluate their personalities, based on cultural stereotypes which say attractive people must be intrinsically good, and ugly people must be inherently bad.

But Elliot Aronson, a social psychologist at Stanford University, believes self-fulfilling prophecies in which a person’s confident self-perception, further perpetuated by healthy feedback from others - may play a role in success as well. Aronson suggests, based on the self-fulfilling prophecy that people who feel they are attractive - though not necessarily rated as such - are just as successful as their counterparts who are judged to be good-looking.

Feng writes that whatever the reason, the notion that attractiveness correlates with success still rings true. Yet beauty is not always advantageous, for beautiful people, particularly attractive women, tend to be perceived as more materialistic, snobbish, and vain.

Haven’t we started hearing rumblings of the endorsements bagged by Sania and cynics wondering if this would just mean that Sania is headed the way of the famous men-in-blue. For better or worse, the bottom line is that research shows beauty matters; it pervades society and affects how we choose loved ones. The poignant part would be if beauty takes away from achievement and becomes the new benchmark for choosing icons.

Bad Day for Sania

Ekaterina Bychkova of Russia followed up her magnificent performance at the US Open by ousting eight-seeded Sania Mirza of India 6-3, 6-2 in the first round of the $225 000 (about R1,4-million) WTA Wismilak International tennis tournament on Tuesday.

The Russian outpaced her opponent in the fiercely-contested rallies to earn an unlikely victory. Although her ranking was boosted by a victory in New York over ailing compatriot Svetlana Kuznetsova, Bychkova had previously made virtually no impact at any level in her two years on the tennis circuit.

However, rising star Mirza failed to find any consistency, and Bychkova was happy to take advantage of a below-par opponent.

Bychkova made history when she ousted defending champion Kuznetsova in the opening match of the US Open.

"I wasn't really in it from the beginning," said Mirza. "She played a good match. I think I was really rusty. I was just not in my rhythm."

--- I had expected Sania to win, as would any Indian, but i think that i am asking too mush. Hope that sania keeps her good form for the Calcutta matches, as always indians will want her to WIN. Best Wishes Sania

Why is Ritwik not as big as Sania?

India's Ritwik Bhattacharya (right) in action against Egypt's Sherif Kamel in the Chennai Open squash tournament

Sania Mirza might be world number 34 in tennis but here's our very own Bengali lad, 25-year-old Ritwik Bhattacharya who is world number 62 in a similar game and that's squash. Despite his achievements, it’s Sania who's hogged the limelight and Ritwik is only revered by sports freaks.
"Had I been a tennis player of the same rank as I am now, then I would have been driving a Ferrari and would have been definitely more famous," he says

----Pity, Indian Media don't realize that there are other sport persons too who deserve same treatment as Sania.

Sania Mirza now WTA rank 34

Sania Mirza , the 18 years old Indian women, who reached the 4th round of the US Open, is ranked 34 , as per the WTA ranking as of 12 September 2005. This is Sania’s career highest, the earlier career highest was 42, which she got on 29 Aug 2005.

Its nice to see Sania getting closer to Class of Under 32 WTA ranking, because she will have direct entry and also tournament seeding. Good Sania, keep up the Good work and may you achieve all that you want.

Aslam Razvi, advisory member of Jamaat-e-Islami, had taken resentment over the clothes Sania Mirza wears on court. His view, “We can’t understand why she should be wearing the kind of dress she wears on court. Why can’t she wear long skirts and full sleeve shirts?”. -- Found in a news Article

Mr. Aslam Razvi, suggestion is the most absurd statement i have heard/read in recent times. It reminds me of the Taliban rule in Afghanistan, during Taliban rule, football players were allowed to play only in full pants.
Please some one explain to Mr. Aslam that each sport has its own outfit which suits the sport. Don't try to create controversies to get cheap popularity or front-page news.