People should accept sports as potential career option, says Sania Mirza in Indore

Tennis star Sania Mirza is of the view that tennis infrastructure in India needs serious attention and people should start believing in the ability of players if they want India to make a mark at international level.

Tennis star Sania Mirza is of the view that tennis infrastructure in India needs serious attention and people should start believing in the ability of players if they want India to make a mark at international level.

Indian-tennis-player-Sania-Mirza-during-her-visit-to-SDPS-Women-s-College-in-Indore-on-Friday-Amit-K-Jaiswal-HT-photo

According to Sania, India is not a sports nation but a cricketing nation. "However, things have improved in the recent past after players in other sports have gained attention and leagues of different sports getting positive response from the enthusiasts," said Sania while interacting with the media during her visit to SDPS Women’s College in Indore on Friday.

"A lot has been done in the field of tennis since the time I started playing. But the problem is people want quick results. If youngsters don’t click early in their career, they think of leaving the sport and try their luck somewhere else," she said.

Sania visited the college to deliver a speech in the event ‘Sania Ki Pathshala’, where she also gave away awards to meritorious students of SDPS International Girls School.

"People want to stick to the conventional career options when it comes to girl. I feel that people should accept sports as a potential career option and motivate their children towards sports at a young age," the tennis star added.

Sania, who stopped playing in the singles category, said she did so as her body couldn’t cope up to the fitness and dexterity one needs to be a singles players due to three surgeries in past seven years.

"I continue to play in the doubles category and I have enjoyed success in it by winning many titles," she added. Sania recently won the major mixed doubles title at the 2014 US Open.

Mirza divulged that she has already written her autobiography but due to professional commitments she doesn’t get time to work on it further and get it released.

"People want to hear our stories from our own point of view. A lot is written about our game and moments by others but no one knows what I feel during crucial stages of my matches," she said.

The tennis star ruled out taking up acting assignments was open to the idea of ‘someone else playing her role in a biopic’.

While addressing the audience during the award ceremony, Sania interacted with parents of school students and supported them to encourage their children towards whatever they want to do.

"Even if it is something out of the ordinary parents should support their children instead of enforcing their own choices on them," she said.