India tennis great Sania Mirza says the Women’s World Cup triumph will inspire an entire generation of young girls; predicts gold medal show at LA 2028
Sania Mirza. Pic/AFP
Tennis queen Sania Mirza broke the stereotype over two decades back. When women’s tennis was seen as ‘too hard’ for the Indians, Mirza fought on clay courts, hard courts and grass, took on the big players, and came out with flying colours. To have come from a Muslim family in Hyderabad, something which amused the western world, Mirza broke the stereotype. And when Mirza, the super mom, retired in 2023, she had a rich collection of six Grand Slam titles — three women’s doubles and three mixed doubles trophies.
In an exclusive conversation with mid-day, Mirza, who has followed Indian cricket closely, was thrilled at Harmanpreet Kaur and the enthusiastic bunch winning the ICC World Cup at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on a rainy Sunday.
Skipper Harmanpreet Kaur lifts the prestigious trophy as Team India celebrate their World Cup final victory against South Africa at the DY Patil Stadium in Navi Mumbai on Sunday. Pic/Getty Images
As one who made an impact on women’s tennis in India and raised its stature, Mirza believes this big result in cricket will make a difference. “This is huge! To win a World Cup at home is bound to have a major impact. An entire generation of young girls will be inspired to pick up a bat and ball and the ripple effect will be seen for a long time to come,” said Mirza on Wednesday. Today, post retirement, Mirza is a social media influencer as well as a mom who wants to bring up son Izhaan in the best possible way. She can talk on any topic so positively.
So, how does she visualise the impact of this World Cup win? “I’ve always believed in the abilities of Indian women. Provide the opportunities and our girls will deliver. This was our third World Cup final and we’ve been knocking on destiny’s door for some time now,” stressed Mirza.
Karnam Malleswari’s lift off
India has won medals in the international arena in various ways. If weightlifter Karnam Malleswari was the lone medallist at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, in 2020, she could inspire many more at home. Likewise, boxers such as Mary Kom and badminton queens Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu have punched above their weight and won medals for India. Not to forget, how Sakshi Malik also landed a medal for the country at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
Asked for her views, Mirza was sharp in her observations. “Indian women have emerged as champions in various sports over the last few years. The stereotype has already been broken and Indian women are able to compete on level terms and are respected in international sport,” said Mirza.
Recalling her own journey, Mirza said: “We’ve come a long way from 2001 when I competed for the first time at Wimbledon. Nobody wanted to practise with me as every foreign coach believed that their ward’s game would deteriorate if they hit [practised] with an Indian girl.”
Gold medal at LA 2028
Women’s cricket is expected to feature as a medal sport at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. So, can India hope for a medal? “I think we would be among the favourites to win a gold medal,” came the answer from Mirza, as deft as her volley at the net.
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