To play or not to play

What does one say when the country’s only female Tennis superstar refuses to play at her home turf in order to skirt further controversies? And what if it gets her into just that – another controversy? Sania Mirza’s backing off from the Bangalore Open, one of the biggest Tennis events in India, has left her fans disappointed and grim.

Mirza, who is currently ranked 29th in the world and dubbed Asia’s No.1, said she was advised by her management to skip the US$600,000 tournament, the richest in India. “Everytime I play in India there is a problem. Considering all that, I thought it would be better not to play in Bangalore”, Mirza was quoted as saying earlier this month.

The event, which is scheduled for 3rd March, will see world-famous players like Venus Williams and her sister Serena Williams participating. Later, however, she made her point clear by claiming that Bangalore Open is an individual event and it is not like she has refused to represent the country in Olympics.

Saurabh Menani, a tennis lover and Mirza fan says, “I think she should not have said no to this tournament. Now that she is not playing, whom do we root for? It’s like Sachin saying no to Wankhade. Instead of saying no to the tennis event, she should have made her views public in some other manner.”

But there are many who support Sania in her decision. “If, as a nation, we can’t tolerate minor things and keep pestering her with fatwas and lawsuits, then how can we expect her, a twenty one year old girl, to put up with everything and not let her game get affected? Everytime she plays in India, she is surrounded with controversies, which affects her game. She has all the right to play or refuse to participate,” opines Sukrit Singh, a sports enthusiast.

However, Atul Wassan, former Indian cricketer and cricket commentator, thinks that though “it is slightly immature of her to opt out of the whole tournament, but it is understandable taking into account her age. Sport stars like her have to ignore such things and concentrate on the game. This is the price one pays for being a celebrity. I hope her advisors don’t misguide her in any way.” About the media and bigots scrutinising her every move, Wassan adds, “The media will scrutinise her anyway. There are some factions in the society, which are less tolerant towards her. But again, she has to ignore them.”

Sania has had a long haul with controversies surrounding her right from the beginning of her career. Earlier, Muslim bigots besieged her for wearing short skirts and sleeveless tops while playing. Her remarks, comments and dressing sense have also been making news along with her sports achievements. In yet another controversy, a lawsuit for shooting at the Mecca Masjid Mosque for a commercial advertisement has already been filed against her and the ad agency she was working for.

For Box:

• Targeted for wearing short skirts and sleeveless tops while playing.
• Her partnership with Israeli player Shahar Peer kicked off a controversy, as Muslims do not recognise the state of Israel.
• Made to retract her statement on pre-marital sex.
• Legal notice sent to her for illegally trespassing Mecca Masjid mosque in Hyderabad for which she later apologised.
• Accused of abusing the flag in Australia, in an allegedly misleading photograph.

Till now she braved it all and kept up her spirits but how long can a 21-year-old endure constant criticism and near-insane judgments being passed on her? “It does take its toll because it's not easy to deal with that kind of pressure,” Mirza said in an interview. “It's not normal for any youngster to block such pressure all the time and keep performing.”
Perhaps the accusation against her of abusing the Indian flag in Australia, in a photograph (whose credentials are still under doubt), served as the last straw. It is reported that she was so upset after the flag ruckus that she even contemplated giving up playing tennis altogether.

To many though, it seems that Sania would not have played anyway because of her fitness. But because she blamed the controversies surrounding her as the reason for not playing, all these debates sparked up. Amidst all this speculation whether she will play in India in the coming tournaments, there is one thing for sure, Sania has been hurt time and again. It would do her criticisers good to judge her by her sporting abilities than crying foul over trivialities.