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Business Standard
5 days ago
- Sport
- Business Standard
More female stars now, but they must know self-representation: Sania Mirza
Indian tennis ace Sania Mirza on Wednesday said there are more female sports superstars in the country now apart from cricket but the onus is also on these women to define how they want to represent themselves. Sania said from the time she started playing nearly 32 years ago on tennis courts made of "cow dung" and taking tetanus injections for precautions, the country has had several female superstars but they need to stay true to their characters. "From having the only female superstar that I had from India was PT Usha and that was somebody we just heard of, we never saw because there was no social media, no media or there was no coverage," she said on a panel discussion named 'The Sports Women' by Capri Sports. "To today, when we go to the Olympics or outside of probably three or four male cricketers, the biggest superstars from this country in sport are female athletes and that says a lot over the last 50 years," she added. Sania said the female players in the country across sports need to emphasise on playing for themselves and represent their character and not how others want them to be. "Are we living in a man's world? The answer is yes. Are we living in a man's world when it comes to sport? The answer is yes. Are we living in a man's world or are we living in a cricket's world when it comes to this country? The answer is yes," Sania said. "As female representation, the onus is also on us how we represent ourselves, how we are actually showing the world." "We like world beaters in this part of the world, but we don't want them to act like world beaters. We still want them to act like they are bichare (poor)." "So if you act like a world beater, they're like, 'they have attitude and they're arrogant'. But if then you are acting like, oh, you're a bichare (poor), then they say, 'you're a good girl' or whatever. But then they (also) say, 'oh, you don't have killer instincts'. So there's no winning in that," she added. The former women's doubles world No 1 added, "You don't do anything for other people, you do it for yourself. I don't actually care how other people represent me, I care how I represent myself." India's two-time Olympic medal winner PV Sindhu added that if female athletes start thinking about others' opinions, it can "break" a player. "You don't have to actually bother or feel bad about what they (social media) think, but it's what you think and what matters is how you are feeling at the end of the day," Sindhu said. "If you actually think about what others are thinking, that will really take you somewhere you can't even imagine, because it breaks you and that's where the mental health (issues) start and you actually go into a circle where you don't know what's going on," she added. Sindhu said while the dynamics have changed a lot for women in sports, there still has to be a lot of work done at the grassroots levels from both the government and the private sector. "There's been a lot of change. Initially there was not much recognition. But I think now there's a lot more. Apart from that, I feel there needs to be a lot of support from the sponsors," she said. "I think that can increase where they actually support from the grassroots levels and that's very important, not just the elite athletes, but from the grassroots levels. "Because when you're an elite and when you're doing well, when you're at the top, everything is going to be fine." Sindhu won a silver in the 2016 Rio Olympics and then bagged a bronze in the 2021 Tokyo Games. She added, "To recognise those young athletes from the grassroots levels is very important and to prove them and also make sure that they're going in the right way and guide them in the right way, that needs to improve a lot more.
Deccan Herald
5 days ago
- Politics
- Deccan Herald
August 7, 2025: Best photos from around the world
President of the Chamber of Deputies Hugo Motta sits in his chair after the end of a protest by allies of former president Jair Bolsonaro that blocked the resumption of sessions after the mid-year recess in protest against the house arrest of Bolsonaro, at the Chamber of Deputies in Brasilia, Brazil. Credit: Reuters photo An investigative officer from the Chihuahua State Attorney General's Office works at a crematorium where bodies were previously found piled up in unsanitary conditions, in Ciudad Juarez. Credit: Reuters photo Flood gates of Koshi Barrage opened after the water level of the Saptakoshi River rose significantly following heavy rainfall, in Supaul district of Bihar. Credit: PTI photo Former tennis player Sania Mirza with shuttler P.V. Sindhu poses for pictures at 'The Sports Women' event, in Mumbai. Credit: PTI photo
News18
5 days ago
- Sport
- News18
'Killer Instincts': Sania Mirza Urges Women Athletes To Stick To Their Resolve
Last Updated: Mirza observed the stark increase in the number of female athletes now as compared to the times when she picked up a racquet, but added that they need to stick to their resolve. Legendary Indian tennis player Sania Mirza took pride in the fact that the nation now produces more umber of female athletes than it did, but also added that these sportswomen would have to define how they represent themselves. Mirza observed the stark increase in the number of female athletes now as compared to the times when she initially picked up the tennis racquet, but added that they need to stick to their resolve. 'From having the only female superstar that I had from India was PT Usha and that was somebody we just heard of, we never saw because there was no social media, no media or there was no coverage," she said at 'The Sports Women' event by Capri Sports on Wednesday. 'To today, when we go to the Olympics or outside of probably three or four male cricketers, the biggest superstars from this country in sport are female athletes and that says a lot over the last 50 years," the 38-year-old said. Sania urged women in sports to emphasise on playing for themselves and represent their character instead of bending to the will of spectators and onlookers. 'Are we living in a man's world? The answer is yes. Are we living in a man's world when it comes to sport? The answer is yes. Are we living in a man's world or are we living in a cricket's world when it comes to this country? The answer is yes," Mirza added. 'As female representation, the onus is also on us how we represent ourselves, how we are actually showing the world," she asserted. 'We like world beaters in this part of the world, but we don't want them to act like world beaters. We still want them to act like they are bichare." 'So if you act like a world beater, they're like, 'they have attitude and they're arrogant'. But if then you are acting like, oh, you're a bichare (poor), then they say, 'you're a good girl' or whatever. But then they (also) say, 'oh, you don't have killer instincts'. So there's no winning in that," she added. 'You don't do anything for other people, you do it for yourself. I don't actually care how other people represent me, I care how I represent myself," the former women's doubles world No 1 added. Ace Indian shuttler PV Sindhu added that paying to much head to the opinions of the general public could break a female athlete and added that while the dynamics have changed a lot for women in sports, a lot of work remains to be done at the grassroots levels. 'You don't have to actually bother or feel bad about what they (social media) think, but it's what you think and what matters is how you are feeling at the end of the day," Sindhu said. 'If you actually think about what others are thinking, that will really take you somewhere you can't even imagine, because it breaks you and that's where the mental health (issues) start and you actually go into a circle where you don't know what's going on," she added. 'There's been a lot of change. Initially there was not much recognition. But I think now there's a lot more. Apart from that, I feel there needs to be a lot of support from the sponsors," she said. 'I think that can increase where they actually support from the grassroots levels and that's very important, not just the elite athletes, but from the grassroots levels," the 30-year-old said. 'Because when you're an elite and when you're doing well, when you're at the top, everything is going to be fine." 'To recognise those young athletes from the grassroots levels is very important and to prove them and also make sure that they're going in the right way and guide them in the right way, that needs to improve a lot more," the double Olympic medallist added. News18 Sports brings you the latest updates, live commentary, and highlights from cricket, football, tennis, badmintion, wwe and more. Catch breaking news, live scores, and in-depth coverage. Also Download the News18 App to stay updated! view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Indian Express
5 days ago
- Sport
- Indian Express
More female superstars in India now but they should know how to represent themselves: Sania Mirza
Indian tennis ace Sania Mirza on Wednesday said there are more female sports superstars in the country now apart from cricket but the onus is also on these women to define how they want to represent themselves. Sania said from the time she started playing nearly 32 years ago on tennis courts made of 'cow dung' and taking tetanus injections for precautions, the country has had several female superstars but they need to stay true to their characters. 'From having the only female superstar that I had from India was PT Usha and that was somebody we just heard of, we never saw because there was no social media, no media or there was no coverage,' she said on a panel discussion named 'The Sports Women' by Capri Sports. 'To today, when we go to the Olympics or outside of probably three or four male cricketers, the biggest superstars from this country in sport are female athletes and that says a lot over the last 50 years,' she added. Sania said the female players in the country across sports need to emphasise on playing for themselves and represent their character and not how others want them to be. 'Are we living in a man's world? The answer is yes. Are we living in a man's world when it comes to sport? The answer is yes. Are we living in a man's world or are we living in a cricket's world when it comes to this country? The answer is yes,' Sania said. 'As female representation, the onus is also on us how we represent ourselves, how we are actually showing the world.' 'We like world beaters in this part of the world, but we don't want them to act like world beaters. We still want them to act like they are bichare (poor).' 'So if you act like a world beater, they're like, 'they have attitude and they're arrogant'. But if then you are acting like, oh, you're a bichare (poor), then they say, 'you're a good girl' or whatever. But then they (also) say, 'oh, you don't have killer instincts'. So there's no winning in that,' she added. The former women's doubles world No 1 added, 'You don't do anything for other people, you do it for yourself. I don't actually care how other people represent me, I care how I represent myself.' India's two-time Olympic medal winner PV Sindhu added that if female athletes start thinking about others' opinions, it can 'break' a player. 'You don't have to actually bother or feel bad about what they (social media) think, but it's what you think and what matters is how you are feeling at the end of the day,' Sindhu said. 'If you actually think about what others are thinking, that will really take you somewhere you can't even imagine, because it breaks you and that's where the mental health (issues) start and you actually go into a circle where you don't know what's going on,' she added. Sindhu said while the dynamics have changed a lot for women in sports, there still has to be a lot of work done at the grassroots levels from both the government and the private sector. 'There's been a lot of change. Initially there was not much recognition. But I think now there's a lot more. Apart from that, I feel there needs to be a lot of support from the sponsors,' she said. 'I think that can increase where they actually support from the grassroots levels and that's very important, not just the elite athletes, but from the grassroots levels. 'Because when you're an elite and when you're doing well, when you're at the top, everything is going to be fine.' Sindhu won a silver in the 2016 Rio Olympics and then bagged a bronze in the 2021 Tokyo Games. She added, 'To recognise those young athletes from the grassroots levels is very important and to prove them and also make sure that they're going in the right way and guide them in the right way, that needs to improve a lot more.'
