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Indian star slams faith obsession
(China Daily)
Updated: 2006-01-06 06:56
HONG KONG: Indian star Sania Mirza has hit out at the obsession with her
religion, saying more attention should be paid to her tennis than her Muslim
faith.
 The 19-year-old is regarded as a trailblazer for Indian and Muslim
women but she said people should stop confusing her profession and beliefs.
"I think everyone mixes up religion and sport. I'm a sports person and
religion is something very personal," she told AFP.
"Yes, I'm a practising Muslim but I don't understand why I'm only asked about
my religion. Everyone's got a religion out there, I wonder why no one else is
asked about it.
"I feel it's a very personal thing. It's my personal choice and I don't feel
the need to justify it to anyone."
Mirza grabbed the headlines in 2005 when she became the first Indian woman to
win a WTA tour event and soared more than 100 rankings places to finish the year
at 34.
But she attracted criticism from religious conservatives who said she was
standing "half-naked on the tennis court while playing, which is against Islam".
Later she created a storm with comments interpreted as condoning pre-marital
sex.
But the Hyderabad native, who lost to Venus Williams of US 6-3, 6-3 at her
opening match of the season at the Champions Challenge , said she had learned
not to pay attention to everyone's views.
"Obviously India's a big country. There's a billion people and a billion
opinions but that's the way it goes," she said.
"My job is to go out there and give 100 percent every time and let my racket
do the talking. If I start wondering what a billion people are going to say
every time I don't think I could really play.
"I've learned in the past year that everyone's going to have their own
opinion but it's my choice whether to take it on board. I don't think everyone's
opinion really matters to me as long as I go out there and do my best."
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