Sania has made a telling point, for it is no secret that India’s women athletes and sportspersons in general have been poorly treated by sports associations
uite rightly, Sania Mirza has been unsparing in her criticism of those she feels have turned her into a bargaining chip in the most recent battle of egos between Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi.
Shortly after it was confirmed that she had received a wild card entry for the London Olympics, Sania made known her feelings about being turned into a pawn after the “big two” threatened and counter-threatened to pull out of the Olympic Games if they were not allowed to have their way in a choice of partners for the men’s doubles competition in London. “I believe I can expect a little more respect from the national tennis federation than what has been accorded to me,” she said, alluding to the way hurt feelings had been assuaged using her presence as a partner in the mixed doubles category which was contingent on her first getting a wild card invitation from the International Tennis Federation.
Sania then took the issue to another level, saying: “As an Indian woman belonging to the 21st century, what I find disillusioning is the humiliating manner in which I was put up as a bait to try and pacify one of the disgruntled stalwarts of Indian tennis.” In this she made a telling point, for it is no secret that India’s women athletes and sportspersons in general have been poorly treated by sports associations, with a few notable exceptions. Not only do they get second-class treatment — unless they are absolutely top-level performers or international champions — but are also expected to take a back seat when it comes to the opportunities and sponsorships so vital to an athlete’s career and prospects. Every now and then one gets to hear about women athletes being made to perform domestic tasks at hostels, or put through unbefitting chores like serving tea and clearing away crockery and cutlery at sporting functions. We are not even venturing into the area of sexual harassment, instances of which are too numerous to recount. It is sufficient to say that an Indian woman sportsperson fights many more battles than her male counterpart in the quest for success — for herself and the country. This has long been the trend and it has taken an articulate — and angry — young woman to make a point that so many others have sought to do with far less success for many years.
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