Karachi, April 1 (Inditop.com) Pakistan’s tennis chief Senator Dilawar Abbas hopes that the sport will get a boost in his country when Indian tennis queen Sania Mirza ties the knot with cricketer Shoaib Malik.
The Pakistan Tennis Federation (PTF) President said he would urge Sania to take up Pakistani nationality and start representing her husband’s country in the future.
Though Sania has made it clear that she would continue representing India at the international level even after marrying the former Pakistan captain later this month, Dilawar said that as an Asian woman she should pick her husband’s country as her new homeland.
‘It is great news for our tennis community that Sania Mirza is getting married to Shoaib Malik,’ Abbas was quoted as saying in The News Thursday.
‘We welcome her and hope that she would become a Pakistani national and play for us in future. She has a great future ahead and we would be delighted if she plays for Pakistan.
‘Asian women traditionally follow their husbands which is why I’m hopeful that someday she would be inspired by Shoaib to play for Pakistan.’
Sania, 23, is the sub-continent’s most successful female tennis player. She will be getting married to Malik, a leading Pakistani cricketer but the couple plans to settle in Dubai.
Dilawar said that even if Sania sticks to her decision of playing for the country of her birth – India – he would be looking forward to her involvement in Pakistan tennis at some point in time.
‘She can encourage our girls to take up tennis, she can inspire them to become world class players,’ he said.
‘We would hope that Sania would lend a helping hand to women’s tennis in Pakistan.’
Tennis is still counted among minor sports in Pakistan where cricket is king. But still the country has produced world class players like Aisam-ul-Haq, currently ranked in the top-50 world doubles rankings.
Women’s tennis, however, is a different story. Just a handful of Pakistani girls play the sport actively as even national-level tournaments attract a slim participation in ladies competitions.
Dilawar suggested that Sania should think about teaming up with Aisam — Pakistan’s tennis ace – on the mixed doubles circuit.
‘Both Sania and Aisam are really good doubles players. I believe that their team would not just achieve great results internationally but will also help bridge the gap between India and Pakistan,’ he said.
rounak