Male Chauvinism etc....

More than 15 years ago, I walked into the office of an AITA official. I was just back from one of our Fed Cup events where I was instrumental in steering India into Group 1 of Fed Cup Asia Oceania. I wanted to ask him for sponsorship as I had been no.1 in India for sometime then, but was struggling to make ends meet on the WTA tour. As there had been no women tennis professionals before me, I had no one to turn for advice in terms of travel or entry procedures or finding doubles partners. Everything was brand new. When I asked the official to help me with sponsorships, he never actually responded to that question. Instead he said “ Beti, you are like my granddaughter, I think you should think about getting married and settle down”. I was stunned. I didn’t know what to say, I decided I would never ask the AITA for sponsorships again. I also didn’t heed his advice, Thank God. Otherwise, I would have never been able to set the record for the 1st Indian female to win a round at a Grand Slam or play Olympics for India or have the most appearances for India at Fed Cup. Male chauvinism was something I lived with, it was part of our culture. There was an underlying sneer and nonchalance about Women and sports in India. If an AITA official himself had no hopes for me, you can only imagine the rest. While my immediate family and friends in the town of Coimbatore were quite supportive of my endeavor, there were a few who knew how to put a dampener on things. They would try to advice my dad into saying” She is somebody else’s “property”. Why are you spending so much money on her”? We lived with this sort of thing every day . But this was more than 15 years ago. Years before Sania Mirza came onto the scene. But this is now, Sania Mirza is made to face the brunt of male chauvinism when she was literally made a pawn to appease Leander Peas. Sania's statement after her wild card was announced could not have been more emphatic. No player of India should have been used as a pawn in egotistical dramas. She is, after all, the undisputed queen of Indian tennis and the ONLY player male or female who can actually fill a 5000 capacity stadium in India. Her diplomacy and single minded intent of putting India first are traits that our men may have forgotten. The timing of this statement was impeccable and so was the content. The outrage that I felt for her, was duly brought in her statement when she wrote "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". I can only sympathize with her and hope she can put all this behind her when she starts her campaign in London. Knowing the woman she is, these things are bound to make her stronger mentally as she has a way of coming through against all odds.