Olympics....

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. The male players can also learn a thing or two from her. Her diplomacy and single minded intent of putting india first are traits that our men may have forgotton . 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". A few months ago, Sania did call me from Indian Wells with the most bizarre question "Are you sitting down?Do you want to play Olympics with me"? I was stunned for sure. But my first response to her was " Why not Rushmi? What about other girls"? ( At that time, her ranking was 8 or 9)All she said was that since she was top 10, she could pick her own partner. While playing for India, was the biggest honor, I was very reluctant to go through the whole deal again.I hadnt played any tournaments and to get into that TORNADO wasnt something that made me jump for joy!!!.Its like the Devil or the Deep Blue Sea when you have to travel with a young child. Leaving them is just as hard as taking them with you for tournaments. To put my family through that again isnt an easy choice. And after all this,being used like a "curry leaf" is something you need to get used to when you play for India. Sania spoke to AITA as well and since I had no ranking, I wished her the best in finding her the best partner possible. Rushmi surely deserves this wild card for all her hard work and perseverance through the years. She has set such a good example for the juniors! But then, where is the generation next???? AITA, are u listening?