Sania finds soul sister in Pak swimmer

COLOMBO, Aug 20: Quite content with turning out in body suits at international swimming meets, Pakistan's top female swimmer,

Rubab Raza, fired a salvo for Sania Mirza, who has had to face a barrage of criticism from Islamic clerics in India for her 'provocative dress sense.'

"Sania is not roaming around the streets in skirts for fun. She is representing her country as any other sportsperson and people should respect her for that instead of criticising her," Raza said on the sidelines of the South Asian Games' swimming competition where, on Saturday, she won bronze in the 50m freestyle.

"One should look at her game and not her clothes," the 17-year-old said. "She is justified in wearing skirts," said Rubab, who herself has had to face criticism for taking to a sport which requires exposing the body.

Unlike Sania, though, Raza and other female Pakistani swimmers found a way out a similar spot in Pakistan which doesn't allow them participating in provocative clothes unbecoming of a Muslim girl.

Raza competes in full-length skin tight swim suits as wearing a swimming costume is taboo in her country. It was in view at the 2004 Athens Olympics where she was the first Pakistani female swimmer.

At her diplomatic best, she even felt that body suits enabled them to swim faster. "I don't think it pegs us back at all. In fact I think it allows you to swim faster," she said. "It covers the whole body, fitting it like second skin.

Australia's champion swimmer Ian Thorpe, who popularised and wore it for the first time, is a standout example," she added.

"It was only after these full-length suits were introduced that we could start competing in international meets around six years ago. In fact, even back home we could not swim in the usual short swim suits."

Rubab made many heads turn when she competed in the Greek capital. "When I started, swimming was a male bastion. But becoming the first swimmer from Pakistan at Olympics was a huge step. Now Pakistani women swimmers have improved their performances further."