Sania And Shoaib Not In Big Boss 4

The Indian (rising?) tennis star Sania Mirza on Monday said that she and her husband Shoaib would never appear in TV reality show Big Boss season 4 and said even if such an offers comes, they are not interested to participate.

There was a rumor that Sania and Shoaib Malik, Pakistani cricketer, would be one of the star couples who will feature in the new edition of Big Boss which is to be hosted by Bollywood star Salman Khan.

Sania, who is preparing for Commonwealth Games, said she and Shoaib have never been approached by the show producers.

This is a figment of the media’s imagination. The creators of this program have never approached me and more importantly, there is no question of me or Shoaib ever considering being on this program even if we were approached with the offer, Sania Said.

Sania Mirza with Shoaib Malik to be part of TV Show Bigg Boss Season 4

The newly wedded couple Sania Mirza and Pakistani cricket player Shoaib Malik are expected to participate in the TV show Bigg Boss season 4. But because of the ongoing controversies on match fixing in Pakistani cricket, it becomes difficult for Shoaib Malik to appear on Indian screen.

There are rumours that Rahul Mahajan who has earlier been the part of Bigg Boss2 would be back in this season 4 with his new wife Dimpi. Recently Dimpi Mahajan accused her husband for physical assault.

The bold Neetu Chandra who has been recently linked with Asif Mohammad is also expected to be one of the contestants at the show.

Salman Khan will be hosting the show replacing BIG B who has hosted the last three seasons of the show.

Sania-Mattek In Semis Of East West Bank Classic

Sania Mirza and Bethanie Mattek overcame a fighting Russian pair of Elena Vesnina and Vera Zvonareva to book a semifinal berth in the $600,000 WTA East West Bank Classic tournament.

The Indo-American pair, seeded second, pipped the Russian duo 6-3, 1-6, 10-8 in one hour and 14 minutes in the quarter-finals of the Tier II hard court event last night.

Sania-Mattek did not drop their serve even once in the first set and converted two of the four breakpoints to take the lead.

However, they surprisingly lost the momentum and allowed Vesnina-Zvonareva combination to overpower them in the next.

The Indo-American dropped their serve thrice in the second set and squandered the only breakpoint also.

However, they got their elements together in the tie-breaker to prevail over the Russians and move to the last four stage, where they will face winner of the match between Eva Hrdinova/Vladimira Uhlirova and Ayumi Morita/Ai Sugiyama.

Sania Down One Spot to No. 33

Out-of-action Sania Mirza was down one spot to 33rd in the singles chart but held on to her 19th position in the doubles’ list in the WTA rankings released on Monday. Mahesh Bhupathi remained static, while Leander Paes dropped a couple of rungs in the ATP doubles rankings.

Bhupathi stayed at 11th despite he and Mark Knowles (Bahamas) pulling out in the second round of last week’s Munich Open.

Sania Pulls Out Of Miami Masters

A right wrist injury has forced India's Sania Mirza to withdraw from the $2.1 million Sony Ericsson Open tennis tournament in Miami.

Sania, seeded 29th in the Masters event, had been battling the injury since her pre-quarterfinal appearance in the Pacific Life Open last week.

The 21-year-old was handed a bye in the first round along with other seeds and was to take on wildcard Sabine Lisicki of Germany in the second round.

But injury forced her to pull out of the event on Wednesday, giving Mariya Koryttseva of Ukraine a place in the main draw.

The 'Sania' Effect On Commodities Market

If there is one sports person in India who has acquired the status of a Bollywood star, it undoubtedly is Sania Mirza. Still below sixties in world ranking, she is yet to reach the pinnacle of her chosen profession.

Yet she is already a talking point worldwide. Even the Chinese media has included Sania Mirza among the world’s all-time ‘Top 10 Tennis Beauties’ along with Russian star Maria Sharapova and former player Gabriela Sabatini.

The Chinese media portrayed her wearing a traditional Indian dress as well as donning a skimpy tennis attire, a picture apparently shot during a Grand Slam Championship.

May be because of her good looks, her often `controversial attire’ or her career prospects, she is already a hot commodity on internet. Blogsites dedicated to Sania have appeared and get monumental page views. You have everything from sania wallpapers, posters and other hot downloads.

The Sania Effect on Commodities?

When we analyse this we can get parallel examples from the real world of commodities—all the expensive ones such as oil and gold.

Tennis is an expensive profession, hard for anyone to get into and equally difficult for anyone to get the top. So is cricket. But in cricket there are already so many players who have made it to the top and more hopefuls on the queue.

One may wonder why leading FMCG companies want to feature Sania even when they were never interested in Vijay Amritraj, Prakash Padukone, our own Payyoli Express- P T Usha, Shiny Wilson, or Karnam Malleswari. Or our tennis veterans of yesteryears, Ramanathan Krishnan, Ramesh Krishnan or for that matter anyone else.

The closest any athlete came to becoming a star was Ashwini Nanchappa but her film forays were not successful at all, despite her good looks and talent.

In the case of Sania, her good looks and occasional upset wins were sufficient to catapult her to a hot brand in India, but not necessarily in the global arena where you have Maria Sharpova, Anna Kournikova or Martina Hingis, still others. Therefore, she is just a hot commodity in the global market.

In addition to that her dress and attire and the controversies surrounding it also helped her to be in the limelight and nobody focused too much on her winnings and losings.

One analyst Mark Dampier wrote in The Independent, UK that right now it is wise to go for gold because nothing else is glittering in an analysis of commodity markets.

The same could apply for Sania. For companies that want her to endorse their products or the excited bloggers, there isn’t anyone as glittering as Sania around. Again, ad agencies go for endorsements because it is less risky than thinking up off-beat `creatives’ which may or may not ring cash registers for their clients.

Her stature would continue until more and more young girls take to tennis and become successful in international circuits. Again with a high barrier—the expenses involved in taking to tennis, she is not likely to be displaced from her throne soon.

It was Amritraj’s Brittannia Foundation that helped budding youngsters like Leander Paes and several others to enter this sport.

For Sania, nursing an injury after a major tournament, all these sponsorships and adulation could help her perform better. You need money to take part in tournaments, hiring coaches and keeping fit.

For the time being, the nation and all the sponsors have invested in a hope called Sania just as investors bet on stocks hoping their value appreciates over time.

Look at Coke, which uses Sania’s endorsement. It continues to be a global leader in beverages because of its closely guarded secret of which cinnamon and nutmeg are ingredients.

Manny economists talk of `scarcity value’ of a commodity as the one determinant of the price of a commodity. If indeed, OPEC can create scarcity value by not producing more oil, international prices of oil shoots up. You cannot dig everywhere and get oil.

Whether it is coal, gold, oil, coal or for that matter any hot commodity it is confluence of high entry costs into industry, `scarcity value’ and non-availability of some other alternative that drives up prices. Call this the `Sania’ effect of commodities market.

Source: http://www.commodityonline.com/

Sania Slips To 32

Sania Mirza slipped out of the top 30, losing three positions to be 32nd in the latest WTA rankings issued on Monday.

Sania, who plays at the Qatar Open this week, however, maintained her doubles ranking at 23.

India’s second best woman player, the U.S.-based Sunitha Rao, had her singles ranking intact at 182.

In the ATP list, the doubles duo of Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi have maintained their top-20 positions at 15 and 19 respectively.

Bangalore Open: Sania Drops Out

Given the game of competitive intolerance that's often encouraged by politicians - which these columns have been warning about - something like this was waiting to happen. Sania Mirza has declined to play in the $600,000 Bangalore Open, where she would have been a big draw along with the Americans Serena and Venus Williams. She says she has no problems representing India, it's just that there are too many controversies dogging her whenever she plays in the country.

She has been vilified because she shot an advertisement on the premises of Hyderabad's Mecca Masjid, because she allegedly supported pre-marital sex, because the camera angle at which a certain photograph of her watching a match was taken made it appear as if she was pointing her feet at the tricolour. By becoming Asia's top player and world number 29 in the WTA rankings, she has done India proud. If she is to excel in her game, she can't afford to be distracted by such matters as whether the length of her skirt meets the exacting specifications of religious clerics.

People who are in the limelight because of their achievements - running the gamut from the 21-year-old Sania Mirza to the 92-year-old M F Husain - are all too often becoming targets of overheated nationalist or religious sentiment. One of the country's greatest living painters, Husain has allegedly disgraced it by painting a nude goddess, when classical Indian art is full of nudity and eroticism. Cases have been filed against Husain in Rajkot, Indore, Bhopal, Haridwar and Pandharpur in Maharashtra. Faced with the ignominy of having to travel the length and breadth of the country fighting frivolous cases against him, Husain chose to stay abroad. It's small mercy that the Supreme Court has now amalgamated the cases against him and transferred them to a Delhi court.

The apex court has wisely given a quiet burial to the case against N R Narayana Murthy. What the professional takers of offence had against Narayana Murthy was that an instrumental version of the national anthem was played at Infosys premises in Mysore in April last year, instead of a vocal version. What applies to Sania holds true for Narayana Murthy as well - if the latter had focused his energies on being a master of protocol then he wouldn't have been software king. Frivolous cases like this ought to be quashed outright instead of making their way to the Supreme Court, which should warn courts down the line that it would not entertain such frivolity; and nor should they, if the country's already scarce legal resources and time were not to be wasted further.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Editorial/

Sania, Bopanna Bow Out In Doubles

India's Sania Mirza and Rohan Bopanna fell by the wayside at the Australian Open on Monday.

Sixth seeds Sania and Alicia Molik of Australia lost 5-7, 3-6 to Victoria Azarenka of Belarus and Israel's Shahar Peer, seeded 12th, in the third round of women's doubles.

Sania is still in the running in the mixed doubles event with Mahesh Bhupathi. The Indian duo face a tough task against second seeds USA's Lisa Raymond and Simon Aspelin of Sweden on Tuesday

Bopanna and Rajeev Ram's winning run at the Grand Slam ended when they were beaten in the third round of the men's doubles.

The Indo-US pair, which had scalped fifth seeds Leander Paes and Australian partner Paul Hanley 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(6) on Sunday, lost to Jeff Coetzee and Wesley Moodie of South Africa 6-3, 4-6, 3-6.

But the Indian challenge in the men's doubles stayed alive, as Mahesh Bhupathi and partner Mark Knowles of the Bahamas advanced to the quarter-finals, beating Mariusz Fyrstenberg and Marcin Matkowski of Poland. The sixth seeds won 6-3, 6-2.

They will take on the top seeded brother duo of Bob and Mike Bryan next.

Hard To Please A Billion People: Sania

Fighting one controversy after another ever since her rise to prominence has taken a toll on Sania Mirza's morale and even forced her to consider quitting the game but the Indian tennis ace says she has gradually learnt not to get rattled by off-court furores.

"Yeah, it is painful... You know you can never get used to things like that. Of course, it does hurt you, because you are playing for your country," Sania said reflecting on the controversies ranging from her on-court attire to a recent court case relating to allegedly disrespecting the Indian national flag during the Hopman Cup.

The 21-year-old said she has understood that she would never be able to please everyone in her more than a billion strong nation.

"1.2 billion, I mean, there are going to be a couple of people that don't like you. That's very hard, but it's very hard for everyone to like you as well," she said.

"But I don't take it personally, to be honest. They obviously have good enough reasons for whatever they're doing," she quipped.

Sania, who crashed out in the third round of the ongoing Australian Open after a straight set loss to former Wimbledon champion Venus Williams, said despite the controversies she remains focussed on her game.

"If I wasn't, then I wouldn't be playing these tournaments, I wouldn't be feeling the way I feel about my country, and I would not be living in India right now with all this," Sania said.

"I would have moved out a long time ago, but I'm proud to live in India and whatever I am I am because I have grown up in India," she added.

But the Hyderabadi ace admits that her young age makes it difficult for her to understand what the fuss is all about whenever fatwas are issued against her for wearing "revealing" on-court attire or any other petty issue.

Source: http://www.hindustantimes.com/

Sania Advances To Third Round

Sania Mirza survived a brief lapse of concentration before advancing to the third round of the Australian Open on Thursday with a 6-1, 4-6, 7-5 victory against Switzerland's Timea Bacsinszky.

Sania started off in smashing fashion as she took the first set 6-1 in just 22 minutes, but the Swiss world number 119 fought back in the second set.

The 31st-seeded Indian also didn't help her cause with a string of unforced errors in the second set, but things improved in the decider. Sania continued to toil in the third set and broke Bacsinszky's serve in the 12th game to win it 7-5 and advance to the third round.

The 21-year-old next faces eight seed American Venus Williams for a place in the last 16. Venus was also made to work hard in both sets before beating Frenchwoman Camille Pin 7-5 6-4.

Deoband Denies Issuing fatwa On Sania Issue

The Darul-Uloom Deoband on Friday said it has not issued any fatwa against the tennis player Sania Mirza, a day after Hyderabad Police lodged a case against her for shooting a commercial at the Mecca Masjid there.

"It is not the job of the seminary to watch the activities of player Sania (Mirza). The seminary has not issued any fatwa," Mufti Habiburrehman, the in-charge of the fatwa department of Darul-Uloom Deoband, located in Saharanpur district, said here.

He, however, said that photography in the mosque was "illegal" and against Shariat law, adding the tennis player had done the right thing by tendering an apology.

A case of trespass was registered against Sania and an advertising agency on Thursday for shooting the commercial at the mosque in Hyderabad.

Sania later apologised by sending a letter to the Imam of the Masjid in which she wrote, "I would like to apologise to all my brothers and sisters and respected elders who are anguished by my unwittingly entering a portion of the land belonging to Mecca Masjid."

But Sania is an Indian citizen so as per Indian constitution she doesn't need to pay any fine to a third party other than government organizations! It is really a joke as people says issuing fatwa and all. It is not 3rd century BC to issue fatwa or issue some groups' punishment to a citizen.

Sania Apologises For Ad Shoot In Mosque

Sania Mirza has apologized for hurting ''religious sentiments'' in an attempt to defuse the row over the shooting of a commercial featuring the tennis star at the historic Mecca Masjid for which she faced a trespass case.

''I would like to apologise to all my brothers and sisters and respected elders who are anguished by my unwittingly entering a portion of the land belonging to Mecca Masjid,'' Sania said in a letter to the Imam of the Masjid.

The apology ''with a deep sense of remorse'' came in the wake of the city police registering a case of trespass against Sania and the ad agency for filming the commercial allegedly without obtaining permission from the authorities.

As Muslim organisations and city-based party MIM questioned Sania for appearing in the shooting in the 17th century mosque premises, the tennis sensation said she was not aware that entering the outside gates of a mosque was also seriously objectionable.

''While I am fully aware that a woman must not enter the sanctity of the mosque, I was unaware that even entering the outside gates of a mosque was seriously objectionable, specially without permission, which I was assured by the agency they possessed,'' she said.

''However, I would like to unequivocally tender my apology to all my brothers and sisters for hurting their sentiments.''

Sania maintained that the commercial was aimed at promoting the heritage monument of Charminar which is a symbol of Hyderabad.

Sania courted trouble following a police complaint by District Minority Welfare Officer Kareemulla, who is the custodian of the mosque, that she and the agency's crew had made an unauthorised entry into the mosque on December 10.

Police described the cases as ''petty''.

Source: http://www.ndtv.com/

Sania's Ad Shoot At Mecca Masjid Has Sparked A Fresh Row

The shooting of a commercial advertisement featuring tennis star Sania Mirza at the historic Mecca Masjid here has sparked a row with the minorities welfare department seeking a report from the mosque officials.

The ad was shot on Tuesday without the permission of the department, which is responsible for the upkeep of the 17th century mosque. The shooting also evoked protest from the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM), a powerful Muslim political party in the Muslim-majority old city.

MIM and some locals objected to the shooting and Sania Mirza's participation in it.

The advertisers had informed the police about the shooting and Sania's arrival but did not bother to take permission from the minorities welfare department. The police reportedly used mild force twice to disperse locals objecting to the shooting.

The mosque employees said the attitude of some of the members of shooting unit was also objectionable. They were reportedly wearing shoes when they entered the mosque and pushed away a mosque watchman who tried to stop them.

Sheikh Karmeeullah, the district minority welfare officer, Hyderabad, has sought a report from the superintendent and manager of the mosque on the incident.

Khaja Nayeemuddin, superintendent of the mosque, said he had no information about the film shooting. The two-hour shooting was over before the mosque custodians could reach the spot.

The mosque officials pointed out that the shooting of films and commercials was not permitted in the mosque premises.

MIM has protested to the minorities welfare department. "This is an attack on the sanctity of the mosque and it has hurt the religious sentiments of Muslims," said MIM legislator from Charminar Ahmed Pasha Khadri.

He said while Sania was free to act in any commercial, the mosque could not be used for such activities.

The mosque, located in the heart of the city, is a major tourist centre. Tight security is in place at the mosque since the May 18 bomb blast that killed nine people. Muslims constitute 40 per cent of the city's seven million population.

Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Sanias_ad_shoot_sparks_row/articleshow/2614265.cms

Sania Needs To Stay Fit: Vijay Amritraj

Former tennis ace Vijay Amritraj believes Sania Mirza’s improvement in rankings will depend entirely on her fitness levels.

“She will need to keep herself fit throughout the next season and play as many matches as possible. Losing out on tournaments due to lack of fitness will mean a dip in her rankings,” Amritraj said here.

Pointing out that the Sania had been a victim of several injuries in the past, he said she will have to get back to the drawing board and chalk out a plan with her coach.

Amritraj said the current generation of tennis players is more dependent on the power game which demands more physical force on the court, thereby leaving them vulnerable to injuries.

Exclusive: Sania In Bollywood!

Sania Mirza is current youth icon of India. Sania Mirza created history in tennis by becoming the 1st ever Indian to break into the TOP50 WTA rankings. Sania's stellar play and winning personality has won her an Arjuna Award, India's top sports honor

Sania Mirza only 20 has a huge fan base in India and is turning heads all over the world. Sania Mirza is celebrated and adulated for her attitude towards life, her fashion sense and her immense talent.

Recently, rumours were rife that might join films when she appeared with Shah Rukh Khan to promote the Sunfeast Open a few months ago.

Shah Rukh had said then that he would love to see her bring more laurels to India but Sania is keeping the options open.

She revealed that she has no qualms to get into films if it would promote and inspire young people to take up tennis. She however said that marriage is not on the cards though many have asked her to settle down.

Surprise Party Brings In Sania's 21st B'day: Wish Her

Sania Mirza and her mother Nasima share more than a mother-daughter bond. They also share a birthday. On Thursday, November 15, as the Indian ace's 21st birthday broke, Nasima, along with husband Imran and younger daughter Anam, watched as wonder gave way to joy, when an unsuspecting Sania, was led into a surprise party, the family had organised for her and her close group of friends at a luxury hotel in Hyderabad.

"She had absolutely no clue, it was a total surprise," Nasima said. "I was doing the planning with Anam and Rucha (Sania's best friend). Each time I would step out of the room to take or make a call in the last few days, Sania would ask, why do you have to leave the room to make a call? It was worth all the effort. In the evening, Sania wanted to know if we had anything planned. I told her we had nothing planned. Later, some of her friends brought her to the party hall, making some excuse, and she was thrilled. You could see it on her face."

Unlike in the days of Nasima's youth, birthdays these days, especially a one as significant as the number 21, take on a whole different hue. "When I was growing up, it was just another birthday. I was married by the time I was 23," Nasima said. "It is important, however, to be aware of the significance of the occasion to today's youngsters. With my daughters, one 14 and the other 21, I have always believed in a dialogue. I listen to what they have to say and in turn they listen to what I have to say to them. Parenting is about understanding, it is give and take."

"Sania has been an obedient daughter," Nasima added. "She has been that all her 21 years. On this special day, I wish her another four or five great years in tennis, and then I wish she settles down. Whether she chooses to carry on playing after that is her choice, but I would like to see her settle down. Most of all I wish God grants her the strength to face whatever life has in store for her, on and off the court."

"She has been an exceptional child," Nasima said. "I am proud of her every moment of the day. There are also those extra special moments, like during the American hardcourt circuit this summer, all the nice things commentators and other players were saying about her. It's a nice to know that you have done well by your children."

All in all it was an emotional day for the birthday mom. "My younger daughter (Anam, 14) surprised me with a cake. Sania bought me a watch and for the first time in 22 years of my married life my husband went to a boutique picked the material and had a suit made for me. It's beautiful, it fits perfectly and I am wearing it today," Nasima enthused. "But really the best birthday gift my husband could give me is my daughter. Nothing can top that. My wish for her is that she can one day be the world's number 1 player. I believe she can."

Source: http://sports.indiatimes.com/Surprise_birthday_party_for_Sania/articleshow/2544303.cms

Sania Hopes To Make Top 20 In 2008

Out of action due to a stomach injury, Sania Mirza hopes to improve her performance in the 2008 season and make the top 20 of the WTA rankings.

"I am playing my best and will strive to achieve a ranking of 20 before the end of the 2008 season," Sania said at promotional event here on Wednesday.

The 32-ranked player tried to avoid questions on the issue of match-fixing in the men’s circuit saying, "it does not happen in the women’s circuit to my knowledge. I have not experienced any such instances. If it is happening on the ATP circuit, it is not good for the game. I am not that experienced to make any comment on such things."

On Justine Henin’s domination on the WTA circuit, Sania said, "Henin is a lady Federer. She is what Federer (Roger) is on the men’s circuit. She is a terror for all players and she wins whatever tournament that she competes in."

Sania Climbs Up In Doubles Ranking

Sania Mirza moved up one place in the doubles ranking to the 18th position, while she clung on to the 32nd place for the fourth consecutive week in the singles chart of the latest WTA rankings.

The 20-year-old Hyderabadi, who has been out of the circuit because of a stomach injury, will be back in action in the Hopman Cup along with upcoming Rohan Bopanna.

Meanwhile, in the ATP rankings there were no significant movements as all the Indians managed to hold to their previous week positions.

In the previous week, Bopanna slipped one place to take the 261st spot, while Prakash Amritraj clung on to his 271th place.

Another Indian, Sunil Kumar Sipaeya, after his good performance in the 10,000 dollars ITF grass court event in Lahore, last week jumped a whooping 34 places to take the 561st spot.

In the doubles ATP rankings too, the movement was static with veteran Leander Paes holding on to his last week's four place jump to the 13th position and Mahesh Bhupathi also managing to retain his 21st spot.

Sania Mirza's Other Calling

Tennis star Sania Mirza on her time off is doing more than just relaxing. Sania is to appear in an ad campaign of her home town Hyderabad's municipal corporation, designed to motivate voters to seek voter Id cards. Sania joins cricketer V V S Laxman and a host of celebrities, who will feature in the campaign over the next one month.

Sania Mirza is on a different turf these days, practicing her lines before her take. Sania's appeal is towards the voters in Hyderabad, requesting them to get their photo-identity voter's Id cards. This ad campaign for the city's municipal corporation, will be on air over the next one month on various local television channels.

As Sania Mirza quotes, "When you do something for others, it comes out naturally." Responding to the question of whether she possesses a voter Id card, Mirza states that, "No, I did not get the time but now I will apply."

Lending his voice for this cause, was another Hyderabadi sportsperson, V V S Laxman emerging fresh from the County Cricket victory and ready for the Ranji series.

As per the available statistics, just 25% of Hyderabad's electorate took pains to get photo Id cards last time during the elections. During the current drive to issue photo cards, these 60 second spots include appeals made by a host of celebrities from across the world sports and the entertainment world living in the city, that is surely going to fetch in genuine voters and eliminate the illegal nationals getting voter cards by proxy.

Election authorities in Hyderabad are really hoping that, this ad campaign would make all the difference in the state.

Source: http://www.timesnow.tv/NewsDtls.aspx?NewsID=4078