Sania Mirza: Irritating to see motherhood not being celebrated, but looked as a burden

At a press conference recently, Indian tennis star Sania Mirza shut down a question about how she handles her career with motherhood and married life. While she didn’t entertain the query, Mirza urges it’s high time people stop asking sexist questions to female athletes, and look at them as an individual instead of a gender.

“I found that question very strange and I don’t know how that was even relevant,” she retorts, adding, “Moreover, why are such things asked only to women that why and how we are able to multi-task in so many different areas… if you look at it, a man is also doing exactly the same.”

The 36-year-old admits that such questions bother her quite a bit. “Motherhood has been the most beautiful journey I’ve ever been on, and I don’t feel that it is a burden at all. Being a mother is part of who I am, part of my identity… but it’s not my only identity. It’s a very important part in my life, but not the only thing I am. I’m also a professional, I was a tennis player, and I do other work as well. I do find it a bit irritating sometimes when motherhood is not celebrated as much as it is asked why it is a burden,” says Mirza, whose son Izhaan Mirza Malik will turn five in October.

Mirza feels that a lot has changed in the last few decades and people need to also change their mindset, and these sexist talks are wiped off people’s minds.

“Earlier, when a girl child was born, I don’t think becoming a female athlete was the most natural choice that would happen. It still is not, for many people, but it is still better than what it used to be. And that’s because female athletes carved their way by bringing laurels for the country,” the tennis stalwart continues, “We have some amazing champion women athletes who have brought in new perspectives to people. It is high time that not just in sport but everywhere else, that people look at them for their individuality, capabilities, for what their work rather than what gender they come from.

Mirza announced retirement earlier this year and soon after, made her debut as a commentator. As she continues to explore new avenues, she reveals she’ll take the responsibility for standing up for the right very seriously as there are a lot of young women looking up to her.

“I want to tell young girls — who aspire to enter the wold of sports, or do which that’s out of the box — back yourself. There are enough people telling us that we’ll not be able to do something. Don’t listen to them, back yourself, be your biggest cheerleader and believe in your own dreams,” she concludes.