By email [ Saturday, February 25, 2006  ]

Sir,

Come Bangalore open and the whole nation was happy at Sania Mirza having been seeded one. Everyone expected a performance from her which if not superlative would have done pride to the nation. It would have been nothing short of winning the title after the Indian Government, God knows, on whose recommendation decided to award her 'Padmashri'. It is I feel the degradation of the award to its lowest levels, as proved by one of the most comic defeats of a top-seed ever. Vijay Amritraj rightly commented not to have much hype around Sania, though I hope Sania herself learns enough from this experience, and is not weighed down by the pressure of being a Padmashri.


- Wg. Cdr. V.B. Purang