Sania Mirza, India’s finest tennis player, turned out to be an all rounder. Normally women and especially South Asian women, after marriage and after having kids tend to give up on their careers, or even if they do not give up entirely, they somehow pause their further career growth. Balancing work and family becomes difficult for them, or they are just made to believe it in that way, and they ultimately have to choose their home over office, which is an absolute norm.
In between the norms, there always exists an anomaly. Sania Mirza proved through her own example that work and family can be managed simultaneously. A couple of days back, her picture with her son accompanying her in the court, was circulating all over the internet.
She reached the second round of women’s double events in the competition at Wimbledon and her son was seeing cheering her from the strands. She posted a picture on her instagram handle with the caption ‘spiderman cheering us on’.
That picture was a manifestation of the idea that giving up on one’s career in order to take care of one’s family is not necessary. Life of an athlete is difficult than others, as travelling, maintaining fitness, being away from family for days and months are all essential parts of the job. So, the picture was more of a message that if I can do it, so can you.
More than that, Sania is going to be the first Indian female athlete to participate in four olympic games which are to be held in Tokyo. She told media that it is indeed going to be difficult for her to stay away from her son, as per the Covid induced restrictions family members are not allowed to come along.
But she also said ‘Leaving him at anytime is difficult. I try to do it as little as possible. But if it’s something I have to do, then that’s what I will do. As working mothers sometimes you have to do it’
Usually sticking firm to one’s career, and that as well to something as tough as being an athlete, is considered to be a manly trait, and taking care of one’s family, looking after one’s child is supposedly considered a womanly trait. Sania not only excelled in her career, but she also embraced motherhood with ultimate grace.
Getting married did not become a hindrance for her career goals. Accepting motherhood meant loosing her body shape, for some time at least, and it requires great courage for an athlete to let that happen. She got married, gave birth to a beautiful child, and is still India’s best tennis player.
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