For around 1,000 students of DPS-Modern Indian School, Monday morning would forever be etched as a fond memory of a day that spurred something inside them. Tennis superstar Sania Mirza paid a whistle-stop visit to the school, feeding young bright minds with a powerful surge of inspiration.


 
The tennis suparstar being received at DPS-MIS.

At the sprawling DPS-MIS auditorium, Mirza, who is currently ranked No. 1 in the women’s tennis doubles rankings, sent the whole of DPS-MIS fraternity agog with excitement. Clad in cheery sports gear, the Indian tennis star was welcomed by the school’s top officials, the junior school prefectorial body, and the school’s tennis players, as young as those from Grades 3 and 4 as well.
To mark such a momentous occasion of Mirza’s visit, the event was graced by the members of Qatar Tennis Federation, DPS-MIS President Hassan Chougule and members of the executive committee. Asna Nafees, the school’s principal, in her welcome address, expressed her gratitude towards Mirza for her “valuable presence” and pointed out that she is an inspiration for everybody. Speaking about her achievements, Nafees said that they are a testimony of Mirza’s “grit, determination, and will power.”



GRAND WELCOME: School students, including junior school prefectorial body and tennis players, welcomed Mirza on her visit to the school.

A memento was presented to Mirza by the DPS-MIS management and President Hassan Chougule. Just to clue the students in on her achievements, a short video compiled on the Padma Bhushan awardee was screened. Last month, Sania Mirza and Martina Hingis, dubbed “Santina,” won the Australian Open doubles title and their 36th straight match.
After expressing her gratitude towards the school’s management for hosting the reception, Mirza seemed to have no trouble catching the pulse of the students. As she ran a tight schedule, the wide-eyed students from Grade 5 and Grade 8 hung on to every word she spoke. She, too, seemed elated about meeting young students as she recalled her childhood memories when she, after being encouraged by her headmistress, switched from being just a bookworm to taking up tennis so as to pursue a more holistic career path.
Mirza urged parents and schools to let their kids follow their dreams and provide support to make those dreams a reality. She encouraged students to not get bogged down by dissuasion and continue to follow their goals, as long as it takes.
As students asked questions, Mirza answered them with poise, inspiring them to aspire for their goals with persistence, commitment and dedication. On being asked what was the biggest challenge she had faced and how she overcame it, Mirza said that when she started out 23 years ago, in Hyderabad, there were no facilities to practice. Yet, she persevered and made it happen.
Dreaming to be a tennis player in a small city with limited opportunities was the toughest task for her, Mirza said, but it was her love for the game and her parents’ and teachers’ motivation which led her on the path of success.
“It was my school that believed in me,” she said, “I thank my school’s principal, headmistress, teachers, as they made me believe in my abilities and talent. Back then though, sport was never looked at as a career. Things have changed immensely today. It’s a great opportunity now to take it up as a career and represent your nation.”
Referring to how choosing tennis as a career didn’t cut favour back then, Mirza said she would be asked how she would fetch good grooms if she continued playing. A vital piece of advice she offered to the young students was to ensure that they completed at least basic formal education as that would greatly help deal with the eventual success that their sporting career would bring.
Nafees told Community, “Sania is a young achiever and an icon that India would like to put forward to the new generation as a role model. The young generation is more likely to be inspired by young achievers, and Sania’s, as a young Indian woman, is a success story against all odds. Following her visit to our school, even if one child takes up sports as a career, it will please us immensely.”
In fact, that’s also what Mirza had to say when a student asked her what would be the “ultimate achievement” for her. More women must come out and play sports and more children must choose sports as a career, and if she could inspire them to do so, she would have succeeded, Mirza said.
Going by the enthusiastic response of the students, she sure seemed to have succeeded at DPS-MIS.