Indian hottest ever female tennis star Sania Mirza is to marry Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik. Mirza’s father said Malik, the former cricket captain of Pakistan, and his daughter would move to Dubai after the marriage, expected next month. Reports say the wedding celebrations will be held in both countries. Receptions are expected in the Indian city of Hyderabad, where Mirza lives, and the Pakistani city of Lahore. Mirza was officially betrothed to a family friend, Sohrab Mirza, last July in a lavish ceremony but suddnely broke off the engagement six months later.
Some commentators suggest that the wedding could bring two perpetually hostile nations closer, the equivalent of the political marriages once forged between the ruling houses of Europe. If that is the case, it is an idea that could catch on, the ultimate in sporting diplomacy. But at the same time, twenty members of the Hindu Youths Federation were arrested for allegedly tearing and burning pictures of the tennis star to protest against her proposed marriage (they want her to marry an Indian Muslim).
Despite her successes on the WTA circuit, Sania, 24, still travels with her mother and giggles like a schoolgirl when discussing her private life. Sania is the first Indian woman to advance to the fourth round of a Grand Slam tournament, the first to win a WTA singles title and the first to win a junior Grand Slam title. To date, she’s beaten two top 10 players, and has successfully cracked the WTA’s Top 30 rankings. She is currently ranked Number 92.
