Sania questions religious mania

HONG KONG: Indian star Sania Mirza has hit out at the obsession with her religion, saying more attention should be paid to her tennis than her Muslim faith.

The 19-year-old is regarded as a trailblazer for Indian and Muslim women but she said people should stop confusing her profession and beliefs.

“I think everyone mixes up religion and sport. I'm a sports person and religion is something very personal,” she said.

“Yes, I'm a practising Muslim but I don't understand why only I'm asked about my religion. Everyone's got a religion out there, I wonder why no one else is asked about it.

“I feel it's a very personal thing. It's my personal choice and I don't feel the need to justify it to anyone.”

Mirza grabbed the headlines in 2005 when she became the first Indian woman to win a WTA tour event and soared more than 100 rankings places to finish the year at 34.

But she attracted criticism from religious conservatives who said she was standing “half-naked on the tennis court while playing, which is against Islam”.