Let us break the barriers of identity which makes us a divided nation! We, the general Indian citizens are equally proud for Saina and Sania irrespective of identities,it is the evidence that the Hindutva agenda is bound to fail! India’s beti, Pakistan’s bahu: No.1 Sania Mirza happy to straddle both worlds Palash Biswas

Let us break the barriers of identity which makes us a divided nation!

We, the general Indian citizens are equally proud for Saina and Sania irrespective of identities,it is the evidence that the Hindutva agenda is bound to fail!

India's beti, Pakistan's bahu: No.1 Sania Mirza happy to straddle both worlds

Palash Biswas

Indian Express rightly comments,India's beti, Pakistan's bahu: No.1 Sania Mirza happy to straddle both worlds!

We, the general Indian citizens are equally proud for Saina and Sania irrespective of identities,it is the evidence that the Hindutva agenda is bound to fail.

Let us break the barriers of identity which makes us a divided nation!

Marriages can be tightropes at the best of times, but for Sania Mirza, her cross-border romance and subsequent wedding to Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik was turned into such a kerfuffle in 2010 and Bjrangi Brigade did everything to continue a hate campaign against her.Recovering from there the Indian Beti and Pakistani Bahu made both countries proud.

Ace Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal regained the number one position in international rankings after China's Li Xuerui dropped a couple of rungs to third in the latest list issued on Thursday. Saina, the first Indian woman shuttler to be world number One.The absence of Xuerui from the Singapore Open helped Saina reclaim the top spot. Xuerui, who was the No. 1 for most part of last four years, finished second at the 2014 edition of the Singapore Open.

Thus,Saina Nehwal is back where she belongs – at the top of the BWF women's singles rankings.

During our school and college days,we were engaged in Hockey and knew a little cricket.In Nainital,Traders cup hockey had been centre of attraction despite Basket Ball,Soft Ball,Foot Ball and Cricket tournaments on the flat.In our DSB college, we have excellent teams in these games.But Badminton and specifically tennis were never our game.Winning All England Championship Prakash Padukon became our first Badminton Icon.Later Liander Paes and Mahesh Bhupati made us proud.

Despite the IPL Blitz,despite the resurgence of hockey and based in Kolkata which is all about madness for Football,now I am more interested in Badminton and Tennis just because of Two Hyderabadi girls who happen to be Number one in ranking in their respective game at present.In a patriarchal society these two girls from hyderabad represent the nonexistant women`s empowerment afresh.At the same time, specifically Sania Mirza proves what a nonsense is all about the Hindu Imperialist agenda of cent percent Hindutva.

We have seen some Mary Kom from North East making us proud years after years.She continues.These two girls have not been that consistent.

We have been disappointed every time when Sania Mirza or Saina Nehawal failed to win this or that crown reaching near it.However,Saina is rather more consistent being in top five for years.

But Sania faced rather much more challenges out of Tennis Court which amounts to minority persecution provided you dare to say a spade a spade!

For years, Sania Mirza seemed to be lost into crowd.Specifically being married to a Pakistani citizen, she became the epicentre of controversy while our dearmost patriotic Bajrangi fanatics made an issue of her religious identity and raised question on her nationality.

Pakistan's ex-cricket captain Shoaib Malik said on Tuesday he was proud his Indian wife Sania Mirza had become the world's top-ranked doubles tennis player, adding it was an honour for both countries.

Mirza, 28, became the first Indian woman to achieve the feat after winning the Charleston title on Sunday while partnering with Swiss star Martina Hingis.

"I am extremely proud and overwhelmed with joy," Malik told AFP. "It's a matter of pride for Pakistan as she is my wife and, of course, she is from India and she represents her nation with 100 percent determination to be the best."

Pakistan's ex-cricket captain Malik said he was proud of his Indian wife Sania in becoming World No. 1 in doubles, adding it was an honour for both countries. (Getty Images)

Saina would do well,we should hope and should expect Sindhu would carry the baton.

But raising her game above all sort of hate campaign ,Sania becomes very very special to prove herself more patriotic and more genuine citizen of India.

It won't be easy to hold her recently-acquired number one position in the world rankings but ace Indian shuttler Saina Nehwal says she is confident of a long reign at the top and is prepared to put in the extra effort for it.

"It will be tough maintaining the number-one ranking, but people should respect that I have been the first one to reach number one slot," Saina told an interview.

"If everything falls well in line and if I train well, then I am sure I can maintain it for a long time but it is not going to be easy I have to work very very hard. I have to keep in mind everyday I am world number one and have to work as world number one. I will try my best to win as many titles for my country," she said.

Asked who she perceives as a threat to her world number one status, Saina said Li Xuerui is the top contender because the Chinese has good chances to beat her for she has less number of tournaments.

"All are threat to me. Right now, I cannot comment on one person. Li Xuerui is the top contender because she has less number of tournaments compared to others, so she has the chance to go on top again," she said.

Asked whether her former coach P Gopichand called her after becoming world number one, Saina said there has been not much of a conversation with him except during the tournaments.

"Whenever we go to the tournament, we speak there. Otherwise there is not so much of conversation as we do not have that much of time. We work on our training," she said.

"Being my coach for so many years, he tells so many good things and wishes me best but sometimes when you go to a different place, differences do happen. It is not so easy to be the same coach and trainee. He is doing his things now and I am doing mine. Everything is going fine and that is important," she said.

Asked what went wrong with Gopichand as her coach, Saina said their off-court planning was not fructifying on the court as she was losing to best players like China's Li Xuerui.

"I cannot exactly say what happened but the training which I got was not up to the mark. We discussed on my game but whatever we applied on the court did not work out for me. My game required something different, something else," she said.