Tennis ace Sania Mirza conferred Padma Shri

    Hyderabad: Although Sania Mirza could not cross the second round of the ongoing Australian Open in Melbourne, she has won everyone's heart and has been awarded Padma Shri. The ace tennis player has become a role model for the budding tennis players and her fans were enthralled by her new achievement. "She plays very well and deserves the award. I want to become Sania Mirza or even better if I can," said Carol Augustine, a young trainee with GVK PRO tennis academy in Hyderabad. But some of her fans had something different to say. Amrita Mukherjee, fan of Sania and former coach of Indian women cricket team said, "It is a very big award and she definitely deserves it. But at this point of time what comes into my mind is that entrusted with these awards young brains look forward to next what? Is it their ranks or only awards? Then there should be awards when they beat world number one. What award shall we give them then?" The Wimbledon Junior Girls Doubles title-2003 winner, had become the first Indian woman tennis player to break into top-50 players last year. Currently she is ranked 32 in the world.

   Nineteen-year-old Sania is among the six sportspersons who were conferred with the Padma Shri today. The others are Vijaypat Singhania (avaitor),Bahadur Singh (shotputter), Madhumita Bisht (badminton player), MC Mary Kom (boxer), Mohan Singh Guniyal (adventure sports). Besides, film director Adoor Gopalakrishnan, noted social worker Nirmala Deshpande, renowned author Mahasweta Devi, famous architect Charles Correa, veteran film actor A K Hangal, and singer Pankaj Udhas are among 106 distinguished persons from different fields who have been conferred with the Padma awards this year. No one has, however, been awarded the Bharat Ratna, the highest civilian award of the country, for the second consecutive year. Nine persons including Adoor Gopalakrishnan, Nirmala Deshpande, Mahasweta Devi, Justice V N Khare and Charles Correa have been conferred with Padma Vibhushan, 36 persons have been chosen for Padma Bhushan and 61 for Padma Shri awards.

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