Star Tennis player Sania Mirza on Saturday thanked the Prime Minister Narendra Modi after she received an inspiring letter from him. The sportswoman took to Twitter to thank the PM for his kind and inspiring words and vowed to represent the country in whatever way possible. She announced her retirement from international tennis earlier this year and played the final match of her career at an exhibition held at Lal Bahadur Tennis Stadium in Hyderabad, where the Grand Slam winner had begun her tennis journey as a junior player.
Sharing the letter she received from the PM Modi she said, "I would like to thank you Honorable Prime Minister Narendra Modi Ji for such kind and inspiring words. I have always taken great pride in representing our country to the best of my ability and will continue to do whatever I can to make India proud. Thank you for your support."
PM Modi had thanked Mirza for her contribution to the sport, emphasizing on how her hard work inspired a generation of athletes. In the letter he wrote, "In your excellence, the world saw a glimpse of India's sporting prowess. When you began playing, India's tennis landscape was very different. What you did was to illustrate that more women can pursue tennis and excel in it. But, beyond that, your success also gave strength to several other women who wanted to pursue a career in sports but for some reason or the other were hesitant to do so. They became motivated by your success and were able to make a mark in sports. In one of your interviews you said, "Even if I've inspired one young girl. mother, child to dare to dream, then I think my job has been fulfilled for what I've been placed here for." Be rest assured, you have more than fulfilled this noble and selfless goal."
"You gave the people of India much to cheer about. Your early success in Wimbledon as a junior player showed that you were going to be a force to reckon with. Likewise, your triumphs in subsequent Grand Slam tournaments, be it the Women's Doubles or Mixed Doubles demonstrated your skill and passion for the game. That you won in so many Doubles events also shows your temperament towards teamwork, which is an essential learning of sports."
Speaking about the setbacks Mirza faced on the court, PM Modi said "Due to twists of fate, you had to cope with injuries, but these setbacks only strengthened your resolve and you overcame these challengeswith flying colours."
"May you spend the coming years pursuing your other hobbies. I am sure we will keep seeing more of you, particularly in mentoring young sporting talent. I also hope you are able to spend more quality time with Izhaan. Thank you once again for all that you have done for India and best wishes for your future endeavours," he further added.
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