Pak wants Sania to play for them

With less than two weeks to go for her wedding with Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik, Indian tennis star Sania Mirza, it appears, will have more on her mind than her trousseau for the nuptials.

The Indian star may have sparked off a war of words between the Indian and Pakistan tennis federations. Reports that the Pakistan Tennis Federation chief, Mr Dilawar Abbas, was quoted as saying that Sania should represent Pakistan set the cat amongst the pigeons.

“It is great news for our tennis community that Sania Mirza is getting married to Shoaib Malik. We welcome her and hope that she would becomes a Pakistani national and plays for us in future,” Abbas reportedly said.

Enough to prompt a swift reaction from the All India Tennis Federation, who put their foot down saying she was committed to playing for India in global events!

“Sania Mirza and her parents have informed AITA that she will continue to play for India after her marriage. She has confirmed she will be part of the Indian team in the 2010 Commonwealth Games at Delhi, Asian Games in Guangzhou, China, the 2011 Fed Cup and the 2012 Olympics at London,” the AITA secretary general, Mr Anil Khanna, said.

The PTF chief backtracked, saying that he had been misquoted. “How can she play for Pakistan when she is an Indian and wants to remain an Indian national?” Mr Abbas said.