I wasn't marrying a Pakistani... marrying a person: Sania
Sunday, 18 April 2010
HYDERABAD, April 17 (PTI): "I wasn't marrying a Pakistani. I was marrying a person I liked and he was marrying a person."
This was how Indian tennis ace Sania Marza responded in her first media interaction four days after she tied the knot with Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik(28) when asked about her cross-border marriage that hogged media limelight for days.
"It didn't matter if he(Shoaib) was from Timbuktu. He could have been from anywhere," Sania(23) said emphatically.
"I was marrying a person, not a Pakistani, people try to make it political but we were very clear that we were two individuals who were getting married just like normal people," she said.
"Everyone had an opinion, everyone wanted to have a say, but the most important thing is that now we are relieved as we are married," she said.
Sania said now that they are married, she wants to forget all the hullabaloo surrounding her wedding and lead a happy life.
Responding to a question, she made it clear she would continue supporting her homeland in future India-Pakistan encounter on the cricket field, but was quick to add that she would want her husband to hit a century.
While Sania did much of the talking, Shoaib, though reluctantly, responded to some questions.
Replying to a question, Shoaib clarified that Sania would play 'only' for India and she would have the good wishes of Pakistan.
When asked about the change in her life post-marriage, the tennis star said that she's clear about the fact that marriage is not going to change anything for her. "I never thought I would get married so soon."
Sania maintained that tennis continues to be her focus.
Asked whether she was hurt over the controversy generated after a local girl Ayesha Siddiqui charged that Shoaib had married her, Sania said " It was lot of emotions.
The hardest part for me was to go out in the media, a week before marriage and have to give clarifications for whatever good, bad or ugly, that is not what a bride wants to do a week before her marriage."
Ther newly weds also described how and where they met, and the toll their controversial wedding had taken on them.
A visibly happy and vibrant Sania said she spent three hours getting her mehendi applied.
Shoaib said they met "in 2004 for two minutes."
Sania said she had met Shoaib for the first time in 2004, but the meeting lasted for only two minutes at a restaurant in Hobartin Australia.
"We were staying at the same hotel. I was on my way to the gym and we met there," Sania said.
The very next day Shoaib along with former fast bowler Waqar Younis came to watch her match where she found the 'all-rounder' Malik 'very simple' and 'attractive.' They said they met again in Dubai. "It was actually love at third sight," Sania said.
This was how Indian tennis ace Sania Marza responded in her first media interaction four days after she tied the knot with Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik(28) when asked about her cross-border marriage that hogged media limelight for days.
"It didn't matter if he(Shoaib) was from Timbuktu. He could have been from anywhere," Sania(23) said emphatically.
"I was marrying a person, not a Pakistani, people try to make it political but we were very clear that we were two individuals who were getting married just like normal people," she said.
"Everyone had an opinion, everyone wanted to have a say, but the most important thing is that now we are relieved as we are married," she said.
Sania said now that they are married, she wants to forget all the hullabaloo surrounding her wedding and lead a happy life.
Responding to a question, she made it clear she would continue supporting her homeland in future India-Pakistan encounter on the cricket field, but was quick to add that she would want her husband to hit a century.
While Sania did much of the talking, Shoaib, though reluctantly, responded to some questions.
Replying to a question, Shoaib clarified that Sania would play 'only' for India and she would have the good wishes of Pakistan.
When asked about the change in her life post-marriage, the tennis star said that she's clear about the fact that marriage is not going to change anything for her. "I never thought I would get married so soon."
Sania maintained that tennis continues to be her focus.
Asked whether she was hurt over the controversy generated after a local girl Ayesha Siddiqui charged that Shoaib had married her, Sania said " It was lot of emotions.
The hardest part for me was to go out in the media, a week before marriage and have to give clarifications for whatever good, bad or ugly, that is not what a bride wants to do a week before her marriage."
Ther newly weds also described how and where they met, and the toll their controversial wedding had taken on them.
A visibly happy and vibrant Sania said she spent three hours getting her mehendi applied.
Shoaib said they met "in 2004 for two minutes."
Sania said she had met Shoaib for the first time in 2004, but the meeting lasted for only two minutes at a restaurant in Hobartin Australia.
"We were staying at the same hotel. I was on my way to the gym and we met there," Sania said.
The very next day Shoaib along with former fast bowler Waqar Younis came to watch her match where she found the 'all-rounder' Malik 'very simple' and 'attractive.' They said they met again in Dubai. "It was actually love at third sight," Sania said.