Sania or Sachin?


Following Sania Mirza’s recent success on the court and her style statement off it, who do you think is the latest youth icon? Is it cricket’s Sachin Tendulkar or has Sania taken over? Well most of our readers believe that it’s Sania. They are of the opinion that Sania is the rising star, while Sachin is past his prime. There are exceptions too, readers who feel Sachin’s for all times. The readers have also rated both the stars on a 1-10 scale.


Let them be what they are
No doubt Sania has received accolades within a short period for her performance in international tennis arena. There was a time when Sachin too shot into fame likewise. There are ups and downs in anybody’s career. As age advances, reflexes and concentration also are bound to take a beating. By pampering our idols, in true Indian fashion, with much media hype and bounties of cash, cars, properties and what not, we are only making them feel they “indispensable”, only to trigger their inevitable downfall. We are not going to get anywhere with comparisons. It is wise to allow them to be what they are.
B S N Sarma

The future’s hers
In a cricket obsessed country like India, it is to the credit of Sania that she has been able to generate so much interest in tennis that youngsters, especially girls, are taking to the game in a big way.
All women are very protective of her and justify every move of hers. She is someone they secretly wish they themselves were. Sachin has been an icon for decades and he has certainly passed on the baton and rightly so to Sania. She is the one who is being closely watched, written about, admired and emulated by the young.
Kaveri Chinnappa

Move over Sachin
Sania is here. The Sania craze has swept over not just India but the whole of Asia where everyone is in awe of her prodigious talent. At last, we have a youth icon who is universally acclaimed. Her USP is her forceful killer instinct. She was never overwhelmed when see took on world class players like Serena Williams and Maria Sharapova. Sania, now a pin-up girl for her beauty, athletic figure and charm, is a role model for millions of teenage girls all over Asia. As if that were not enough, even teenage boys are changing their priority from cricket to tennis because of her! That she has been able to weather peripheral controversies like her clothes and endorsements with grace, shows that she is a mature individual.
Heera Nawaz 

Let him be back
It is natural, as time passes, for one sports icon to be displaced by another. Sania is basking in the glory of a few triumphs, of late. As print and visual media glorify her, more and more products are hoping to thrive on her image through advertisements. Sachin was a greater phenomenon when he burst on the scene nearly 15 years ago. More importantly, he played for team India and was instrumental in the Indian team winning a lot of matches.
Tennis is an individual game and unless Sania wins a few matches for India, not as a professional player, she cannot be equated with Sachin. Also, many of us seem to have forgotten the fact that the little master is not playing for the last few months. Let him come back and then we will see who is the “real icon”. I would give Sachin 8 and Sania 6.
Ganapathi Bhat

Whirlwind Sania
We cannot compare Sachin and Sania as they play on two different wickets. Lately, Sachin has lost a little bit of sheen because of his injury and also inconsistency on the field. Sania’s ascendancy within an year of her entry into the tennis world to the 34th position in WTA ratings, in itself is a greatest achievement for any Indian. She is gaining popularity with every match. She is beautiful and above all, the exuberance of youth is on her side. It may not be long before her earnings and bank balance may surpass Sachin’s. She certainly is the icon in India now.
Mandikal Ananda Rao

Nowhere near
Just three sticks of a broken branch, a tennis ball — never mind if it’s a bit deflated, and a wooden plank with one end sized down to facilitate gripping it. All these and a small stretch of the road, however busy it is, are enough for a group as small as three to feel the thrills of the game called cricket! How unlike tennis!
Sania, however swift her ascent on the WTA rank ladder is, cannot be rated anywhere close, leave alone overtaking, to Sachin who is in the top gear in a game that is so popular. 
V Jayakumar

Only time will tell
The two cannot be compared because they play different games and belong to different genders. Sachin has a colossal performance backing him! He was the first Indian sportsman to make it to the cover page of TIME magazine! 
He easily gets 9! Sania has reached levels that were unprecedented in tennis by an Indian girl! She has won the hearts of many by her pretty looks with a typically Indian nose ring! Her elan and aggressive play against any opponent with confidence is her forte! However, she has slipped down from her higher ranking recently. How far up she will climb remains to be seen. Will too much publicity and commercial ventures sour her success? Only time can tell. She deserves a score of 7. It may be Sania mania now, but it is Super Sachin with his records so far!
S R Devaprakash

Twin sensations
Sachin and Sania are indeed today’s twin sensations doing India proud in the sphere of sports with their insatiable drive to excel. The one difference is Sachin is a veteran and Sania a budding star. 
I would rate Sachin 9. Even after so many years on the cricket field, he still remains the heartthrob of Indian youth. To become Sachin Tendulkar is the dream of every youth in India.
Anupama J

Watch out, Sania
There is no doubt that Sania Mirza taken over Sachin as the new youth icon. She is definitely the most sought after sports person today. Also she has worked hard to be ranked 34th in the world tennis, in spite of stiff competition. Also she is the first Indian women to be ranked so high in tennis. But the only worry now is that all the corporates will try to woo her to be their brand ambassador, thus making her concentrate on ads instead of her favourite sports tennis.
Suthan K P

He’s still an icon
Sachin still remains an icon. Who can forget the sixes he hit off Shane Warne? Sania and Sachin both, in my opinion, deserve the rating of seven.
Manu Nair

An inspiration
Sania is now emerging as the new inspirational icon among the youth. Of recently, Sachin has not been able to deliver according to people’s expectations. But Sania’s skills are improving with every match. Sachin can’t be blamed as expectations of him are too high. His performances have only made people ask for more.
Raghavendra R

The performer 
By throwing ‘flying kisses’ after every triumph and by displaying ‘challenging spirit’ after every defeat, Sania has aggressively catapulted from a WTA rank of 200-plus to 34 last month. She has earned fans by lakhs and money by crores — all quite fast. Sachin too had a meteoric rise on the cricket firmament when he was still in his teens. But he has had a team with him and behind him, for sharing brickbats and bouquets alike, on or off the field. Given the fact that tennis needs more stamina, Sania may find hard to hold her court that long. At this moment, Sania scores over Sachin by a whisker. She gets 8 and he 7.5.
S S Ramanatha Rao

Ups and downs
In a sportsman’s career there are bound to be ups and downs. Diehard fans who worship their icons, would drop them like hot potatoes if they under perform. At present, Sania is playing great tennis and her elevation in the rankings stands testimony to her immense talent. I feel she has definitely stolen the hearts of millions of fans all over the world. In the meantime, our superstar Sachin has lost some precious time due to the elbow injury, which has been nagging him for quite sometime now. 
K Amul Chander

Full credit to her
I think it is the Sania who is on everybody's mind. If Sachin has to be rated, I will give him of 4.5 whereas Sania will fetch 8.5. Full credit for Sania who has made her mark despite the poor infrastructure available.
Sanjay Sharma

Go Sania!
It sure got to be Sania. She would win ‘10 love’ against Sachin. I am not sure why we are still lingering on to Sachin who has been fading in the recent past. Sania’s biggest strength is her “can do” attitude. Moreover, she has proved it in a country where all other sports except cricket takes a backseat. No doubt, she’s the latest youth icon but also an icon for the entire nation. Go Sania!
Rama & Raj Agalkot

Sania Mania
Undoubtedly, in our country, ‘Sania Mania’ is at its peak right now. With her dazzling performances on court and drop-dead looks, she is the current youth icon! However, one should not get carried away by her performances of one season. In fact, Sachin is a living example of the fact that in the long run, it is only hard work and sincerity that will succeed and that is the lesson for the youth. Hence, Sachin gets 10 and Sania 9.
Parikshith Acharya K P

Incomparable
Sachin is a living legend. Nobody is comparable to him. There’s no doubt that Sania has also taken Indian tennis to unprecedented heights. She is young, energetic and ambitious and still has a very long way to go. Sachin has already reached the zenith of his career. Sania may have actually replaced Sachin as a youth icon, but Sachin is the invincible master-blaster. 
Rajashree M Urankar.

Bravo Sania
Obviously it is Sania. The reason is clear. We have not heard of any game other than cricket. We have never encouraged any other sportsmen other than cricketers for whom the game is just business. Sachin is not an exception. At last, star “Sania” has started glittering like the sun amid cricketing stars. Let us vote for Sania and encourage the rising stars in other sports too. 
Kashira Mohan 

Bold & talented
Sania gets 10 marks on for her talent on the court and the daring with which she took on the threats from the clergy. Sachin gets only 5.
P Peer Khan

Unfair
Sania is definitely the latest youth icon. It is unfair to compare Sachin with Sania. Sachin was an icon and he has overworked himself from the very young age of sixteen. His recent fitness problems have taken their toll. Compared to Sachin, Sania is the rising star. She has made her way up in such a short time. I rate her at 7 to Sachin’s 4.
H K Seshadri

He’s on downhill
Frankly speaking, Sachin has grown old. So he is no more the youth icon that he was years back. Sania is the youth icon now with her looks, enthusiasm and endeavour, not to speak of her sheer talent. I rate Sania at 8 and Sachin 3.
Manoj Choudhury

Create more 
Sachin and Sania are gems in their own spheres. Their times don’t overlap. One is miles down the lane, while the other is just off the blocks. The only common thing between them is that they began shining when they were quite young. Please, enjoy their achievements and be proud of them instead of conducting this kind of a poll. Let us rather create more Sanias and Sachins.
S Varadarajan

She has looks too
The youth icon now is Sania. She has been consistently performing and aggressive. She believes that everyone is beatable. She has achieved a lot of fame in a very short time and this can be attributed to her looks as well as talents.
Sharath T S

India’s pride
Sania’s recent success on the court has made India proud. She is definitely the latest youth icon which nobody can deny. She would be in the limelight for a long time to come. Let us applaud her feats as she blazes through the courts across the world and brings credit to the nation. On a 1-10 scale I would give her 9.
S Nagarajan