Amidst all her sports silverware, Khel Ratna will hold a special place for tennis star Sania Mirza. The World No 1 women doubles player didn’t think twice before flying to India, cutting off her US Open preparations, to receive the honour from the President. She says she felt humbled sharing the space with the top athletes from other disciplines.
The 28-year-old who has been experiencing a dream run, which included World No 1 ranking and Wimbledon women’s doubles title, admitted it had been an incredible year for her but would not mind adding another Grand Slam trophy at Flushing Meadows.
“To receive the Khel Ratna is very humbling. It is great to be among the achievers from all spheres of sports. I am thankful to the ministry for nominating my name. I would not have missed it for the world. That is how excited I am to receive this award. The US Open organisers, too, were very kind to allow me to adjust my dates (of matches) accordingly,” she said.
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