Sports India

Tennis sensation Sania Mirza has finally managed to zero-in on three brand endorsement deals, the company managing the tennis star said on Friday.

Post Australian open tournament, advertisers had gone berserk and at one point Globo media solutions, which is managing Sania was negotiating with 18 such offers worth over Rs seven crore.

Confirming the development to PTI, Anirban Das Blah, vice president (sales & marketing), globo sport said, “we have closed three deals for Sania and the first announcement will be made in Delhi in the first week of March.”

The company has not shared the details of these endorsement deals but Sania is likely to endorse Sports apparel as one of the brands. “She won’t be signing any more deals in this year,” blah said.

The current endorsements for Mirza include GVK Industries, Sahara, Atlas Cycles, Tata Tea and Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh, some of which will end in middle of this year.

“We will certainly continue with her earlier commitments as they supported Sania right through before she made it big,” said blah.

“With addition of the three deals, Sania’s valuation has come next only to Tendulkar, Ganguly and Dravid,” blah added.

Seeking Mirza’s services for endorsements were companies from categories like cola, mobile handsets and services to apparel, footwear and personal care.

After enthralling the nation with an inspiring on court performance, India’s teenage tennis sensation Sania Mirza today pitched her lot with national cricket skipper Sourav Ganguly and soccer star Bhaichung Bhutia to raise Rs 55 lakh for the tsunami victims.

Participating in a fund-raiser for the hapless thousands who fell prey to the December 26 disaster, the 18-year old auctioned her tennis gear at a packed Kanchenjungha stadium here saying that she felt proud to be part of such a noble exercise.

Two of Sania’s tee-shirts, a racket, as also her dress at the recent Australian Open - where she became the first-ever Indian woman to reach the third round - went under the hammer, with the player herself encouraging higher bids from the 15,000 odd spectators.

The Australian Open dress fetched the highest amount - a whopping Rs two lakh, while Ganguly auctioned his cap, gloves and Indian team’s blue jersey.

His deputy Rahul Dravid, who could not attend the function, sent his cap and jersey, while Bhutia donated a dress for the auction.

While Rs 12 lakh was raised from the auction, Rs 43 lakh more came from donations by industrialists, traders and eminent persons.

Earlier, Sania got recognition for her recent brilliant on-court run from a fellow sports star, with Ganguly crowning her at a civic reception here.

Sania, who has already conquered many a heart across India with her performance as also her beauty, looked resplendent in the golden crown as Ganguly described her as a role model for future Indian sportspersons.

“The last few weeks we have seen how she has crossed one hurdle after another. She is having a great run. The entire country is proud of her performance. I am sure that she will emerge as the role model for future Indian sportspersons,” Ganguly said.

Expressing happiness over sania breaking into the top 100 in women’s tennis, Bhutia wished the 18-year old success in future tournaments.

India’s new tennis sensation Sania Mirza today got recognition for her recent brilliant on-court run from a fellow sports star, with national cricket captain Sourav Ganguly crowning her at a civic reception here.

Sania, who has already conquered many a heart across India with her performance as also her beauty, looked resplendent in the golden crown as Ganguly described her as a role model for future Indian sportspersons.

‘’The last few weeks we have seen how she has crossed one hurdle after another. She is having a great run. The entire country is proud of her performance. I am sure that she will emerge as the role model for future Indian sportspersons,'’ Ganguly said at the function organised by the Siliguri Municipal Corporaion.

Expressing happiness over Sania breaking into the top 100 in women’s tennis, India’s soccer icon Bhaichung Bhutia wished the 18-year old success in future tournaments.

‘’I am sure that she will really make it big in future,'’ the lethal striker said, as a crowd of 15,000 at the Kanchenjungha stadium broke into spontaneous cheers.

Sania said: “Sachin (Tendulkar) is my favourite.” It should come as no surprise if Sania is Sonia’s favourite.

The Congress president had a one-to-one chat with Indian tennis’ first woman star who set foot outside home town Hyderabad for the first time since her victory in the WTA event there last week and immediately did a power tour of Delhi.

Sania arrived with her family — father Imran Mirza, mother Naseema and sister Anam — last night and met President A.P.J Abdul Kalam, sports minister Sunil Dutt and in the evening Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Turned out in a pink shawl and jeans for her day appointments, Sania changed into evening finery — an embroidered black kameez — for her calls on Sonia and Singh.

In between, her managers also announced conclusion of three endorsement deals. Anirban Das Blah, of Globosport, said: “We have closed three deals for Sania and the first announcement will be made in Delhi in the first week of March.”

After her success at the Australian Open, Sania was besieged by endorsement offers, but Globosport said she would not be signing any more than the three that had been firmed up.

“With the addition of the three deals, Sania’s valuation has come next only to Tendulkar, (Sourav) Ganguly and (Rahul) Dravid,” Blah added.

So is cricket under threat from Sania and the first Indian Formula One driver Narain Karthikeyan? Sania doesn’t think so.

“Cricket is like religion in India. It is not going to change. In fact, I am myself a great cricket fan and don’t leave an opportunity to watch a cricket match. Sachin is my favourite,” she said.

Sania’s meeting with Sonia was scheduled to last 20 minutes but they spent nearly 45 minutes talking, some of it in the presence of Dutt and the Mirza family and the major part alone, sources at 10 Janpath said.

Sonia had watched live Sania’s final match at the Hyderabad Open last Saturday night. “Sonia was the first leader to congratulate her and despatch a letter of congratulation,” they said.

“Keep it up. You have a bright future ahead,” Sonia is believed to have told her.

The President spent half-an-hour with Sania.

Tomorrow, she heads to Bengal and to the northern town of Siliguri for what could possibly be her first appearance in public charity, with two other sports stars — Sourav and soccer skipper Bhaichung Bhutia. She will be taking part in an auction to raise money for tsunami victims.

“Initially, we wanted to have Mahesh Bhupathi, Sourav and Bhaichung, but then Sourav had the idea of inviting Sania,” said Asok Bhattacharya, Bengal’s urban development minister.

It was the Indian cricket captain who brought Sania in, with help from Bhupathi.

But why Siliguri and not Calcutta? “Sourav says this is his second home, and except Sachin, all the top stars have been here,” Bhattacharya said.

The tennis player’s choice was just right for the cause, going by the mood in Siliguri. “Sania, dada, Sania” is the popular verdict when asked who they were going to cheer at tomorrow’s fund-raiser.

“Sourav to kotobar eshechhe (Sourav has been here many times),” explains a security officer at the stadium. Coming from Sikkim, Bhaichung is even more the hero next door.

Throughout the day, loudspeakers blaring in various parts of the town urged people to donate to the chief minister’s tsunami fund. The organisers are all too happy with the response. “We are targeting Rs 40 lakh and already have a commitment of Rs 20 lakh,” says Bikash Ghosh, the mayor.

The counting for a cause has already begun. “The cap Sourav wore at the tsunami benefit match in Australia has found a commitment of Rs 2 lakh from a buyer,” Bhattacharya said.

Plans are lined up for both on and off-field action. The two captains will lead Sania to a golden crown on stage during the auction. All three stars will offer personal memorabilia, jerseys, caps and tennis outfits for auction and sign a bat together.

Dravid has pitched in with a kit containing his personal gear that reached the stadium in the evening. Steve Waugh’s gift to the chief minister, an autographed bat, has already made its way to the Siliguri cricket museum.

Sania and family could head to Calcutta from Siliguri. “I’ve talked to her mother and it looks likely Sania would be able to meet the chief minister on Sunday,” Bhattacharya said.

Breaking into the top 50 by the end of the year and qualifying for the next Grand Slam may be her goals, but right now upcoming tennis star Sania Mirza is concentrating only on resting her injured ankle to avoid any “long-term” injury. “I have set a goal of breaking into the top 50 by the end of the year and I think it is achievable. But right now my priority is to give ample rest to my ankle as I don’t want a long term injury,” Sania told reporters."My ankle is feeling better now. But I have not been practising after the Hyderabad Open. I hope I recover before the Dubai Open (starting on February 28).”

The 18-year-old, who met Union Sports Minister Sunil Dutt at his office last morning, also made light of her playing with painkillers during the Hyderabad Open, saying injuries were part and parcel of a sportsperson’s life. “Though playing with painkillers is not a very good thing, we have to get used to it as injuries are part and parcel of any sportsperson’s life. Give me any top five player who plays without injury.” Sania said she was looking forward to playing in yet another Grand Slam but was quick to point out that there were many events in between where she would have to make a mark. Asked whether the emergence of players like her and Narain Karthikeyan could divert attention from cricket in the country, Sania replied in the negative and said even she followed the game very keenly.

“Cricket is like a religion in India. It is not going to change. In fact, I am myself a great cricket fan and don’t leave an opportunity to watch a cricket match. Sachin is my favourite.” The Hyderabadi lass was also comfortable with the growing expectations on her following the victory in Hyderabad Open. “Everytime expectations are there. With success they only rise. But the real winner is one who manages to live up to these expectations."Dutt gifted Sania two books based on letters written by former prime minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and his daughter Indira to each other from 1922 to 1964. He also hoped that Sania, who was accompanied by her parents and younger sister Anam, would bring more laurels for her family and the country in future.