29th in the World, 1st in India - what a terrible shame - Mirza boycotts Indian tournaments

:(

dunlap?

niters xxxx zzzz

*flop*

Oh before I drop off - thanks Hashin for the last news flash about our Indian tennis playing lady :D

Chester Drawers Disease...chest done dropped into their drawers...

Princess...I think dunlaps describes most of us in a bikini...lol

Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.

--Abraham Lincoln (1809 - 1865)

Think of the Crispy Cream doughnuts...:)

Nite you sleepy heads

You can't teach experience...

now its good nite for real...

take care...

(Go Paes!)

Well none of us are perfect...

Or are we???

You can't teach experience...

that sounds like me in a bikini.//./

I love you Leander Paes... Not Sachin, not Anand, you are the greatest to play for India!

Paes criticises Sania's decision to pull out

New Delhi: Tennis sensation Sania Mirza's decision not to play in India came in for sharp criticism from stalwart Leander Paes, who said nobody was greater than the game and playing in front of own fans was the greatest joy for any athlete.

Paes, the seven time grand slam winner and the current Davis Cup captain, said controversies were part and parcel of a sportsperson's life and one has to learn to tackle it.

"Look at every celebrity, who does not have controversies. We all have adversities. Every celebrity have adversities in their lives. Its how dignified and honest you are. It's about how you project yourself and how you handle them," Paes said, reacting to Sania's decision to pull out of the Bangalore Open to avoid being dragged into fresh controversies.

Paes, who has an estranged relationship with Mahesh Bhupathi, whose Globosport company manages Sania's career, said that no individual was greater than the game.

"I do not want to get into it. I am not bothered but the greatest joy for any athlete is to play for the country and in the country and play for the people. Nobody is greater than the game. That's something Sania has to be careful about it," Paes told reporters after the practice session of the Davis Cup team at the National Sports Club of India here

You can tell all the european guys at the pool...

LOL they running around in the speedos...

But the girls are practically naked...

And take the tops off to tan...

Like being home...

You can't teach experience...

Worst sight I ever saw was in Italy at a lake front. There were these Italian guys that had Dunlaps Disease(belly done lapped over the belt) and i THINK they had on speedoes..least they had on thongs, as per the backside view..all furry backs and backsides...but from the front, you could see nothing as the belly covered it..and they were strutting their stuff...yyeeeeccch...

Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.

--Abraham Lincoln (1809 - 1865)

yeah pm.. it gave me pictures of my 70 year old father in law in one of those..

a really handsome chap too.. but I'm not sure I would have liked to see him in a thong.. lol

you should have taken a pic... would have made millions.

So are you coming to Qatar?

that was too graphic...!

too much for me I am afraid

good night!

bwaaak!

what a sight to remember.. LOL

what???... this?... cold?... Vegas... are you a real american or just fake?

vegas,, where to u live again? hehe

I too said that its personal decision... men or women... and thank you for mentioning that you were being sarcastic... I would never have guessed :-p

Cause it's freaking cold and I'm at work....

But summer is comming...:) YAY

You can't teach experience...

In that case... why you spendin so much time on QL... you should be in the pool man

why do women have to not reveal their figures but men are allowed? do they think we dont look? (but i turn my face away if i see a guy wearing speados cuz i think its disgusting to see the shape of their package :s )

So I'm wasting my time in the gym huh???? LOL

I tell you what...They sure let it all hang out at the pool where I live...Both men and women...

Yikes

You can't teach experience...

Its a personal decision if men want to wear skin tight jeans... :-p

what package? hahahaha i never see any package :p

no Alexa I wouldnt think so. They like to blame women for everything :p men are hardly told off

I agree with you that in Qatar and in Gulf in general, clothing is becoming more liberal...

But if you look at the part of India where I am from, women are much more comfortable wearing hijabs and its much popular than ever before!

There are hijab shops sprouting all over the place...

So times... they definitely are a changin'

http://www.milligazette.com/Archives/01-5-2000/purdah_boom_in_kerala.htm

yes you are right... if you have noticed... some Qatari football players wear bicycle shorts underneath their football shorts... its not cos they are feeling cold :-p

Yeah they are stunning...

Not that I look or anything...

Now you know why everyone wears sunglasses here...

Smile...

You can't teach experience...

its a lose-lose situation for us muslim women!! what men think about us is all our faults in the end!!

You know, they ask for these women to b covered without their figures being revealed and yet I've heard many men like the cover women because they fantasize whats under it!! (im guessing they think the femal is wearing nothing under it) hahaha

you were right when you said India is a big country and some regions are more liberal than others... very true...

btw... jauntie... death threats on TV? seriously?

Quest for higher sales? Media huh dont they have any responsibility,why to report this flaw and what happens on 26th Jan or 15th Aug

After the ceremony is over (jingoism dose is avl only twice a year) many flags can be seen on street, and most of us walk over it.

Her dress is not her choice but its rule dat all tennis player should wear skirts. Btw is she Muslim? And I know Hyderabadis very well I have lived with them not all are muslims. There was never fatwa for Farah when she married Hindu or did they give fatwa for Tabu.

Among human beings are those who say ‘We believe in Allah and the Last day;’ but they are not among the Momins." (2:8)

to DIE for, when I see them around the Shopping Malls. The clothes they wear are so much more sexy than any of the skimpy clad stuff (which they probably wear underneath lol)

But seriously, I think they all look gorgeous (nice young men, wink wink) and the girls with their hair piled high and the heals as tall as you can get - splash of cerise flowers on the abaya on a Thursday evening - beautiful!

Hardly the stuff of the black from head to foot of a few years ago ...

So times they are a changin'

I'm just not sure who's winning - the Imam who wants to stifle the lady's prowess, or the lady who wants to represent her country.

you like me? wow... thengs (thanks Indian ishtyle)

I meant it was a PR stunt by Sania...

to say she wouldn't play in India anymore...

If she was deliberately trying to disrespect her country that would mean that she doesnt like her country and believe me then she wouldnt even be in the indian team (with surely many offers coming in her way). About her wearing hijab in hajj, has it come to realisation yet that all females must enter saudi arabia with hijab whether they like it or not? I would dress comfortably when playing sports because first of all the blood circulation is much faster so it makes the body hot and so someone would prefer to wear something comfortable according to the weather.

About India, I've heard it defers from place to place (put in mind India is a big country) For example, in some areas they are very liberal and dress however they want and include a lot of english in their language while some areas are more like arabs- they watch how you dress, who you talk to and what you do, if they find one mistake that has been done in public it's all they talk about.

Tennis is actually my favourite sport, She's very lucky to b a tennis player, i wish i could.

You think it's all a publicity stunt?

But how! I think I know what you mean ... but it isn't a very good publicity stunt for Islam when the 'stunt' is about her being threatened by local groups who claimed that her attire degraded Islam and some even threatened to kill her is broadcast around the world on TV and radio, is it??

I think the choice of garb should be up to the ladies, right girls??

http://www.salon.com/mwt/broadsheet/2006/12/11/hijab/index.html

"There's plenty of ongoing debate about the appropriateness of the hijab in sports, but Al Ghasara's scorecard is pretty impressive. Last December, she became the first woman to win a race at the West Asian Games, according to the Guardian.

And she's certainly a sight to behold next to her competitors, many of whom are clad in spandex bikini-cut bottoms and bra tops. For her part, she says the hijab has actually improved her athleticism. "Wearing conservative clothes has encouraged me," Al Ghasara said. "Wearing a veil proves that Muslim women face no obstacles and encourages them to participate in sport. This is a glory to all Muslim women."

Sure, Al Ghasara is overstating the case when she says there are no obstacles facing Muslim women.

But it's hard to argue against Muslim women's increasing presence in professional sports, whether they're sporting the hijab or not. Go team!

wearing abaya for a game is such a bad idea! It doesn't make any sense...

Jauntie I was just thinking about what you asked... about me having a daughter who is interested in sports... the honest answer is I don't know!

Sania Mirza will not go anywhere else... Not in a million years... She is nothing if not Indian... this is just a temporary decision... a PR stunt... I will put money on the fact that she will play tennis in India in 2009 if not earlier...

Indian SuperStar of Cricket... Demi God status... Little Master... considered the world's greatest batsmen/cricketer of this era... was once booed off the ground... at his home ground at an international match...

that 'making an example of her' stuff. It's really toooo sad :(

If you had a daughter, who was a superb athlete, wouldn't you want her to go as far as she could in the world of sport?

This little lady seems very dedicated ... such a shame if she is snapped up by another country (as has happened to many other sports people) although the others I'm thinking of went elsewhere due to getting better training, whereas Mirza wouldn't need to. She would have/should have all the facilities and encouragement in India!

life as a sports celebrity in India is very very fickle... from hero to zero in a second... and back to hero twice as quick... just talk to any cricket follower... Indian or otherwise...

no better example than Al Ghasara... she got a gold medal in 200mtrs in the Asian games...

[img_assist|nid=71233|title=Al Ghasara|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=|height=0]

I just don't know why (apart from the obvious not following the Islamic dress 'code' when playing tennis).

I just hadn't thought she would be pin-pointed by her fellow countrymen! I thought India was a tad more moderate in their views than, say, Pakistan. That's why I was surprised - or maybe I'm not too well read on these cultural matters.

I also thought that India would have rallied round her as the next prospective ladies Champion of all the Tennis Events up to and including Wimbledon!

Guess not.

I guess they are making an example of her...

But like PM said... that is a matter of her personal choice but then its the clerics right also to condemn her to hell fire ;-)

My friend had been to her home once and met her dad. He was a very devout man and even he wasn't happy with the way she dresses...

She is also a practising muslim apparently... there were photos of her floatin around when she had gone on umrah in Saudi... in hijaab... :-))

that has bothered me since I got here is that Muslim women, a lot of the time, wear their abayas in the water...and drowning is often an unfortunate result, as the material gets extremely heavy and wraps around their legs, preventing them from being able to swim back to the surface. I know they have burkinis, and that's a definite improvement but I hate to see the waste of human life due to something like this.

oops sorry, just realized I hijacked..thought just had crossed my mind...

Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.

--Abraham Lincoln (1809 - 1865)

having attended way too many of those interviews with sports figures and dignitaries, the photographers are NOT allowed to be very close...

ever occur to anyone that the powers that be are making an example of her? Happens all the time, everywhere.

Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.

--Abraham Lincoln (1809 - 1865)

I don't know... the Indian entertainment business is full of Muslims and they get in to all kinds of trouble in all kinds of dresses... but dunno why the muslim clerics singled her out. I guess it has to do with the fact that she represents the country...

look and judge for yourself hashin...no way could that have been close to her

Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.

--Abraham Lincoln (1809 - 1865)

The court took the comments of an expert photographer before serving her the summons... no photo trickery business...

At the recent graduation at EC, EVERYONE stood for both the Qatar and American national anthems...It was very emotionally moving to see such respect between members of each country for each other.

Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.

--Abraham Lincoln (1809 - 1865)

I DO feel sorry that this up and coming sportswoman is having to go through this sort of criticism, which is so unfair, when she has so much to give, for her country, in her chosen sport.

That's all.

I guess thats why you don't see any female tennis stars coming out of the Gulf :-)

it) did it ever occur to anyone that it MIGHT have been the ANGLE or DISTANCE at which the photographer took the photo that made it LOOK like her feet were facing the flag? If that's the case, then she would have had no idea she was being disrespectful of the flag and in turn would feel no need to apologize for something she actually didn't do. The flag also seems to be a LOT closer to the camera (notice how much larger it is and its obviously one of those small ornamental ones) and in fact, check out how large the plant fronds seem to be in comparison to her feet..

As far as being a celebrity..yes, they are much more in the limelight and some are more prone to not thinking before acting. The comment that some other country will snap her up is definitely true...India would lose a good athlete.

Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.

--Abraham Lincoln (1809 - 1865)

I started this thread just about immediately after I saw the 'item' on the news - have to admit I didn't research it, but on the face of it the situation looked like she was being hard done by.

May be more to it - I think I saw something when I clicked on Google ... Oh I've found it! She didn't play Israel... but:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sania_Mirza

"Criticism have been raised in some Islamist quarters supposedly due to her attire not being conformant to Islamic Dress Code. According to one report published September 8, 2005, an unnamed Islamic scholar had issued a fatwa, saying that her attire is contrary to what is permitted by Islam.[1] A further report published the next day on this fatwa elaborated that Mirza was unfazed by the comments made by Syed Yousaf Bin, the chief patron of the Ulema Board, in Hyderabad.[2] Large numbers of Muslim clerics protested her attire, accusing her of being a "corrupting influence on the youth."[3] She has been widely attacked and vilified in Islamist circles, including a cleric named Haseeb-ul-hasan Siddiqui who said "The dress she wears on the tennis courts…leaves nothing to the imagination, She will undoubtedly be a corrupting influence.".[4] Islamist groups such as Jamiat-ulema-e-Hind allegedly threatened to disrupt her tennis matches, following which the Calcutta police had to tighten security measures to protect her.[5]Sania mirza herself a Muslim from Vijaynagar also attracted a response from the Major Shia Organization in india, The All-India Shia Muslim Personal Law Board on Saturday disapproved the edict issued by some Muslim clerics on dresses worn by Indian teenage tennis sensation Sania Mirza while playing and asked them not to meddle in [the] sports arena.

In 2006, some newspapers reported that Mirza declined from playing with an Israeli tennis player Shahar Pe'er for fear of violent protests from India's Muslim clerics and their opposition to the existence of Israel.[3] However, these reports were dismissed by Mirza as "baseless" and in 2007, Pe'er and Mirza teamed up again at Wimbledon. The duo made the third round of Wimbledon before being knocked out by the top seeds.

Mirza said in January 2008 that she considered quitting the sport because of undue controversy surrounding her actions. Mirza was pictured resting her feet during a press conference at the 2008 Hopman Cup, with an Indian flag in close proximity.[6] She faces possible prosecution under the Prevention of Insults to National Honour Act after a private citizen complained. Mirza protested that, "I love my country, I wouldn't be playing Hopman Cup otherwise", and said that she meant no disrespect. On February 4, 2008, Mirza said that she would stop appearing in tennis tournaments held in India, starting with the 2008 Bangalore Open next month"

Many years ago, when we were working in Iraq, we were the minority 'Brits' with a German Contractor. The project was at an early stage and there weren't many of us there, so I invited 3 or 4 of the batchelors to have Christmas Lunch with us.

British tradition is to listen to the Queen's Speech which is broadcast on the World Service around 2.00 p.m.

We were put to shame, when the UK National Anthem kicked off, by the lone German present who immediately got to his feet and stood to attention before we could put our drinks down!

I was very impressed by his courtesy. Needless to say, we all scrambled to our feet also :D

I guess this time your scale (your avatar) has to bend slightly to the left... :-)

But I believe Sania Mirza has not yet apologized for the flag controvery... major boo boo... no wonder she doesn't want to play... she'll be booed off court !

Sports Journalists are citing financial reasons for her management agency Globus advising her not to play in India.

This is her comment

"At this moment, I have been advised by my manager not to play."

Lets get this straight, this is just a temporary measure and for all we know, this could be a arm twisting tactic by Globus to get her out of the legal tangle that she is in...

I would have felt for her if she said that she is going to retire from tennis, but to say that she will not play in India... big deal...

apparently harder for some than others, but I know what you mean .. no way I would wish for a celebrity status.

Can't remember who she was, but another tennis player was stabbed at a tournament some years ago for no more reason other than the stabber supported her opponent!

Monica Selles?

sigh

BUT it had nothing to do with religion - just a nutter ...

Life is HARD for a celebrity ;-)

very fitting ....

Garfield looking at a spider

Spider says: You're my best friend in the whole world

SMACK (Garfield swats spider with a newspaper)

Garfield says: Have you noticed how cruel the world is?

Squashed spider says: I'm picking up on that.

Hee!

she got in to another controversy for shooting an ad at a historic mosque without permission. Not a smart move especially when she is already under the public's magnifying lens. She got a lucky reprieve after the officials withdrew the case after she apologized to the Imam...

But net net... all this is part and parcel of being a celebrity in India... you will always be under tremendous scrutiny.

But in the end, it works out fair... if it weren't for the fact that she was Indian, she wouldn't have got 10% of the attention that she gets now with her top world ranking of number 29.

And don't get me started on the sponsorships...

hi there! Isn't it like a world gone nutz?

Hashin...

Give me strength.

[img_assist|nid=57389|title=|desc=peace|link=none|align=left|width=|height=0]

_______________________________________________________

Love is the answer...

maybe she was young... I'd love to give her the benefit of the doubt... I was in the stands cheering for her at the Asian Games...

But my point is that since shes made the mistake, she has to suffer the fallout...

However trivial you think the offence is, the fact remains that the court has issued a summons.

most nationalities feel the same, don't you know ...

I wonder who took that picture of her with the 'sole' purpose of causing problems for her career. One of your own flag wavers?

"BHOPAL: A local court on Wednesday issued summons to tennis star Sania Mirza for allegedly disrespecting national flag during a function some time back.

The summons were issued by Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Ajay Shrivastava following a case filed by social worker Prakash Singh Thakur under the Prevention of Insult to the National Honour Act (1971).

Thakur has alleged that Mirza disrespected the national tricolour by sitting in a manner so that her feet pointed at the flag, which he felt was derogatory and had hurt him.

The complainant submitted photographs of the 21-year-old player published in several newspapers as evidence.

The court, after recording statements of Thakur and an expert photographer who has confirmed that photographs appear to be genuine, asked the Hyderabad-based player to appear before it on March 3. "

don't be daft - she put her feet up, so what!

Some money grabbing, sensationalistic photographer took the pic - wasn't you was it?

Indians pay a lot of respect to our national symbols such as the flag and the national anthem. We stand up in theater halls in attention if the national anthem is played in the movie.

I just looked it up and thank you ! I live and learn. Thanks.

Good. I gave you an opportunity to make yourself clear before someone would jump on you for saying 'things'. Bye and cheers.

Even though Sania Mirza was great for Indian sports, she really should have known better than to disrespect the Indian flag. If she can't handle the fall out and decides to pull out of tournaments in India, that is her loss. And it will greatly effect her popularity both in India and abroad...

People in the know claim that her decision to pull out is partly a financial one as advised by Globus, her Management Agency.

[img_assist|nid=71216|title=Sania Flag Controversy|desc=|link=none|align=left|width=|height=0]

who is ridiculing here mom_me.

what i meant was even sudanes national dress for females is the sari though they wear it in a manner different from the Indians.

I suppose the Indian way of wearing the sari is banned not sari per se.

Desi is a colloquial word for Indian and everything indian.

Stealth, I am not sure about their culture and don't want to hurt any ethnic group by ridiculing their attire.

well Mom_me at least the Indians have another traditional dress to fall back on - the churidar. I dont know what the Sudanese will do?

Desi?

well if she cant handle the criticism why is she there of all things.

PM I know Iran has female athletes and they have a sense of decorum.

Tennis players and athletes i dont know what you call the thing they wear.

I dont think it gives the definition of a dress anyway.

Thank You.

The Red Pope of Qatar Living

But as Muhammad Ali once said, 'It's not bragging, if you can back it up'."

Red Pope: Sharjah is in U.A.E. and Sari is a 6 ft. piece of cloth Indian women wear (synonomous to draping yourself like a bandage).

What is sharjah and Shari?

I'm lost with it.

The Red Pope of Qatar Living

But as Muhammad Ali once said, 'It's not bragging, if you can back it up'."

Yes PM, sari is banned in Sharjah and so is 'half pants' (not sure what they call them these days) for men. I remember once, my hubby was out to throw garbage in the chute (just two steps from the door )wearing his shorts and the neigbour screamed. My hubby was all apologetic later (after he changed). May be she had never seen a bare leg.

Desi girls have their own sets of rules and regulations to follow as far as dress code is concerned. If they abide by those rules fine if not the morale police does its job. And BTW it is completely okay to wear a naval/back/bum/cleft revealing sari. You have to be a desi to understand this concept or rather double standards.

at least I hope you do ...

when she gets out of the game Jauntie. its so simple

when are these ridiculous situations going to end .... ?

i think she has all the right to play or not to play any tournaments.

yea and stay out of the game if you cant stand criticism.

Go and marry a someone out of ur caste