Mumbai:
Bollywood superstar Salman Khan today launched well-known tennis player Sania Mirza's autobiography 'Ace against Odds' in the city at a function here. Sania, who will partner Prarthana Thombare from Maharashtra at the prestigious Olympics Games in Rio, heaped praise on the latter, describing her as a very good tennis player.
"I and Prarthana (Thombare) is the first pair, who has won a medal. In Asian Games we have won a women's doubles medal. But besides that, she is a young girl, and she is a good prospect for us. Playing in the Olympics will be great experience for her. She comes from Barshi (in Western Maharashtra) and she plays at the Sania Mirza Tennis Academy for the last year and half," said Sania when asked about Prarthana.
Asked about more girls playing sports in the country, Sania said, "That is obviously good and that's what we want, we want more girls, more women to come forward. I think, 10 years ago, it was difficult to name three, four or five women achievers who have been exceptional at different sports in our country, but now we have Mary Kom (boxer), we have a Saina Nehwal , P V Sindhu (both badminton), we have so many girls who are doing great. That shows how forward we have come and there is always room for improvement."
Sania has penned the biography at the age of 29. Asked about the same to Salman, the 50 year-old actor said, "I think it is new and different. People do not achieve what she has achieved even if they have to be born in three lifetimes. At 29 I think she has a lot to say, so before she forgets what she has to say, I think it was a very wise and sensible decision to write an autobiography," he said.
Sania said she has read (legendary tennis player) Andre Agassi's book 'Open'.
"I think right and I have read (legendary boxer) Mike Tyson's book. thought it was a great autobiography because the odds that he had against him and (then) to become one of the greatest champion of the world. As athletes, we all have our heroes and one of my hero all my life has been Steffi Graff, and she still is even today and I have not read her autobiography and I don't know if it (the autobiography) is out, but I would like to read that one. I am sure, that will be very inspiring,"
