India’s star tennis player Sania Mirza has been nominated from the Asia-Oceania Zone for the Fed Cup Heart Award. She is the first woman player in India to achieve this feat. This information was given by All India Tennis Association (AITA) General Secretary Hironmay Chatterjee on Thursday. Sania returned to court in January, for the first time since becoming a mother. She won the doubles title of the Hobart International Tennis Tournament. Sania’s partner in this was Nadia Kitchennock of Ukraine.
Former doubles No.1 Sania teamed up with Ankita Raina and led India to the Fed Cup playoffs.
Sania said, “It is an honor for me to represent India for the first time since 2003. I have a long career of 18 years and I take pride in contributing to the success of the Indian tennis team. The results of the Fed Cup Asia / Oceania tournament are one of the major achievements of my career. This is a moment for which every athlete plays and I am thankful to the Fed Cup Heart Award Selection Panel to nominate me. “
Online voting will be held from 1 to 8 May
Given the top performance of the Fed Cup this year, 6 players have been nominated for the Fed Cup Heart Award Group One. The winner of the Heart Award will be announced based on online voting. Fans will vote online from May 1 to 8 to decide its winner.
These players also got a place in the nomination
Priska Madelyn Nugroho of Indonesia from the Asia / Oceania region is the second player to be nominated for the award. Annette Kontaveit of Estonia and Eléonora Molinaro of Luxembourg from Europe / Africa region, Fernanda Contreras Gómez from Mexico and Veronica Cepede Royg of Paraguay from the Americas region have been nominated for the award.
Sania won 6 Grand Slams
Sania who is married Pakistani cricketer Shoaib Malik gave birth to a son in October last year. Sania has won six Grand Slams. She was scheduled to play the first Grand Slam tournament of the year in January at the Australian Open in mixed doubles with Rajeev Ram of America, but was ruled out of the tournament due to injury.