Indian tennis player cuts stereotypes
(AP)
Updated: 2005-11-03 10:37

But Mirza's growing popularity has become a cause of concern among sections of the country's orthodox Muslim clergy, who say she is leading young Muslims, especially girls, astray.

India's Sunni Ulema Board, a Muslim organization, last month issued an edict demanding she cover up during her matches. The group described her tennis clothes — usually a short skirt teamed with a midriff-revealing T-shirt — as "un-Islamic."

Mirza at the time refused to comment, but she later said her clothing was appropriate and required for the game. Her response echoed the tussle many young Indians in a fast-modernizing society have with their own orthodox parents and religious leaders.

"She's awesome," said Akshay Rawat, an 18-year-old student. "I like the way she's handled the problems she's faced, whether it's the clerics or the money hassles. It shows you can make it if you try really hard."