Sania Mirza To Marry Shoaib Malik

The Hyderabadi tennis star Sania Mirza (23) is all set to marry Pakistan's former captain Shoaib Malik (28) in April next month.

According to Malik's brother-in-law Imran Z Malik, the marriage proposal was taken by the cricketer's mother to India. Shoaib's mother met Sania's family in Hyderabad over the weekend and finalized the marriage. The formal nikaah ceremony is expected to take place on April 10 or 11, and the Walima or reception will reportedly be held in Lahore on April 16 or 17.

Imran Mirza, father of Sania, has reportedly said that the couple will be based in Dubai, where Shoaib is a resident, and Sania will continue to play tennis once she recovers fully from the wrist injury that has marred her career.

Shoaib Malik wrote on his Twitter page, "Thanks for all your support. And the news of me marrying to (sic) Sania is true. Inshallah (sic) will get married in April."

Sania has issued a statement saying that she had been under the constant glare of the public for too long, and that would appreciate more privacy at this very personal moment of her life, adding that she was hoping to be fully fit to represent India in the Commonwealth and Asian Games that are scheduled for later this year.

For his part, Shoiab has expressed his full support to Sania in her career, saying that he himself being an international sportsperson, understood what it is to have a sports career and wished to support Sania as long as she plays.

Both Shoaib Malik and Sania Mirza are suffering setbacks in their careers with Shoaib facing a ban from cricket for one year, and Sania recovering from a wrist injury that pulled her down the rankings.

Shoaib Malik is reported to have been married to another Hyderabad girl, Ayesha Siddiqui, in June 2002. Malik refuted the reports firmly, inspite of being threatened by legal action by the girl's father.

Pakistani media reports, meanwhile, said that Sania and Malik fell in love six-and-half months back, and that it could have been the reason why Sania's engagement with Sohrab Mirza got called off. Sania, who was engaged to 24-year-old Sohrab in July last year, cited incompatibilty for the break-up.

With both Sania Mirza and Shoaib Malik being high profile international players, their match is inevitably expected to generate huge interest in their respective countries. It also remains to be seen how tennis fans in India react to Sania's decision to continue to represent India, despite her being married to a Pakistani and, as reports say, her settling down in Dubai.