Hyderabad, July 11: A blend of elegance and Hyderabadi warmth marked the formal engagement of tennis star Sania Mirza with Mohammad Sohrab Mirza at a five-star hotel here on Friday night.
Ms. Mirza’s family had every reason to be proud on the momentous occasion, as the two families had known each other for several decades; both hail from Hyderabad but are not related despite having the same family name.
Ms. Mirza’s father, Imran Mirza, clarified that the alliance was not fixed by the two maternal grandmothers, as was being speculated.
The families also insisted that the wedding is not scheduled to be held in the near future, as Ms. Mirza is not contemplating quitting her sport now. It was one of very few occasions in the city that evoked considerable excitement among Hyderabadis.
The ceremony itself, however, was an extremely private affair attended by close family friends and relatives. Mr. Imran Mirza had already made it clear that he did not want the ceremony to be publicised by the media.
“This is purely a family affair. Please try to understand our feelings and give us some privacy. Sania herself has requested that there should not be any wide publicity for the event,” he told journalists thronging their residence in Banjara Hills. Later in the evening, invitees struggled to enter the venue as journalists waited to catch a glimpse of the VVIPs arriving to attend the 8 p.m. function.
-PTI