Sania Mirza Says Playing Asian Games was a Correct Decision

Indian tennis ace Sania Mirza, who won a gold and bronze at the recently concluded Asian Games, said it was a great feeling to bag two medals and felt she made the right decision to participate, even at the cost of valuable rating points.

Mirza and Saketh Myneni beat Chinese Taipei's Hsien Yin Peng and Hao Ching Chan 6-4, 6-3 to win India a mixed doubles gold medal at the Asian Games in Incheon. This was Sania's third consecutive Asian Games mixed doubles final appearance. In 2006, she won a gold with Leander Paes. She followed it up with a silver medal in 2010 with Vishnu Vardhan.

Sania also won bronze with Prarthana Thombare in the women's double event.

"I peaked at the right time. It feels great to come back with a bronze and gold. I made the right decision to go to the Asian Games," Mirza told members of the press in her hometown of Hyderabad.

Sania's double-medal winning feat at the Asian Games followed her mixed doubles triumph at the US Open crown with Brazilian partner Bruno Soares.

The last two months have been like a dream-run for India's tennis queen and she says she has now lost count of time.

"The last 10 years have been a long journey. The last two months have been incredible. When I landed in India, I did not know what month it is, what date it is," Mirza said on Monday.

Mirza's victory at the United States came just a month after she was described by a Hindu nationalist politician as "Pakistan's daughter-in-law" and unfit to be a representative of India.

The blast was delivered by K. Laxman, a regional legislator belonging to the national ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), who questioned the credentials of Mirza to be "brand ambassador" for the country's newest state Telengana.

Mirza, 27, and married to former Pakistan cricket captain Shoaib Malik, broke down in tears over the controversy. After her recent triumphs though, she may well have silenced her critics for good.