Sania Mirza gives up playing singles till London Olympics

The injury-prone Sania Mirza has given up playing singles in the lead up to the London Olympics following her third surgery in the last five years, adding that it was "impossible to pursue a singles and doubles career together" and preferred focusing on one.

"Tennis, and the surgeries, take a lot out of you. I realized at the start of the year that keeping my physical state in mind, it was impossible for me to pursue a singles and doubles career," Sania told Pakistan newspaper Express Tribune.

She feels her doubles performance has improved after giving up singles. "Ever since I've given up on my singles career, my performance in doubles matches has been really good. I even reached a career-best seventh in the world. That's why I've decided to concentrate solely on doubles."

According to a report in The Hindu, British Prime Minister David Cameron has said that one of his prime possessions from his trip to India in July 2010 was a signed cricket bat given to his daughter Nancy by Sachin Tendulkar.

Speaking at the launch of the Conservative Friends of India, Cameron revealed that during his trip to India soon after he took over as Prime Minister, iconic batsman Tendulkar signed a cricket bat for his daughter and that became one of his valuable possessions.

“One of my proudest possessions from that trip is a signed cricket bat to my daughter Nancy from Sachin Tendulkar,” Cameron said.

Meanwhile, Deepak Thakur's five in a row was the high point of IOCL's thumping 8-2 win over Fortis in a Super Division second phase National-level hockey league at the KSHA stadium here on Wednesday, says a Hindu report.

After Gurjinder Singh struck twice, it was a virtual Deepak Thakur show for the IOCL as the former international breached the last line of the Fortis defence five times. Prabhjot Singh completed the rout. Sumeet and Didar scored once each for Fortis.