Educational institutions have been conferring doctorates or felicitating eminent sportsmen in recent times. Since the Beijing Olympics, a spate of stars from Abhinav Bindra and Vijender Singh to Virender Sehwag had visited various institutions.

On Thursday, at the Dr MGR Educational and Research University, India’s No.1 women’s tennis player Sania Mirza was conferred an honorary doctorate in letters.

She was conferred with the Doctor of Letters (Honoris Causa) by University Chancellor A C Shanmugham in the presence of Additional Director General of Police Sarabjith Singh at the University premises.

Ms Sania was earlier scheduled to have been conferred the Honorary Degree during the 17th convocation of the University on December six along with Chandrayaan-1 Project Director Mayilsamy Annadurai.

However, she could not attend the function due to security reasons on that day which was observed as the Babri Masjid Demolition anniversary.

Originally slated to receive the doctorate on December 6, Sania’s training camp in Bangalore deferred the event, though she accepted the doctorate through a video conference. However, she kept her word on Thursday though her flight was delayed for an hour. Understandably delighted, Sania said it was a dream to earn a doctorate.