Sporting service

Fourteen-year-old Maia is the third of the Shroff siblings to make it to the national level! She was part of the Maharashtra team at the Sub-Junior National Throw ball Championship from December 21-23, 2012 in Nanjangud, Karnataka. "Throw ball is a physical game. My strengths are my service and drop shots. Since I am short, I cannot jump too high and smash, so I jump and fake a smash, but drop shot instead. My service seems to be my weapon," she analyses.

"Representing a state side was her dream as both her older sister Kyra (in tennis) and brother Porus (in football) have excelled in their individual sport," remarks father Firdaus. "I was told by the coach of my school (St Anne’s, Fort) to go to the MSSA (Mumbai School Sports Association) ground one day for the selections. I was not told that it was for Maharashtra, so a friend and I went. We played and then I was told to come to Shivaji Park for the final selections the next day. So my mother Gulshan took me," the teenager relates. After three days of scrutiny, Maia reported for a week more of practice at St Theresa’s at Santa Cruz, after which she was informed that she had been selected!

A taxing overnight train journey took the team to Bangalore and thence to Nanjangud, a further five hours away. "Kyra and her coach came to Bangalore station to meet me and brought me lots of food! Obviously she knows what these small towns are like during tournaments and so she looked after me, which I liked and appreciated," the schoolgirl continues. "We were accompanied by the Maharashtra boys’ team as well. They lost but we reached the quarter finals. I played all the matches and did the best I could but the other girls were too powerful for us, maybe even over age, but then I was told that you have to play the person across the net, and no excuses, so I did do all I could."

Bianca Vapiwalla, who was a part of the winning Maharashtra team a year earlier, travelled with them. "She is a Parsi girl from Rustom Baug who with her mother looked after me as this was my first trip alone for a tournament. She did teach me a lot from her experience," notes Maia who also plays badminton at the all-Parsi level. "But my passion is acting and at present I am training under Sam Kerawalla and have helped him backstage in productions like Laughter in the House and others," the all rounder says.