Jafreen Shaik
{{short description|Indian tennis player}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=November 2018}}
{{Infobox tennis biography
| name = Shaik Jafreen
| fullname =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1997|09|07}}
| birth_place = Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, India
| plays = right-handed
| medaltemplates =
{{MedalSport|Women's tennis}}
{{MedalCountry|{{IND}}}}
{{MedalCompetition|Deaflympics}}
{{MedalBronze|2017 Samsun|mixed doubles}}
}}
Shaik Jafreen (born 7 September 1997) is a deaf Indian tennis player.{{Cite web|url=http://www.itftennis.com/procircuit/players/player/profile.aspx?playerid=100297829|title=ITF Profile of Jafreen Shaik|website=www.itftennis.com|access-date=2018-02-03}} She represented India at the Deaflympics in 2013 and 2017.{{Cite web|url=https://www.deaflympics.com/athletes/jafreen-shaik|title=Jafreen Shaik {{!}} Deaflympics|website=www.deaflympics.com|language=en|access-date=2018-02-03}} She claimed a bronze medal in the mixed doubles at the 2017 Summer Deaflympics partnering with Prithvi Sekhar.{{Cite news|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/more-sports/others/prithvi-sekhar-defies-odds-for-deaflympics-bronze/articleshow/59920055.cms
|title=Prithvi Sekhar defies odds for Deaflympics bronze | newspaper=The Times of India|date=4 August 2017|first=Vivek|last=Krishnan|access-date=5 November 2018}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.deaflympics2017.org/en/deaflympics-day-10-round-up-detay/270|title=Deaflympics 2017 Samsun|website=www.deaflympics2017.org|language=tr|access-date=2018-02-03}}{{Cite web|url=https://article.wn.com/view/2017/08/04/Prithvi_Sekhar_defies_odds_for_Deaflympics_bronze/|title=Prithvi Sekhar defies odds for Deaflympics bronze|website=article.wn.com|language=en|access-date=2018-02-03}}
Career
Jafreen started playing tennis when she was just eight years old. She went on to become a formidable tennis player despite being deaf, after being noticed by India's best female tennis player, Sania Mirza, and gaining assistance from her,{{Cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/sport/other-sports/jafreen-determined-to-scale-new-heights/article19055237.ece|title=Jafreen determined to scale new heights|last=Subrahmanyam|first=V. v|date=2017-06-15|work=The Hindu|access-date=2018-02-03|language=en-IN|issn=0971-751X}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.thehansindia.com/posts/index/Sports/2017-06-13/Jafreen-to-lead-India-in-Deaf-Olympics/306158|title=Jafreen to lead India in Deaf Olympics|website=The Hans India|date=13 June 2017 |language=en|access-date=2018-02-03}} receiving training at the Sania Mirza Tennis Academy which is located in Hyderabad.{{Cite web|url=https://www.stumagz.com/the-incredible-shaik-jafreen-the-deaf-international-tennis-star/?list_source=magz&list_type=all&list_id=team|title=The Incredible Shaik Jafreen {{!}} The Deaf International Tennis Star|last=Nellore|first=Sujayendra Krishna|website=www.stumagz.com|language=en-US|access-date=2018-02-03}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/140524/sports-tennis/article/ready-take-world|title=Shaik Jafreen is ready to take on the world|date=2014-05-25|work=Deccan Chronicle|access-date=2018-02-03|language=en}}
She went on to represent India at the 2013 Summer Deaflympics which was also her first Deaflympic appearance. As in the as of Prithvi Sekhar, she did not win a medal in her debut Deaflympic event. She was chosen to compete for India at the 2017 Summer Deaflympics as India sent a delegation consisting of 46 participants for the multi-sport event, the largest number of athletes sent by India to a single Summer Deaflympics.{{Cite web|url=https://www.pressreader.com/india/the-hindu/20170725/282578788107366|title=|via=PressReader|access-date=2018-02-03}} Jafreen along with Prithvi Sekhar won a historical bronze medal in the mixed doubles at the 2017 Summer Deaflympics, marking India's first ever Deaflympic medal in tennis.{{Cite news|url=http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-sports/bronze-for-prithvi-and-jafreen/article19374235.ece|title=Bronze for Prithvi and Jafreen|last1=Bureau|first1=Sports|date=2017-07-28|work=The Hindu|access-date=2018-02-03|last2=Bureau|first2=Sports|language=en-IN|issn=0971-751X}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/sports/tennis/030817/bringing-home-the-laurels.html|title=Bringing home the laurels|date=2017-08-03|work=Deccan Chronicle|access-date=2018-02-03|language=en}}
Awards and recognition
Jafreen received the Jury Special Recognition in Sports at the Sakshi Excellence Awards 2017.{{Cite web |date=2018-08-12 |title=Sakshi Excellence Awards 2017: Outstanding Personalities |url=https://www.sakshipost.com/telangana/2018/08/12/sakshi-excellence-awards-2017-2 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240228064218/https://www.sakshipost.com/telangana/2018/08/12/sakshi-excellence-awards-2017-2 |archive-date=2024-02-28 |access-date=2024-02-28 |website=Sakshi Post |language=en}}
In 2021, she was honored with the national award for sporting excellence by the Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, being recognized as the best sportsperson with a disability (hearing impaired).{{Cite web |last=Sudhakar |first=K. Madhu |date=2021-11-04 |title=2022 Deaflympics: Andhra tennis player Shaik Jafreen looks for sponsors to realise her dream |url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/sport/tennis/2021/Nov/04/2022-deaflympics-andhra-tennis-player-shaik-jafreen-looks-for-sponsors-to-realise-her-dream-2379555.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230324155004/https://www.newindianexpress.com/sport/tennis/2021/Nov/04/2022-deaflympics-andhra-tennis-player-shaik-jafreen-looks-for-sponsors-to-realise-her-dream-2379555.html |archive-date=2023-03-24 |access-date=2024-02-28 |website=The New Indian Express |language=en}}
In accordance with its sports policy of offering Group-1 posts to international sportspersons, the Andhra Pradesh government extended a government job offer to Jafreen in November 2023.{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2023-11-04 |title=AP offers Deaf Olympics champ Group-1 post |url=https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/in-other-news/041123/ap-offers-deaf-olympics-champ-group-1-post.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240228051645/https://www.deccanchronicle.com/nation/in-other-news/041123/ap-offers-deaf-olympics-champ-group-1-post.html |archive-date=2024-02-28 |access-date=2024-02-28 |website=Deccan Chronicle |language=en}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{ITF profile}}
- {{WTA|325311|Jafreen Shaik Jafreen}}
- [http://www.tennisexplorer.com/player/shaik-jafreen/ Shaik Jafreen Jafreen] at TennisExplorer
- [https://www.coretennis.net/tennis-player/jafreen-shaik-jafreen/113846/profile.html Jafreen Shaik Jafreen] at CoreTennis
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shaik, Jafreen}}
Category:Indian female tennis players
Category:Sportswomen from Telangana
Category:Racket sportspeople from Hyderabad, India
Category:People from Kurnool district
Category:Sportswomen from Andhra Pradesh
Category:Tennis players at the 2021 Summer Deaflympics
Category:Medalists at the 2021 Summer Deaflympics
{{India-tennis-bio-stub}}