India is a country where gender equality is easier told about than practiced. Even to this day a large sector of the community looks down upon the female gender and treats them on the lower side when compared to the male gender. And we don’t just blame the men here, most of the women too have accepted this and have woven their lives around the very same fact. And for those few women who are striving hard to be independent in their lives and work towards their dream, it’s an entirely different struggle. They need to fight for their dream and their fight starts right within the family (if they are orthodox), then against the society which considers women are best when they are housed and are looking after the family.
There are professions where mostly it’s the men who are glorified and backed with rewards. And sports is one such category where women, even to this day are striving hard to prove that they too can do what their fellow male-sportsmen are capable of doing. They don’t let facts like men are getting paid more than them kill their spirits. Here’s a list of some female sports stars who have become champions in their sports after much struggle and hardships. Let’s read about them and know them better.
1. Mithali Raj (Cricket)
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In many ways, we consider Mithali Raj to be the most successful Indian cricket captain because she has done what she had to and reached a phenomenal stage in her sports career with being given just half of the recognition when compared to her other male counterparts in the world of cricket.
When she began to play her cricket, her grandparents were never happy about it. But her parents’ belief in her didn’t let her fall prey to the negativity around her. Even when the basic facilities were not provided by the government, she didn’t let it hamper her determination. She was just 16 years old when she played the first match for India. Our captain of the Indian cricket team, Mithali is currently the highest run-scorer in women’s international cricket. And she is the only female cricketer to surpass the 6,000 run mark in ODI. And she is also the only Indian cricket captian (male or female) to have lead India to the finals of World Cup twice. She was bestowed with the Arjuna Award in 2013 and the Padma Shri award in 2015.
2. Rani Rampal (Hockey)
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Rani Rampal’s story stands out as an inspiration to all those girls out there who’ve been dreaming of making it big in sports. Rani’s financial condition was so horrifying that she didn’t have the money to buy a hockey stick. In 2010, at the age of 16, when most kids give the first-ever important exam of their life, the board exams. Rani was attending the exam of her life and she represented India at the World Cup of hockey in the junior category. It was her goal against England that helped India bag a bronze medal in the Junior Hockey World Cup. And now 9 years later, Rani leads her team of 16 players as the captain of the Indian hockey team. She has also been awarded the Bhim and Arjuna awards by the Government of India.
3. Geeta Phogat (Wrestling)
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When one’s life has been turned into a blockbuster movie that goes on to inspire millions worldwide, one surely must have done something extraordinary or achieved a feat in life that is commendable, right? Such is the life story of Geeta Phogat whose life story was seen by the world in a movie named Dangal.
Geeta became every household’s name after she won a gold medal for India at the Commonwealth Games in the wrestling category in 2010. This was something that was never achieved by any Indian, either male or female before. She was also the first female wrestler from India to qualify for Summer Olympics (2012).
4. Mary Kom (Boxing)
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The story of Chungneijang Mary Kom Hmangte is one of grit, determination, and struggle. In a country where reservations still exist when it comes to working women, Mary punched those stereotypes down with her achievements. A five-time World Amateur Boxing champion, Mary, also a proud mother of two has been living her dream of being a boxer since 1997 when she managed to bag gold in the Asian Games. Even after achieving so much, Mary is still training hard for the upcoming 2020 Tokyo Olympics in which she dreams of winning gold for her country. From being awarded Arjuna to Padma Shri, to having a road named after her, she’s been adding feathers of achievements to her cap.
There are many such sports personalities out there who’ve been encouraging others to step down into the world of sports and live their dream. Which female sports personality has inspired you the most till date? Let us know in the comments below.
The post Know Your Stars: Indian Hockey, Cricket, Boxing and Wrestling Champions Who Are Women appeared first on STYLECRAZE.