ICC Women’s World Cup is in full swing and we Indians cannot be more proud of the performances our gorgeous divas have put in over the course of games they’ve played till now in the World Cup. There’s something really beautiful in seeing our women representing our nation as it reminds us of how far we’ve come over the years, something which makes every Indian proud.
We’ve all watched the movie Chak De! India which features SRK’s heroics as Kabir Khan who against all odds led Indian Women’s Hockey team to a world championship. The movie was full of inspiring narratives that brought tears to our eyes. Speaking of inspiring narratives, the Indian bowler Ekta Bisht’s story is as inspiring as it gets. Her Father used to have a Tea Stall and Ekta despite all odds stacked against her, made it as a cricketer and thank god she did! Want to know more about her story?
ICC Women’s World Cup
The Women’s World Cup is in full swing and so is team India, off to a perfect start and winning three out of three matches, the last match, most emphatically vs Pakistan.
India in what was a display of their strength in all areas dismantled the Pakistan Women’s team on just 74 runs, beating them by 95 runs and making a statement that they are not to be taken lightly. The star of the show? You bet! Ekta Bisht. Ekta Bisht is the cock of the walk as her 5-wicket haul for just 18 runs in 10 over stint, making her the player of the match. But do you know, all wasn’t well for her once? In fact, her father had to sell tea to realize her dreams.
Kundan Bisht, Ekta’s father used to work as an Army security guard till 1988 after which he used to support his family with a meager pension of Rs 1500. Clearly, this wasn’t enough so he had to open up a tea stall to give wings to Ekta’s dream. In a recent interview with TOI, Ekta Father said “Ekta started playing cricket when she was just six. From then on, her love for the sport only grew. We were sure that she would do the country proud and she has done just that since she joined the national team in 2011”
Her mother opened up in the same interview, she said “She loved the sport so much that she started playing cricket with boys. People would come and watch because she was the only girl in a team of boys”. “It put a strain on our finances but we supported her fully. She was a responsible child and would save the money we gave her during trials,” the cricketer’s mother, Tara, said.
Ekta’s coach Liyakat Ali reveals that there was a phase between 2006-2010 where he had to keep her motivated despite the setbacks she faces over the years. He kept motivating her to rise above her problems and thank god he did or else we wouldn’t have been able to witness her genius live in front of our eyes.
