She’s doing it her way

The headline and intro mustrsquove given away the fact that yours truly has made a departure from her usual wanderings and comment pieces about heritage communities and all things BombayBut for this closet sports buff it is that kind of an occasion that deserves a deviation Last week during their OneDay International series against South Africa Mithali Raj crossed 10000 runs becoming Indiarsquos first woman cricketer to achieve this featI shall not get into decoding her every milestone or achievement on the field Thatrsquos for the statisticians and pundits to pore over But for anybody whorsquos followed womenrsquos sport in India while tracking champions gutsy women to emerge from different corners whorsquove risen against the odds she ranks right up there at the top of the table ldquoAs long as I get the opportunity to bat it has to be countedrdquo she said in an interview to a publication about the achievement But it also tells the story of resilience of survival and of getting on with the job in a sport where the menrsquos game is way ahead when it comes to reach and yes stardust It must have been tough for the likes of Mithali and her ilk to sustain the rigours of womenrsquos cricket for over two decades Unlike individual sports like badminton tennis boxing wrestling where Sania Sindhu Saina MC Mary Kom and the Phogat sisters have shone bright if not brighter than their male counterparts in a sport like cricket the womanrsquos game has always had to play catchupOf course we have been witnessing a gradual change in attitude and approach in the past few years but it will require a seismic shift in the mindset across organisers sponsors and the media for it to attain anywhere close to the kind of popularity that the menrsquos game continues to enjoy For that matter how many male Indian cricketers from the current squad tweeted congratulatory messages to her The change has to begin from influencers immediately connected with sport for startersI was reminded of an incident from my days as a cub reporter on the sports desk I was assigned to cover an interstate womenrsquos hockey tournament at the BHA Mahindra Stadium I got a taste of clicheacutes and stereotypes around sport when I approached one of the organisers to guide me towards the press box Instead he said ldquoTake the right towards the spectator stands madamrdquo He assumed I had come by to cheer for one of the participating teams I encountered several similar episodes as I treaded into this new world as a woman sports journalist and this was just us reporting on the game from the sidelines My respect for every sportswoman grew even more every time they stepped out to take guard in cricket hockey or any other sport That period of realisation of the reality of womenrsquos sport while working on the field coincided with Mithalirsquos early days as she began to break new ground on the field I recall hearing murmurs about a young Hyderabadi woman cricketer but it was just that It was an era when womenrsquos cricket was finding its feet even televised live games were far and few Yet it is to her credit that she didnrsquot lose sight of her goal ndash to deliver for India each time she was called upon irrespective of whether public acclaim or commercial endorsements came her way There is a lesson there for so many aspiring women athletes keen to make it in the challenging world of Indian sportHaving interacted with her a few years ago what struck me was her quiet confidence and the ease with which she wore her accolades and her lsquocaptainrsquo tag ldquoYou need to be empathetic with your team with the people around you everything else will followrdquo she said That for me was another insight into the wonder woman who gave up Bharatanatyam for cricket At 38 shersquos seen and done it all But we hope therersquos more to come Womenrsquos sport needs more inspiring path breakers like her who carry on irrespective of whether the spotlight is on them or notmiddayrsquos Features Editor Fiona Fernandez relishes the cityrsquos sights sounds smells and stoneswherever the ink and the inclination takes her She tweets bombayanaSend your feedback to mailbagmiddaycom