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Emergence of WOMEN POWER
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It is time cricket is popularised among women. A recent camp brought in heartening response from places such as K.R. Pet
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Bennet King, Chief Coach of the Commonwealth Bank Cricket Academy, based in Australia, giving expert advice to some women cricketers.
THAT WAS the catchline last week when the Assembly Election results ushered in a new power equation in three States. Quite symbolic of the astounding success Uma Bharathi, Shiela Dixit, and Vijayaraje Scindia met with on the political front, Mamatha Maben was boldly batting for the cause of women's cricket here in Bangalore.
Mamatha led Indian eves to a comprehensive Series victory over New Zealand at Bangalore. In a sense it was grand revival of international cricket in the City, home for two outstanding contributors of their time, Shantha Rangaswamy and Kalpana.
"This New Zealand game has given a timely shot in the arm for women's cricket in the city," says Irfan Sait, Joint Secretary of the Indian Women's Cricket Association.
In fact, it was at his Karnataka Institute of Cricket that City's women's cricket found its second wind. It had almost gone into a shell once Shantha, a prime force at the time, was relocated to the North of the country by her employer Canara Bank. The local scene was absolutely lively when Shantha was around. Somehow that zeal for cricket among the city womenfolk went missing during the early 1990s to the point of extinction. For six long years women's cricket in Bangalore was dead as a doornail.
This gloomy scenario dramatically changed in 1996 when the KIOC set up a camp exclusively for girls at the RBANMS grounds. Shantha's return to the city in a way helped. More importantly, some of the players who had given up the game, Kalpana, Jamuna Patil, Mala, willingly came forward to help the novices. After the usual teething problems, the camp opened a window of opportunity for some talented youngsters. Today, some of the products of this novel scheme are playing for the country. Mamatha Maben, Karuna Jain, and Nooshin Al Khadeer owe their present status to that timely revival. Irfan recalls how difficult it was for him to convince Nooshin's father as to why this girl who did well in athletics and hockey for FAPS should switch over to cricket. Somehow parents were unwilling to let their daughters get into cricket as an option. Today, Nooshin holds the best bowling record for a one-dayer - 5 for 14 against England.
Irfan says all this has changed. There is greater awareness among the girls. Greater willingness to take up the game.
The standards have improved. More significantly, professional colleges are willing to allot seats to girls who excel in cricket. This is a giant step forward."
"This New Zealand game has generated a lot of interest here. There are so many enquiries from parents who want their daughters to play cricket".
There are as many as 80 girls in the KIS camp. Colleges are a lot keener nowadays about women's cricket and slowly but surely club level cricket is also making progress. In general Women's cricket in the city is looking up says Irfan.
Recently, Bennet King, Chief Coach of the Commonwealth Bank Cricket Academy, based in Australia, visited the KIS Camp. He was impressed with what he saw, says Irfan. The trainees were also thrilled at the prospect of having a coach of his repute in their midst.
A phone call from a girl in a remote part of Mysore District has given fresh impetus for KIOC to spread the game to the rural areas. This little girl who called up KIOC from K.R.Pet wondered why girls in her region could not play the game.
"Our aim is to take women's cricket to rural areas as well," Irfan says.
"In that direction we have arranged some matches involving visiting teams at Hubli. The idea is to create awareness rather than market it as competition."
Mamatha Maben and Nooshin Khadeer have given all cricket loving-playing girls a sumptuous food for thought. Deepika Babu is already in line for a place in the Indian team. But the brightest prospects are Rashmi Shivashankar and Sindhu Ashok. Both still in their teens.
We want to prove a point. Once Shantha thundered: "We can bring a thrilling element to cricket too." That is if people playing, watching, and running the game do not give in to that gender bias.
H.S. MANJUNATH
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