With #PressforProgress being this year’s theme for International Women’s Day, we acknowledge and laud the feats these women from across the country have achieved for themselves.
A TOP-CLASS BOWLER
A TOP-CLASS BOWLER
All-rounder Jhulan Goswami has become the first female cricketer to take 200 ODI wickets. “The best part is that these wickets came at a crucial time for us, whenever we needed a breakthrough; so it was for a winning cause and nothing gives me more satisfaction than being a part of the winning side. My team members have been of great help without which I couldn’t have come this far. We share great camaraderie and enjoy each other’s successes, and that’s the reason why all the players are able to perform,” states Jhulan.
The player continues: “Personally, I feel my conditioning has been the secret to my success. The fitter you are, the better you can perform. This extensive training help me come out of a slump. I always feel proud to play for the country, which is such a great honor and that’s why I enjoy every moment of my career.”
FLOWING PERSEVERANCE
In December last year, visually-impaired athlete Kanchanmala Pande became the first Indian to bag gold at the World Para Swimming Championship in Mexico.
Originally from Amravati district in Maharashtra, she secured the top spot in the 200 metres medley event in the S-11 category. After the win, Kanchanmala said in one of her interviews that even though she had prepared well for the championship, securing the top position came as a surprise. Prior to this Championship and at the time when she was supposed to participate in a para swimming event in Germany, Kanchanmala was seen begging on the streets of Germany as the sanctioned government money wasn’t transferred to her.
SOARING HIGH
SOARING HIGH
In a world where women are considered physically weak, 24-year-old flying officer Avani Chaturvedi has shattered all stereotypes by becoming the first Indian woman to fly a fighter aircraft solo. After finishing her schooling, Avani completed her bachelors in technology from the reputed Banasthali University in Rajasthan. Reportedly, she is highly inspired by her brother, who also serves in the Indian Army. Avani is from the first batch of three women officers, including Bhawana Kanth and Mohana Singh, who were commissioned as fighter pilots in the Indian Air Force in June 2016.
FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH
Majiziya Bhanu created history recently when she became the first woman from her state to win the Mr Kerala bodybuilding competition while sporting a hijab.
Wearing a burkini and a proud smile, the 23-year-old simply stunned everyone as she stepped onto the stage. While she initially wanted to pursue a career in boxing, she soon shifted to powerlifting as she had braces at the time. And that changed her life!
Majiziya was declared ‘Strong Woman of Kerala’ thrice by the Kerala Powerlifting Association. She also won the silver medal at the Asian Powerlifting Championship in 2017. She was later inspired by Egyptian women bodybuilders and trained and enrolled herself for the bodybuilding competition. The high-spirited woman shares, “Right from school, I was into athletics and was fascinated by boxing and weightlifting. I live in a village where not even men train in powerlifting. Once I finished school, they gave me the freedom to pursue anything I liked as long as I found the time to study. So, I got in touch with my brother’s swimming instructor and asked him if there was anything interesting like boxing or weightlifting under the sports council anywhere in Kozhikode. From there, I was introduced to a boxing instructor, who recognised my capacity to get involved in something challenging and suggested that I try powerlifting.” Majiziya has proved yet again that anything is possible if you work hard towards it.
More power to them!
More power to them!
The Pune-based adventurist and Padma Shri recipient set a new record by becoming the first Indian to skydive from a height of 13,000 feet wearing a nauvari or the traditional nine-yard sari. She shares, “I wanted to do something for the Marathi community, so I felt a skydiving act done wearing a nauvari sari would be unique. I wanted to prove to the world that Indian women are capable of anything if they are given an opportunity.”
She adds, “Being a mother of two, I want to inspire women. I have skydived in all the seven continents and have made 17 national and six world records. The world is progressing and women are transforming lives by playing vital roles in every sphere of life, and women empowerment is the current hymn.”
A YOUNG SEED
While most kids her age are busy playing and finishing their homework, 13-year-old Aanya Soni has become the youngest Indian to be selected for an expedition to Antarctica. The teenager, a student of Class VIII at the Sahyadri School in Pune, cares deeply about the environment and is among the 80 chosen ones from across the globe for ‘Climate Force: Antarctica 2018 Expedition’. Since Aanya is a minor, she will be accompanied by her mother Pratibha on the trip.
By joining the expedition, Aanya is set to become a part of a vast global movement comprising international change leaders. She will also be connected to thousands of Climate Force/IAE alumni in over 100 countries, which will give her access to a diverse set of ideas and resources on climate change.
Back with a bang!
Back with a bang!
In quite a gripping final, India edged out the very strong team of China in the Asia Cup finals in November 2017, clinching the gold after 13 long years! This was their second win after finishing at the top in 2004. What’s more, this win made them qualify for the 2018 Hockey World Cup by default.
It was quite a monumental achievement for the team that was written off in the last word cup, where they were placed ninth. In fact, in the tournament before that, the Hockey Word Cup 2010, the team didn’t even qualify to play! While they showed sheer dominance in their game and reclaimed the Asia Cup and also qualified for the World Cup, the team’s goalie Savita was adjudged the ‘Goalkeeper of the Tournament’.
Winning shot
Winning shot
Just a couple of days ago, Haryana’s Manu Bhaker brought home the gold in the Women’s 10m Air Pistol final at 2018’s first International Shooting Sport Federation (ISSF) World Cup staged in Mexico. Says the winner, “This was my first participation in the world cup and I am extremely thrilled about the feat! I remember pushing myself, talking a lot to myself to re-gather my thoughts during the last shot. I guess my never-say-die attitude helped clinch the medal. It’s important to have a good start to the new season and nothing can be a better motivator than a win. The fact that I took up the sport only two years ago makes it more thrilling. I tried my hand at a different sport earlier, but my parents always stood beside me like pillars of support.”
A PROMISING GYMNAST
More power to them!
A PROMISING GYMNAST
Last month, Buddha Aruna Reddy became the first Indian gymnast to clinch an individual medal at the Gymnastics World Cup in Melbourne. She says, “This is my first international medal and my most cherished moment so far. I want to dedicate this medal to my late father who has introduced me to gymnastics.
Today what I am is all because of him and I owe everything to him. The win is a reflection of the confidence and belief my team has in me, and I am glad I have made a mark for myself as the new pin-up girl of gymnastics.”
Interestingly, Aruna wasn’t even aware at first that she was the first Indian to win a medal in gymnastics. “So, winning a world cup medal after starting a career in gymnastics almost 13 years ago has been very special! What was really touching to see is the kind of reception I received when I arrived here. The kind of buoyancy and fillip success gives you is great, but I am not going to rest on my laurels, I will start prepping up for the upcoming Commonwealth Games. The win has only made me more responsible,” shares the champ.
HISTORY IN THE MAKING
A six-member all-women team of the Indian Navy are on a journey around the world, travelling on an indigenous 55-foot sailing vessel, INSV Tarini, circumnavigating the globe — a first for a women’s team from India! The team consists of lieutenants Payal Gupta, B. Aishwarya and Vijaya Devi and lieutenant commanders Pratibha Jamwal and P. Swathi, all of whom are being led by Lieutenant Commander Vartika Joshi.
The voyage is being called the ‘Navika Sagar Parikrama Expedition’. The team left from Goa in September last year and had stopovers at Fremantle (Australia), Lyttelton (New Zealand), Port Stanley (Falklands) and Cape Town (South Africa).
After setting out on their voyage, the team posted the following words on their blog: “Flagged off (the expedition) by the Defense Minister (Nirmala Sitharaman) herself, eight days after she took chair. One thing that she said registered with us: “This is not an event that occurs every five or 10 years; it is an event that will go down in history.” So carrying this big responsibility on our shoulders, we set out on this voyage.” INSV Tarini is presently at Cape Town to replenish and service the equipment and gear up for the final leg of its maiden voyage across the globe.
BREAKING GROUND FOR PEACE
Earlier this year, the government of Chhattisgarh deployed a team of women commandos to carry out anti-naxal operations in the state. Interestingly, these women commandos have also been involved in several development initiatives in the area. For instance, one particular platoon of female commandos (one platoon comprises 36 soldiers) is looking after the construction of the roads in the region.
This move by the government has witnessed a great response from villagers, who have voluntarily come forward to help the female officers on ground. Reportedly, since this deployment, the casualty of officers has also gone down in the naxal-inflicted areas of Chhatisgarh.
WRESTLING FOR GOLD
WRESTLING FOR GOLD
Navjot Kaur scripted history by becoming the first Indian woman to win gold (in the 65 kg freestyle category) at the Senior Asian Wrestling Championships, held recently in Kyrgyzstan. She shares, “This victory means a lot to me because I have been prepping for the big occasion since a very long time. One of the key elements of this success is my approach towards the game and my preparation at the national camp. The whole team was constantly encouraging me and I’m really pleased that the efforts have paid off.
There were anxious moments during the final stage but I backed my strength (defense) and held my nerve, and managed to get through. It was a proud and emotional moment because I took up wrestling only to live my elder sister Navneet’s dream. It’s a great start to 2018 as Indian women wrestlers are in great form and are winning medals for the country with their phenomenal performances.”
