Rubia first from Valley to make it to zone team

Rifat Mohidin

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, February 25

Rubia Syed, 21, daughter of a tailor from south Kashmir’s Anantnag district, has become the first woman from Jammu and Kashmir to make it to the North Zone team of Indian women’s cricket.

Syed hails from Badasgam village, which is 14 km away from Anantnag town. It was all due to the support of her parents that Syed was allowed to pursue her passion of cricket despite the financial constraints at home.

“At times, my father had no money but he never let me feel the burden. He did every possible thing to help me so that I can continue playing cricket,” says Syed, who is currently in Mumbai taking part in a tournament organised by the BCCI.

In the recently held under-23 cricket tournament in Amritsar, Syed became the first girl from J&K team to be selected for the North Zone cricket team for her performance.

“There is a lot of competition. The other girls are very well trained but I am also working hard to take full advantage of this platform. I play as an all-rounder and I will give my 100 per cent in the upcoming matches,” says Syed, who is the elder of the two siblings.

For Syed, the moral boost was her coach Sakeena Akhtar, who is the first qualified female coach at the University of Kashmir, who trained her extensively and helped her to get the platform.

“Sakeena Akhtar has been my inspiration and she has always encouraged the girls to play. Many girls get trained from her. If there would not have been a female coach, many girls would not get encouraged,” says Syed, whose mother wants to see her making a career as a cricketer.

Making a mark despite lack of proper infrastructure for cricketers in the Valley, Syed has definitely become an inspiration to many players.

“In such difficult political circumstances, making a choice to play cricket for women is very hard. These girls are doing it despite little infrastructure and institutional support. They have god-gifted talent which needs polishing and I am sure they will go very far in life if we support them,” says Sakeena, who is the first female cricket coach in the Valley.

“But unfortunately, there is very little support for these girls from society and their families but I am trying to encourage them,” she says.