Cricket behind the veil

Subhash Rajta

About a decade back, Sakina Akhtar became the first-ever qualified woman cricket coach in Kashmir. Overnight, she turned into a celebrity of sorts in the Valley, with local publications tripping over each other to splash her story and interviews.

In this era when women are within a touching distance of flying fighter jets – smashing yet another male bastion — one may find it a little hard to acknowledge and appreciate her feat. Nonetheless, it was quite an achievement, primarily because of the circumstances it came in about and the odds she fought to achieve it. Her family, to put it mildly, was less than supportive of her sporting pursuits; the conservative society was almost hostile; the Valley was smoldering while she was growing up, and there was absolutely nothing available in terms of sports infrastructure and coaching/guidance.

“Sports was not for girls, as simple as that. And playing with boys was just not okay,” recalls Sakina. “I did both. I, somehow, got hooked to cricket, but had to play with the neighbourhood boys because there was no other girl interested in the sport.”

No one quite approved of her playing cricket, especially with the boys. The censure and opposition kept getting harsher and tougher with time. “I carried on despite the disapproval and everyday reprimands at home. But eventually the criticism in and outside the family became too much, and I had to give in,” says Sakina. “But I continued playing in school and later in college.”

Achiever or under-achiever?

What Sakina eventually settled for wasn’t an achievement, it was rather an underachievement. A talented cricketer that she was, she could have aimed much higher, and who knows she might have played for the country. Unfortunately, she didn’t. She didn’t because she didn’t know that she could have; she didn’t because there was none to show her the way.

On the advice of an acquaintance, who meant well, she took a coaching diploma from NIS Patiala, and settled for a coaching job. “I had learnt my cricket playing with boys, so I was easily the best when I started playing with girls. Though I knew I was good, I didn’t know what to aim for,” says Sakina, who has been a cricket coach at Kashmir University for the last eight years now.

A decade after Sakina had to settle for much less than what she could have achieved, Jasia Akhtar is determined to script a different ending to her story that began pretty much like Sakina’s.

“I have promised myself that I won’t take up any job as long as there’s a slimmest hope alive of my playing for the country,” says the 24-year-old with determination. Hailing from a small village in Kashmir’s Shopian district, Jasia, unlike Sakina, knows there are opportunities available to her; also, she has the self-belief, determination and, above all, the required support and guidance to avail these.

Showing the way

Interestingly, it was Sakina who encouraged Jasia to spread her wings and chase her dreams. She has been a mentor and a guide to the youngster — something she didn’t have when she herself was in the same situation.

“I met Sakina during one of our college camps. She thought I had the talent to make it big, and she suggested that I should relocate to some other state for better opportunities and facilities. I took her advice and shifted to Punjab,” says Jasia. “I am the first girl from Kashmir to play for some other state.”

For the last three years, Jasia has been representing Punjab in the domestic circuit. She has been doing well for her adopted state. “She’s good, especially in the T20 format. She’s isn’t the textbook player, but hits the ball really hard, and is very dangerous in T20s,” says Punjab coach RP Singh.

Jasia, too, began her tryst with cricket just like Sakina did — by playing with the neighbourhood boys. She was into athletics as well, and had already represented her state in two nationals — school and junior nationals by the time she was in Class VIII.

“But everything changed in 2004. I was in Class VIII then. Militants stormed our home and told my family to put an end to my sporting activities. Although my father stood up for me, I got scared and gave up sports altogether,” remembers Jasia.

And it wasn’t until six years later, in 2010 — she was in college then — that she thought of taking up sports again. It was one of her teachers who got her back into sports. Later, Sakina spotted this talented girl and gave her the confidence to dream big. It’s quite remarkable that despite losing six crucial years, Jasia was still up to scratch when she started playing again. “I don’t know what the future holds for me, but right now I am doing quite well. I’ve been contributing consistently for my team in the last three seasons, and I hope to play for the country sooner or later,” says Jasia.

During the past three years since she shifted, Jasia has grown not only as a cricketer but as a person too. The exposure has given her a new perspective on larger issues. “I had moved out to fulfil a personal ambition, but now I realise how big it could be for the girls back home. They lack self-belief and are scared to step out of their homes. My story should tell them that if I could, they could too,” she said. “Hopefully, it will change the mindset of those parents, too, who don’t allow their girls to follow their heart.”

Back home, Sakina can already feel the light breeze of change. “I can see the parents now aren’t as fiercely opposed to the idea of their daughters entering the sports arenas as they were during my time,” she said.

“Even my own parents now admit that they were wrong in not being more encouraging and supporting. So yes, the change is happening, but not as rapidly as is required.” Maybe Jasia’s story, which is still in the making, will it give it the much-needed thrust.

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Connecting with ‘India’

Jasia Akhtar has set her eyes on another goal. The spirited Kashmiri girl believes that if she succeeds in making it to the Indian team, the connect of the Valley with the rest of the country will strengthen. “Honestly speaking, many back home still feel they are discriminated against, and that they don’t get as many opportunities as people in other parts of the country,” said Jasia. “If I manage to play for India, it will assuage those feelings to some extent; it will tell them that opportunities are there for everyone, one just needs pursue them wholeheartedly,” says Jasia.

Has she ever felt discriminated against outside Kashmir?  “I’ve got more opportunities in Punjab than I did back home. But when I was home, I also had a feeling that maybe the system was not fair to us, but the last three years away from home have convinced me that it’s not true. Perhaps, one needs to venture out, see and experience things for oneself.”

She’s convinced that it her performance on the field that’s going to decide whether she can convert her dream of playing for the country into reality. “If I keep scoring runs, I will get there; if I don’t perform, nothing can get me there.”

Her being a Kashmiri, in both the cases, would be just incidental.