Anaya Bangar to seek ICC, BCCI backing for Transgender participation in cricket, says 'I am eligible for women's cricket'
New Delhi: The daughter of a former India cricketer, Sanjay Bangar, Anaya Bangar has urged the ICC and the BCCI to show support to the transgender athletes. Once Aryan, now Anaya, posted an eight-page report of athlete testing on Instagram detailing her transition experience after a year of the Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT). On one of the videos posted on the platform, she shared that she was eligible to play women cricket and she talked of how she partnered with Manchester Metropolitan University in the process.
The 23-year-old also revealed that Manchester Metropolitan University checked her muscle power, endurance, glucose as well as oxygen levels and compared their values to those of cisgender female athletes. All her parameters were within a normal range as per the reports compared to those of cisgender female athletes. View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Anaya Bangar (@anayabangar)
'For the first time, I'm sharing the scientific report that documents my journey as a trans woman athlete. Over the past year, I've undergone structured physiological assessments after starting hormone therapy. This report captures the real, measurable impact of my transition not opinions, not assumptions, but data,' Anaya can be heard as saying in the video.
'I'm submitting this to the BCCI and ICC, with full transparency and hope. My only intention is to start a conversation based on facts not fear. To build space, not divide it. Whether you agree or not, thank you for witnessing,' she added.
'Science kehta hai main women's cricket ke liye eligible hoon. Ab sawaal yeh hai kya duniya tayyar hai sach sunne ke liye? (Science says I am eligible for women's cricket. Now, the question is whether the world ready to accept the truth?' Anaya captioned the video.
Currently transgender cricketers have been denied the right to take part in women cricket. The ICC made this limitation at a board meeting, which was held after the end of the 2023 Cricket World Cup.
Anaya had a hormonal replacement therapy and gender reaffirming surgery last year and he now resides in the United Kingdom.
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