Girls should get the same sporting opportunities as boys

It begins in the mindset at home. While we definitely see more participation of girls in sport, families have to be encouraging and equal from the outset. The fact that we do not yet see our public spaces, especially maidans, even empty streets on holidays full of girls playing cricket, like we see boys, or even football, tells us that there is still some way to go when it comes to sport parity. There may be a number of reasons for this, prime among which is a cultural mindset which stops girls from going out to play in public spaces.  The girls themselves are reluctant to claim the streets as they are afraid to be made fun of or ridiculed, becoming the butt of comments from passers-by as they play on the roads. This once again stems from a fear of being harassed, as they may have faced such situations in the past, even while simply walking on the roads or hanging out with friends, in public transport.

Today, we see women runners on our streets, especially early mornings. We want to see more girls playing different sport, even exercising outdoors without fear and with the same sense of entitlement as boys and men do. That begins at the very root, the smallest unit called home. 

Every sporting competition for women, at any level — local, district, city, state or national — should be a spur for girls induction into sport, with the ongoing cricket World Cup being just that.

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