Sports Desk
NEW DELHI: Celebrations are under way in India after its women’s cricket team won the inaugural Under-19 World Cup, in what has been termed a landmark moment in the history of women’s cricket in the country.
India slammed England by seven wickets in an exciting one-sided Under-19 WC final held in South Africa on Sunday, becoming the first women’s cricket team to have claimed a world championship.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi termed the victory a thrilling and inspiring moment for India.
Legendary batsman Sachin Tendulkar said the victory would “inspire a whole generation to take up sports”.
The Indian Women’s Cricket Team at BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) in a tweet shared a short video on the champions.
Women cricketers struggling to find recognition in India
In India, cricket is a hugely popular yet male-dominated sport, where women cricketers have found it hard to enjoy the same level of recognition and funding as their male counterparts.
In recent years, the Indian cricket board has made several attempts to address the situation and bring women’s cricket at par with the men’s category. For example, last year, the BCCI announced a women’s version of the Indian Premier League (IPL), the world’s biggest Twenty20 franchise competition. But women athletes in India still face stigma around sports as they are often seen unfit for the profession.
