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International Women’s Day: Cheers to captains of #TeamIndia
On International Women’s Day (March 8), meet five captains of five women’s teams who have led India to sporting glory in the year gone by. Here’s their story from before the world celebrated their podium finish!
When the crowd chants India, these Indian team sports’ captains forget all the hardships faced in the journey and set their eyes on just one target: win medal for India! On International Women’s Day, today, here’s raising a toast to the women who have led India to sporting glory with a podium finish in the year gone by.
Tumhari beti toh andhi hai cricket kya khelegi: Indian Women’s Blind Cricket Team captain Deepika
“The day we won the World Cup, everything changed,” exclaims Deepika TC. Captain of the Indian Women’s Blind Cricket team that created history by lifting the inaugural Women’s T20 World Cup for the Blind last November, is still that innocent girl from a village in Andhra Pradesh who faced constant discrimination yet turned all odds to earn her family’s fortune!
“I was just five-months-old when I accidentally poked my fingernails into my eyes,” recounts the 23-year-old, sharing how the playful incident caused irreversible damage to her, leading to an injury that gradually resulted in partial blindness.
But nothing could deter her resolve! “I am the eldest; I have two younger brothers. Very early in life I had decided that ladki hui toh kya, main apne parivar ki zindagi sudharungi... When I turned 18, someone told my father that they can get me treated. My dad loves me and wanted to take a loan for my treatment. But, I stopped him and told him ‘Bahut se log bahut si mushkilon ke beech bhi bahut kuch achieve karlete hain. Toh main kyun nahi?’ After winning the World Cup, the first thing I did was that I repaid all the loans that my father had taken to raise our family. That was the proudest day of my life.”
Beyond fighting the physical challenge of visual impairment, this cricketer endured all the bullying and harsh comments that came her way -- including taunts by neighbours and being bullied at school. Overcoming these and other obstacles, she took up the responsibility to aid in resolving the financial status of her family as she thought it was her duty to do so being the eldest among the three siblings. She shares, “Har kadam pe mushkil aayi hai lekin kabhi niraash nahi hui kyunki khud mein bahut yakeen lekar paida hui thi. When I was a young school girl, though I had no sight yet I was very excited to always play different sports... I still remember how the neighbours in our village used to taunt my parents, “Tumhari beti toh andhi hai, padh sakti nahi toh cricket kya khelegi!”
But little did they know that Deepika wasn’t one to not up her game. “The day we won the World Cup, the same neighbours came up to my parents and told them, ‘Tumhari beti ki tasveer dekhi akhbaar mein’. When my parents told me this, I could sense the pride in their voice.”
We deserve more equality and respect: Indian Women’s Kabaddi Team captain Ritu
A moment that strengthened the position of Indian women in sports, in the year gone by, is the Women’s Kabaddi World Cup. Leading the Indian Women’s Kabaddi team to victory, from the front, was Ritu Negi.
But, kabaddi came with its own set of challenges when she first took it up. “Kabaddi is played in shorts, and that in itself was a huge thing for someone coming from a small town. When I started playing back home in Himachal Pradesh, everyone questioned, ‘Kabaddi khel kar kya hoga, koi career thodi banega ismein’. But it was my family that never let me listen to the outside noise,” says the 33-year-old.
“When you win, you create a path for the next generation of young girls,” shares Ritu, as she wishes for more equality when it comes to women in sports. “We won a World Cup and are yet to be invited and felicitated like the other team sports. Facilities, equipment, resources — we have to compromise everywhere. We deserve more respect and equality!”
Truly, the World Cup triumph was about proving a point. “Winning the World Cup meant we showed the nation that if given an equal chance we can bring pride to the country. To win on a world stage was a big moment for women’s kabaddi in India, but I still feel disheartened,” says Ritu who has often broken barriers and fought against all odds, as she believes “many challenges remain for women to overcome, in the sport”.
Despite the struggles, she says the team continues to work hard to bring laurels to the country. “We have got used to it and still work really hard to win for our country. But I hope the next generation of girls who want to represent India in our sport are given more opportunities... Ladke aur ladkiyan dono mehnat karte hain, medal bhi dono late hain. Bas humein equal treat karo. We just wish to receive the same facilities, resources, love and respect as the men’s team.”
If you have the talent, nothing should stop you: India Women’s National Ice Hockey Team captain Tsewang Chuskit
Hardly anyone knew that India has a women’s ice hockey team until the women on skates created history by winning India its first-ever medal — a bronze at the IIHF Asia Cup. Team’s captain, Tsewang Chuskit still sees the moment as a journey coming full circle as well as a pioneering step for Indian women in sports.
“I remember in 2016, when we were travelling together for the first time as India’s Women’s Ice Hockey Team, people at the airport looked at our jerseys and told us that they didn’t even know India had a women’s team in the sport. And last year, when we won the bronze, so many little girls came up to us when we were returning home and said that they wanted to play like us. To become an example for the young dreamers was bigger than any medal or trophy,” shares Chuskit, who takes pride in creating an identity for India on the global stage.
“My girls and I have created history and put Indian ice hockey on the world map,” says the 32 years old, adding, “We have shown that India can excel in niche sports too and that we have the talent to win medals. If we receive more support through finances and fans backing, we will bring home the gold medal next time and not just one, from wherever we go.”
Tracing her love for the sport back to her childhood in Ladakh, she recounts: “My home is near the Pangong Lake, and for months it remains frozen. Initially, I learnt the sport just for fun. But slowly I realised what ice hockey really is and that I could become a good player at it and dedicate my life to the game.”
The skipper believes that moments like the International Women’s Day, are an opportunity to spotlight inspiring journeys. “When young girls across the country read stories of women in sports who have overcome challenges to achieve their dreams, it inspires them to believe in themselves. That is why it’s important to highlight these stories on such days. I want girls in this country to never listen to people who doubt them. If you know you have the talent, nothing should ever stop you!”
Playing sports is not a privilege but a right that we have earned: Salima Tete, Captain of India Women’s Field Hockey team
The India women’s national field hockey team has grown into one that not just enters the stadium with head held high, but also walks out beating the best in the business! Captain Salima Tete has witnessed this transformation first hand, from the days when girls picked up hockey stick with hesitation to now as the new generation walks onto the field with a determined mindset. Having won silver at the Women’s Hockey Asia Cup 2025, the team’s rise reflects a larger shift in the confidence of young Indian women in sport.
“When you believe in yourself, even the strongest opponent does not look impossible and that is the sense of self belief I see in the juniors coming in. They know they belong because we win on the biggest of stages,” says Salima, who received the Arjuna Award in 2024. Sharing that the biggest change she now notices is the belief young girls now carry with them. “Earlier women used to step onto the field with a lot of hesitation because they were unsure about their potential and always doubted by the society. But today, when young Indian girls take to the field, you can feel this new confidence that they come with which is the biggest change I see. Playing sport is no longer a privilege but a right that India’s women have fought for and earned, with the performance we have been putting in across all sports,” she adds.
“In villages earlier, people did not even know what hockey was, but now they watch us play and they realise that girls can achieve a lot if they are given the chance,” shares the 24-year-old, who hails from a village in Jharkhand. She believes the journey of girls in sport still depends heavily on the support they receive from their families, and adds: “I still hear stories of girls being married off very early and their dreams ending there. But things are changing slowly and I feel the future will be better. In my case, my parents always supported me. My father loved hockey and whenever there was a tournament he would tell me that I must go and play. That encouragement means everything.”
“If you truly want something, you must stand up for it,” says Tete, who the young girls to imbibe courage and self belief. She adds: “Sometimes we stop ourselves because we feel pressure from family or society. At least try to speak to your parents and make them understand your dream. And if you know in your heart that you have the talent, then do not let anyone stop you. You have to fight for your own dreams. India’s women will lead the way and bring many more medals for years to come.”
I am my biggest inspiration: India Women’s Kho Kho Team captain Priyanka Ingle
When Priyanka Ingle led her team to lift the trophy of the inaugural Kho Kho World Cup 2025, held in India, the pressure she faced was one-of-its kind. But she and the women in blue did not crack under it! “All of us girls have come from backgrounds and faced rejections and negativity ever since we took to sports. So, for us, to go throught it all then get to a stage in our life where we get to wear the India jersey is huge achievement. There is no way we were not winning the World Cup as the fire within us could not be stopped,” says the 25-year-old.
The Pune born, shares that while most look for inspiration outside she found it within her self, “Yes there have been many women that I have looked up to, my seniors, from other sports. But the one woman I look up to the most is me. I am my biggest inspiration. Ladkiyon mein bahut dum hota hai. Humne kho kho mein (prove) karke dikhaya, toh kisi ne doosre sports mein. And not just sports, Indian women have proved it on every field... We will keep shining and make our country a better place where young girls never have to face the challenges that we once did.”
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