Born a girl, named Aanchal, she joined the transgender community at 13. Ridiculed by society and often left alone to unravel the dilemma of her biological truth did not, however, deter Aanchal from pursuing her inner calling. Powerlifting.
And now, Surat’s Aanchal is the city’s pride with the three medals she bagged at the recently concluded National Powerlifting Meet. The sporting event, the first of its kind ever held in the country, was held from March 17 to 19 at the Surat Indoor Stadium. A total of 300 players from 26 states participated in the competition. States represented included Punjab, Kashmir, Bihar, Arunachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh.
“I won gold in all three events of the 50 kg category. This is the first time ever that transgender was a category at any national-level meet. We are grateful that the government has acknowledged us and is ready to go ahead on the lines of inclusivity,” shared a beaming Aanchal.
The newly-crowned star attributed all success to coach Akbar Sheikh. “Hard work and constant motivation from Akbar Sir made this possible,” she added.
Aanchal stressed the need to uplift promising talent from the transgender community. “I hope that gifted potential from the transgender community comes forward in all fields. Even though people in society discriminate against us, sport is a field where I have never seen any discrimination. We also have talent. Hard work and support from the mainstream is all we need,” as she put it.
Aanchal recalled how some sections of society keep transgenders at distance. “We face trouble even in renting out places. No one wants us as tenants. I went to a regular school and studied right up to class 10 and know Gujarati, Hindi, and English. We just need more people like Akbar Sir to make the world a better place to live in,” was the signing off note.
