Anaya Bangar has been the subject of town gossip on social media since the world became aware of her journey of change. Anaya had hormone replacement therapy and gender-affirming surgery to change the way she identified herself to better fit what she felt she was. Yet, the alterations came at great expense to Anaya, being informed by her own father that there is no room for her in cricket any longer. Already engaged in a battle with society, fighting the inner conflict of mind and demons of the external world, Anaya had to abandon the sport she rightfully cherished.
Revelations from the Interview
During a recent interview, Anaya revealed her decision to leave cricket. Although the subject was naturally a touchy one, given that the message was from her father, Anaya indicated that her Sanjay made it known that there’s no room for her in cricket in the future. This is how the exchange went.
Interviewer: “You said that your father asked you to stop playing cricket as there’s no space for you in the sport anymore.”
Anaya: “I don’t want to talk about my father in this interview.”
Interviewer: “The video is already available in the public domain. You mentioned it yourself, I am only quoting you.”
Anaya: “Yes, I am aware about that. He was just stating fact that there’s no place for me in cricket. I had to take a stand for myself. I did get suicidal thoughts as it felt like the entire world is against me and the decision I took (hormone therapy to become a woman), now has left me with no space in this system. Even basic opportunities and rights are no longer there for me.”
“I still had space for myself from the family point of view. But it wasn’t there in society, cricket or the exterior world.”
Experiences of Harassment Post-Transition Faced by Anaya Bangar
Further in the interview, Anaya also revealed that a senior cricketer sent him nudes, hoping to sleep with her after coming to know of the transformation.
“I have played with some well-known cricketers like Musheer Khan, Sarfaraz Khan, and Yashasvi Jaiswal. I had to maintain secrecy about myself because my dad is a well-known figure. The cricket world is filled with insecurity and toxic masculinity,” she added.
“There has been support and there have been some harassments as well. There have been a few cricketers who randomly sent me nude pictures of them.”
“The person used to give gaalis in front of everybody. The same person then used to come and sit beside me and ask for my photos. In another instance, when I was in India, I told a veteran cricketer about my situation. He told me let’s go in the car. I want to sleep with you,” she explained.
