Anaya Bangar
“It’s been lonely, it’s been brutal, but it’s also been worth it,” Anaya told PTI. “Right now, just hearing the news about Cricket Australia clearing me, and basically providing me a path to play women’s cricket, to play cricket as who I am is huge for me,” she said. You feel very lonely, you feel like there’s no one who really understands out there,” she said.
“…when you’re transitioning, and when you’re a trans-athlete, during this political climate in this world, it can get very isolating.
Anaya, whose father is former India player and decorated coach Sanjay Bangar , said she had eventually given up hope of playing cricket again after beginning her transition. “To be honest, emotionally, it’s just been all by myself, but I’m grateful for the support for the necessities that I had from my family,” she said. Anaya said the experience of stepping away from the sport she loved, undergoing major personal changes and dealing with changing family dynamics ultimately made her stronger. Go through major changes, go through major family dynamic changes and everything,” she said.
“To be honest, transitioning was always about being happy and comfortable in my own skin. And I had to take the necessary steps during that time in my life to basically give up the sport that I loved.