New Delhi: Sanjay Bangar’s daughter Anaya Bangar took to social media and shared a heartwarming photo with her father and family after a long time on Diwali.
Ananya posted the photo on Instagram along with a touching caption, “Light feels different this year — softer, steadier, closer to home.” The photo has taken social media by storm and has already hit 3 lakh likes.
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Earlier this year, Ananya had shared that her father had firmly told her she wouldn’t be allowed to pursue cricket going forward.
“He was just stating the 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 was against me, and the decision I took (hormone therapy to become a woman) has now left me with no space in this system,” Anaya had told Lallantop.
“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 external world.”
Anaya opened up about having a “complex” relationship with her father
Anaya also opened up about having a “complex” relationship with her father, “My relationship with my father is complex, like many families navigating change. I hope that one day he will find a way to stand beside me,” she was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.
Earlier this year, Ananya had shared a post on Instagram in which the 24-year-old presented a detailed scientific report to back her case for playing cricket, “It began as me wanting to play again, but the more I spoke up, the more I realised that my journey is tied to so many who feel invisible in Indian sport,” Anaya wrote on Instagram.
“My personal dream and public advocacy have become the same thing now,” she added. “Walking back onto the field, this time as Anaya, won’t just be about playing but reclaiming the right to belong, compete, and dream with dignity. Well-known cricketers from both the men’s and women’s sides have messaged me. Some just sent a heart. Some said, ‘We see you.’ It made me emotional. Because in a sport where silence is common, even a whisper of support can feel like thunder,” added Anaya.