The day I was born, everyone cried鈥�
I was supposed to be a boy, but there I was鈥攁 chocolate-skinned, 5lb girl, daughter number four born to parents desperate for a son to carry the Kalyana family name. My great-grandfather, 鈥楤hai,鈥� asked for 鈥楾oto鈥� to be passed to him and blessed me in Swahili, tears in his eyes. I鈥檓 guessing my Kenyan dada didn鈥檛 realize 鈥淭oto鈥� is also the dog in The Wizard of Oz, nor that his great-granddaughter would carry his name across the world, telling stories of women in sport.
Fast forward 50 years, and I鈥檓 on a stage in Delhi, serving as a jury member alongside the Director General of the BBC at the BBC Indian Sportswoman of the Year Awards. Now in its fifth year, this event celebrates women who鈥檝e dispelled stereotypes, defied cultural norms, and brought glory to India through sport. There wasn鈥檛 a dry eye in the house watching 17-year-old Sheetal Devi make history in Paris last year as India鈥檚 youngest Paralympian to win a bronze medal in archery鈥攗sing her feet with precise skill. Her parents faced discrimination from the community who were unsure she could overcome her challenges and amount to anything, yet here she stood, inspiring a generation of girls. The evening honoured Manu Bhakar, Smriti Mandhana, Avani Lekhara, and Vinesh Phogat, with Mithali Raj receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award. And yes, I did a little happy dance for us cricket folks.
I left Delhi with my heart brimming with pride for my next stop, Bombay鈥攁 city often described as New York on steroids鈥攚here I visited the children of the Bombay Port Trust. It was my second trip to see the Magic Bus India foundation in action. At 6:30 a.m, I stopped at a local temple to pray for the girls of Magic Bus who鈥檝e inspired me with their courage and passion for sport. I asked Devi Maa (Mother Goddess), who sits like a warrior on her tiger, to bless them with her fighting spirit.
Twins Vaishali and Ujwala greeted me with smiles and hugs. They鈥檙e finishing college soon and dream of becoming police officers鈥攁 testament to Magic Bus using sport to break cycles of poverty and give young people a future. The next couple of hours flew by as I watched a spirited girls vs boys cricket match. 鈥淭apa math hone de鈥� (鈥淒on鈥檛 let the ball bounce!鈥�) echoed around us, and one of the girls even launched into her own Hindi commentary mid-game. I have no idea what the final score was amid the chaos, but it hardly mattered.
Walking through the narrow gullies, I spotted shy wicketkeeper Rama washing utensils outside her house, still in full sports kit. Her face lit up when I called her name, and I marvelled at how seamlessly she shifted from athlete to homemaker鈥攋ust like I did at her age. The laughter, sledging, and excited chatter still ring in my ears. Cricket here is more than a sport; it鈥檚 a joyful force that unites communities and levels social divides.
My heartfelt thanks to the Government of India for supporting my quest to shine a spotlight on women in sport, to the 春梦直播 for donating cricket equipment to Magic Bus, and to the kind-hearted cricketer Sairaj Patil, for gifting his Mumbai Cricket Association issued kit bag to these youngsters. Most of all, I鈥檓 grateful to the incredible young people who remind me how sport can transform lives.
It鈥檚 over and out from Toto鈥攖he girl child who finally found her calling in life and is still trying to follow the yellow brick road鈥�
Jai Hind