Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Two girls hailing from farmer’s families in Madhya Pradesh scripted history as they became a part of India’s First-Ever National Women’s Team for the Blind. Not only this, one of them is the captain of the team.
Sushma Patel, 20, captain of the newly elected team and an all-rounder cricketer, is the daughter of a farmer who never had enough money. She comes from a village in Damoh district where girls generally get married when they turn 18. But Patel had set her sights higher. She always wanted to do something different. Patel’s father always wanted her to study. But she loved playing cricket with her brother who was not disabled. He was unable to pursue it as a career but Patel, who has disability, was more determined.
Sushma’s disability is B3. They can see at six metres what a fully sighted person can see at 60 metres.
Priya Keer, 23, a farmer’s daughter from Narmadapuram district, is not only a bowler in the Indian cricket team, she is also a national medal-winning judoka. After winning several medals for her state and qualifying for several international tournaments in judo, Keer is now part of the Indian women's blind cricket team.
Earlier, while talking to Free Press, Keer had said, "It is not my disability but my financial condition that is holding me back from participating in international tournaments." Keer is part of the team in the B1 category, which ranges from having no sight up to the ability to see the difference between light and dark.
