Anaya Bangar, Sanjay Bangar's daughter.
Credit: Instagram/@anayabangar
Commentator and former Indian cricketer and coach Sanjay Bangar's child, who is undergoing hormone therapy and transitioning from Aryan to Anaya Bangar, shared her journey and experience on Instagram.
"Losing strength but gaining happiness. Body changing, dysphoria easing… still a long way to go, but each step feels more like me," she said in her Instagram reel, where she highlighted the effects hormone replacement therapy (HRT) had on her in 11 months.
The 23-year-old lives in Manchester, where she used to play in women's county cricket.
However, with both ICC and the ECB banning transgender women from women's professional cricket, she might soon have to drop the sport entirely, something she spoke about in another post back in August.
"From a young age, cricket has always been a part of my life. Growing up, watched my dad with awe as he represented and coached the country, and it wasn't long before I started dreaming about following in his footsteps. The passion, the discipline, and the dedication he showed to the sport were deeply inspiring to me. Cricket became my love, my ambition, and my future. I've spent my entire life honing my skills, hoping that one day, I would get the chance to represent my country, just like him," she said.
"I never thought I'd have to consider giving up the sport that has been my passion, my love, and my escape. But here I am, facing a painful reality. As a trans woman on hormone replacement therapy (HRT), my body has changed drastically. I've been losing the muscle mass, strength, muscle memory, and athletic abilities I once relied on. The game I've loved for so long is slipping away from me," she continued.
"What hurts more is that there are no proper regulations for trans women in cricket. It feels like the system is forcing me out, not because I lack the drive or talent, but because the rules haven't caught up with the reality of who I am. My testosterone levels are down to 0.5 nmol, the lowest it can be for an average cisgender woman. Despite this, I still don't have a place to represent my country or play at a professional level as my authentic self," Anaya added.
"To make matters worse, the system says that to compete in women's sports, I should have transitioned before male puberty. But here's the contradiction, society and the legal system make it illegal to transition as a minor. So, what am I supposed to do? The system is forcing me into an impossible situation. Setting standards I couldn't have met even if I'd wanted to," she stated.
"It's heartbreaking that the body I've worked so hard, to align with my true self is now seen as a barrier to continuing my cricket journey in the women's category. We need policies that don't make us choose between our identity and our passions. Trans women deserve the right to compete, play, and thrive," Anaya said in her post.
The topic of trans women being allowed to compete in women's category of sports has been debated for a long time now, with it particularly heating up this year following the row over Algerian Olympic gold medalist boxer Imane Khelif's participation in the Paris 2024 Games.
In a recent United Nations report, it was revealed that as of March 30, 2024, over 600 female athletes in more than 400 competitions have lost more than 890 medals to their transgender counter parts in 29 different sports.