'I had to take a stand...got suicidal thoughts': Sanjay Bangar told daughter Anaya to quit cricket

Sanjay Bangar told daughter Anaya to quit cricket

Since the world learned about Anaya Bangar's transformation journey, she has been the talk of the town on social media. In order to better fit with her identity, Anaya had gender-affirming surgery and hormone replacement therapy. But Anaya paid a heavy price for the alterations when her own father informed her that she no longer had a place in cricket. Anaya had to give up the sport she truly loved because she was already fighting against society, the demons of the outside world, and her own conflict of mind.

Anaya talked candidly about her choice to leave cricket in an interview on Lallantop. Anaya claimed that her father had made it plain that she would not be allowed to play cricket in the future. This is how the discussion unfolded:

Interviewer: "You said that your father asked you to stop playing cricket as there's no space for you in the sport anymore."

Anaya: "I don't want to talk about my father in this interview."

Interviewer: "The video is already available in the public domain. You mentioned it yourself, I am only quoting you."

Anaya: "Yes, I am aware about that. He was just stating 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 is against me and the decision I took (hormone therapy to become a woman), now has left me with no space in this system. 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 exterior world."

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Later in the conversation, Anaya also disclosed that a senior cricket player who learned of her metamorphosis sent him nude photos. "I have played with some well-known cricketers like Musheer Khan, Sarfaraz Khan, and Yashasvi Jaiswal. I had to maintain secrecy about myself because my dad is a well-known figure. The cricket world is filled with insecurity and toxic masculinity," she said.

"There has been support and there have been some harassments as well. There have been a few cricketers who randomly sent me nude pictures of them."

"The person used to give gaalis in front of everybody. The same person then used to come and sit beside me and ask for my photos. In another instance, when I was in India, I told a veteran cricketer about my situation. He told me let's go in the car. I want to sleep with you," she explained.