Pass by any Indian neighbourhood or playground, and there is always a group of boys getting ready for a game of cricket. Sometimes, a few girls join the team. In this intense game of gully cricket, as it is popularly called, there is no difference between the genders—both play as equals.
Taking this spirit to the next level, Harda district of Madhya Pradesh has since 2022 hosted the “Inclusive Cup”, a cricket tournament where children play in teams that comprise both girls and boys. While children from Harda competed for the first few tournaments, the latest edition in January this year saw participation from Guna, Khandwa and Barwani districts as well. A total of 102 mixed teams played, comprising 1,326 boys and girls. The top four teams won cash prizes of Rs 31,000, Rs 21,000, Rs 11,000 and Rs 5,100, respectively.
This unique tournament is helmed by Synergy Sansthan, a non-profit in Harda that works on youth-led development, by holding awareness campaigns and running programmes for young people to understand issues in their community and take up projects to address them. “The idea to bring girls forward through sports came five years ago, when some girls we worked with showed interest in cricket,” says Vimal Jat, co-founder and chief executive of the non-profit. “When we delved deeper, we realised there is a lack of support for girls to even get out of the house to try a sport. Their families do not allow them and villages do not have enough playgrounds or street lights for them to play safely. Girls’ sport teams do not have trained coaches and adequate equipment,” says Jat.
In 2020, the non-profit created the first girls’ cricket team in Harda. “The first 11 girls took some convincing. Slowly, we created more teams in different villages and started girls’ cricket tournaments every year. These tournaments not only gave girls an opportunity to participate in sports, but also boosted their confidence and leadership skills,” he says. A large number of women also came to cheer in the audience. "This is a stark change from earlier, when women hardly participated in any community activities. It has always been considered a male domain," says Jat.
“Before the non-profit organised the Inclusive Cup, such tournaments were only held for boys. But I am proud to have taken part in the competitions,” says 17-year-old Ankita Sariyam of Manasa village in Harda district. Her father, Vikas Sariyam, adds, “Initially, we were afraid of what people would say if we let our daughter play.
But seeing how good she is at cricket, I feel happy.”
“Through these games, we have seen girls and boys play with cooperation and equal respect for the first time,” says Sumitra Rangeele, sarpanch of Rahatgaon gram panchayat in Harda. Jat says the focus of the games until now had been to ensure progress for girls. Now, the non-profit will coach them further to enhance their sport skills.
This was first published in the 16-28 February, 2025 print edition of Down To Earth