‘Well-known cricketers sent me nudes, harassed and abused me in front of my teammates’: Anaya Bangar opens can of worms
Anaya Bangar, the child of former India all-rounder Sanjay Bangar, recently sparked attention after sharing her transformation journey following a hormonal replacement therapy and gender-reaffirming surgery. Anaya, who was formerly known as Aryan, has also played age-group cricket. While speaking to Lallantop, Anaya made some bombshell revelations, saying she was subjected to sexual harassment.
She also revealed that some of the cricketers she has played with sent her nude pictures after learning about her trans identity. During the same interview, Anaya spoke about the toxic masculinity within the cricket ecosystem.
“For me it was when I was eight or nine years old, I used to pick clothes from my mom’s cupboard and wear them. Then, I used to look into the mirror and say, ‘I am a girl. I want to be a girl’,” Anaya told the Lallantop.
“I have played with some well-known cricketers like Musheer Khan, Sarfaraz Khan, and Yashasvi Jaiswal. I had to maintain secrecy about myself because dad is a well known figure. Cricket world is filled with insecurity and toxic masculinity,” she added.
When the interviewer asked Anaya about the reaction she witnessed upon undergoing gender reaffirmation surgery, she replied, “There has been support and there have been some harassment as well.”
When the anchor asked her about the kind of harassment she witnessed, she said, “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 added.
All you need to know about Anaya Bangar
Like Sanjay Bangar, Anaya Bangar has represented Islam Gymkhana in local club cricket. She has also played for the Hinckley Cricket Club in Leicestershire.
Earlier, the ICC announced that transgender athletes will not be allowed to play women’s cricket. Anaya Bangar then expressed her disappointment with this decision.
As per reports, Anaya Bangar currently lives in Manchester, UK.
Earlier, Anaya Bangar had accused the cricket system of failing her as she spoke about the lack of “proper regulations for trans woman in cricket.”
She urged the authorities and lawmakers to devise policies that ‘don’t make athletes choose between their passion and identity’.