Aarti Bidari, a cricket player from Nepal has come a long way in her journey supporting women’s cricket in Kathmandu. Her initiative Rising Cricket for Women is keen on developing and nurturing women’s cricket in Nepal by organizing regular cricket tours and events. Let us support her prodigious initiative.
1. What drove you to Cricket? Take us through your initial cricket days?
My brother used to play Cricket initially. Watching him, I too developed the passion for the game. I started when I was 7-8. I was unaware about the rules n regulations, and hardly got chances to bat, so I used to field outside the boundary, and I used to love that also.
2. How did the passion for Cricket develop?
I was fortunate that the society I was living in, kids used to play cricket there. I was always a little stubborn child, and if I love something, I needed it by hook or by crook. It was cricket this time.
3. Was it ever hard to convince your parents for Cricket?
It wasn’t hard to convince them but I too had other ups and downs. It was towards the starting of my journey in my national cricket when I lost my father. I was literally broken. But I didn’t stop and is still going on with double the enthusiasm.
4. What has been your biggest challenge over the years and how did you overcome them?
During the start of my national cricket journey, I lost my father. At the same time, I had to struggle between college board exams and cricket. My family then came to my rescue and their continuous support kept me going. Their constant motivation helped me clear my exam and I also got selected for under-19 cricket team.
5. Who would you credit most of your success and why?
It had to be my family specially my father.
6. When you were growing up, who were your role models
Nery, Nepal team player was my role model.
7. What have so far been your best memory and a not so-good memory in cricket?
Best memory was to play for my country in 2010 and bad was when I lost my dad at the same time.
8. What advice do you have for younger girls who want to play cricket
professionally?
If you want to play, then give your 100%. Never give up in any situation because when you want to get something you should be completely engaged to it. You will surely achieve success.
10. Hitting over the ropes OR not letting your opponent team steal a run OR breaking the stumps: Which one would you enjoy the most?
Breaking stumps is something I enjoy the most because seeing stumps cartwheeling gives you a different kind of satisfaction.
11. We have heard about your initiative RCW – Rising Cricket for Women and appreciate your efforts. Please tell us more about it and how is it impacting the women’s cricket circuit.
Rising Cricket for Women‘s purpose is to help raise women’s cricket. The idea is of this club is to develop ladies cricket. RCW give opportunity to women cricketers to showcase their talent. At RCW, we organize different level of tournaments at different places, take tours and try to develop their skills. RCW is our social work club where we give opportunity to everyone even the foreign country player.
12. What’s your fitness mantra; what do you do regularly to ensure you stay fit?
I do perform yoga, some exercise and work in my home to stay fit every day.
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