In Bihar’s Mokama division of Patna district Mohammed Iliyas, a kabaddi coach has been training women players for over 15 years.
Not only his efforts made an impact, he successfully inculcated the spirit of the sport to the women he trains and in their parents. Many young women from poor families hit the ground and played kabaddi nationally and internationally. In a place where opportunities are scarce and dreams often wither away even before blooming, Iliyas could see potential where women could actuality live up to their dreams. With each girl he welcomed in his team, he chiseled away at the barriers of gender inequality, sculpting a future where every young woman could dare to mark a raid on the Kabaddi ground.
Many of these girls, once faced with a bleak future, now find themselves in the world of opportunities. Government jobs serve as tangible proof of their newfound empowerment, offering a lifeline out of the suffocating grip of financial hardship.
He aims at sports as a means to an end — gender equality. He had started this mission with a few girl children 15 years ago, now joined by many of them in his Bihar village. Of course, he faced many challenges and limitations, but dreams of a gender just society gave him courage to fly.
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Kumar Gaurav is a Village Square Fellow 2023-24. He works as a multilingual audio-visual journalist in Bihar.
