Indian history might have reached its latest milestone on November 2, at the DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai. After India’s Women in Blue swept up the World Cup and hearts with their on-field action, a new set of heroes have emerged, who might have re-steered the course of history. Even as this win has inspired lakhs across the country, it is important to look at what this hard-won victory stands upon. At the base of the support pyramid is the work that women in Chennai did, over five decades ago. A good deal of what has been achieved today had humble beginnings at the Tamil Nadu Women’s Cricket Association (TNWCA), and the small army of women that worked hard and tirelessly to lay the foundation for what is now a chance to stand at the podium. Naturally, Chennai was at the centre of it. Shilu Ranganathan was the live wire running the women’s cricket team in Chennai, by all accounts.
Means of empowerment
Shilu had always been interested in sports, was a tennis player in her younger days, believing it was a means to empower women. When the TNWCA was started by J.B. Shah, father of cricketing sisters Sudha Shah, a former India captain, and Meena Shah, along with the parents of a few other players, she found her calling. She joined the Association, initially serving as its secretary, and with her immense energy, created a whirlwind that would carry the bootstrapped women’s team on. Her daughter Ambujam Anantharaman recounts, “The late Visalakshi Nedunchezhiyan [wife of former Finance Minister V.R. Nedunchezhiyan], Meena Muthiah [Kumararani of Chettinad], Jayanthi Natarajan [former Union Minister], and Nanditha Krishna [of C.P. Ramaswami Aiyar Foundation] were among those who took up senior positions in the TNWCA.” They began by organising tournaments at the school, collegiate, State and eventually national levels. Later they progressed to hosting international fixtures with the help of the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) and the Women’s Cricket Association of India (WCAI). “Shilu aunty, as my mother was called by the players, later became the WCAI vice-president and was the manager of the Indian team which toured England in 1986,” she adds. Her prodigious memory, inexhaustible energy, and indefatigable spirit were a beacon of inspiration for all young cricketers, Ms. Ambujam remembers. Tamil Nadu had three international players in the early days — Sudha Shah, Fowzieh Khaleeli, and Susan Ittycheria.
