Baramulla, June 11 (KNS): With the distinct objective of paving the way for women's cricket and women cricketers to stride out of the shadows of male-dominated sports, the 'We Care Foundation', with assistance from the army, has made it possible for young girls from the Kashmir Valley to participate in the first-ever Women's Cricket League in Dangiwacha, North Kashmir's Baramulla District.

The 'North Kashmir Women's Premier League' is an earnest endeavour to provide women cricketers of the Kashmir Valley with equal opportunities and acknowledgement on par with men's cricket.

According to reports, there will be a total of twelve teams from different areas of Kashmir participating in the tournament, with around 15 matches followed by semi-finals and finals. All twelve teams will be categorized into four pools, which include Pool A - Game Swingers, Legends Sports Club, GDC Women's Sopore; Pool B - Majestic Sports Club, Handwara Red Wings, RPS Dangiwacha; Pool C - Budgam Strikers, Elegant Strikers, Glorious Strikers; and Pool D - Pattan Warriors, SRM Welkin Sopore, and HSS Dangiwacha.

Speaking to Insha Mushtaq, captain of Game Swingers, she said, "I had never imagined we would be given an opportunity to play outdoor sports, especially cricket, which is my favorite one. My club is overwhelmed to be a part of this tournament."

The tournament will address many obstacles faced by us in promoting women's cricket in Kashmir. The event will truly help us celebrate womanhood, she said.

Another participant, Mir Mahi, representing Budgam Strikers, said that the event has been a long-awaited one. We are quite thankful to the organizers for conducting such an amazing event to help girls like me showcase our talent and skills.

The locals here have been quite supportive of us. We are playing without any fear or shyness, all because of the overwhelming and positive response from our parents and the locals of Rafiabad, she said.

"The idea behind organizing this league is to give our sisters an opportunity to play outdoor sports like cricket. We don't have much to offer to our girls, but this is the least we can do to engage them in sports by organizing a cricket tournament for them," said organizer Ulfat Mushtaq.

"There is abundant talent among our girls, and through this event, they will get the opportunity and platform to showcase their talent. We should have started earlier, but it's better late than never," she added.

The winners will receive a cash prize of Rs. 25,000, while the runners-up will receive Rs. 15,000. Furthermore, there will be an award for the woman of the series, following a woman of the match in every event.

Since the commencement of the tournament at Dangiwacha playground, a lot of people, including men, women, and girls, are rushing to the event to witness these matches. They are happy and have expressed their gratitude for the women's empowerment initiative. (KNS)