By Avik Chakraborty
Guwahati: The months of June and July are the toughest months for the people residing in flood affected areas of Assam. Lok Bahadur Chetry(62) of Kandulimari village in Golaghat district was worried because floods again damaged his crops but there was good news around as his daughter Uma Chetri was selected for the Indian senior women’s cricket team.
Uma created history by being the first woman cricketer from the north eastern states to make it to the senior women’s team.
Kandulimari village situated at Bokakhat in Golaghat district of Assam is 240.7 km from Guwahati.
After battling many odds and floods, Uma Chetry proved that nothing is impossible if you have strong self belief and determination. Now, Uma Chetry has become an inspiration and household name in the state.
Uma has set example for other girls and inspired them to shine in the sports field.
Lok Bahadur Chetry stated, “I am happy for my daughter. We never thought that Uma will make the Indian team. However, she was positive and kept working hard which helped her in getting selected.”
“During monsoon, every year our village gets inundated and our crops are damaged. At the time of floods, the road leading to our house gets completely submerged in water. During that time we have to move with the help of a boat,” Chetry added.
Mehboob Alam, Uma Chetry’s coach when contacted stated, “I am very happy that Uma got selected. Today, I am happy that I coached her. She is disciplined and very hardworking. Uma came to my academy in 2016-17. Before that, she took coaching from Saidur Rahman alias Raja. She joined the coaching academy to become a wicket-keeper batsman and from the beginning I saw raw talent in her. My academy is 7-8 kms from her house, she walked the narrow bumpy road to reached the academy.”
“Given her potential, we gave her the opportunity to practice with boys and she never disappointed. Her keeping style is good because she moves well behind the stumps,”Alam added.
Binay Kalawar, an ardent cricket lover first gifted her a bicycle. He saw Uma’s potential and dedication as she travelled 7-8 kms to reached the academy.
Ajay Sharma who was then the assistant secretary of Assam Cricket Association (ACC) offered Uma her entire cricketing kit.
Uma’s mother Dipa Chetry said, “I can’t express my happiness. Uma is the youngest and from a very young age she was inclined towards cricket. We noticed her passion for cricket when she was playing with a potato. After some days, we got her a plastic cricket bat and ball to play.”
Uma’s mother went on to add, “When Uma was 11 years old, she started her cricketing journey and that’s when her school mate Montu Kumar Yadav saw her wicket-keeping skills. He took her to Saidur Rahman for coaching and that’s where she first honed her skills as a wicket-keeper. From her childhood, she is very hardworking.”
Aparna Karmakar, who played state level cricket with Uma Chetry expressed her happiness after the selection of Uma in the Indian senior women’s cricket team.
Aparna who is a close friend of Uma said, “Her dream has come true. She always told that one day I will make the Indian team. She is very determined with her cricket. Apart from her wicket-keeping skills, she is also a good batter. I wish her luck for the future.”
Saidur Rahman, Uma’s first coach said, “In 2011, Uma came to me for coaching, when women’s cricket just got started in Bokakhat. She came to me as a wicket-keeper batsman. Uma was always keen to learn and very hardworking. I am proud of her as she is my student.”
Senior sports journalist Imtiaz Ahmed said, “There is a lot of opportunity for girls in cricket and that the game has improved a lot in the state. The coaching facilities have improved drastically and if they can prove their potential then it becomes easier to get selected. When Uma could not make it to the IPL, everybody was shocked. Uma is the best better of Assam. BCCI has picked her for the senior team because she has proved herself by playing good cricket. I wish her good luck for the future,” Ahmed added.
In the ACC women’s emerging team Asia Cup 2023 played in Hong Kong last month, Uma made a set of headlines as an excellent wicket-keeper batter. Uma’s impresive performances with the bat and behind the wickets in the team’s 31-run win over Bangladesh in the final of the Women’s Emerging Asia Cup earned her the attention of the selectors.