Rajasthan’s ‘Hockey Wali’ Sarpanch Helps Girls Smash Patriarchy With Sports, Grit & Hope

Neeru Yadav wanted to play hockey but was asked to focus on her education by her family. When she became the first woman sarpanch of Lambi Ahir village in 2020, she started helping other girls fulfill their hockey dreams by forming a team.

Girls of the Lambi Ahir village in Rajasthan were married early and playing a sport was out of question. When she became a sarpanch, Neeru heard stories of a few girls who dreamt of playing hockey for the country.

She didn’t want them to have unfulfilled dreams, and convinced their parents to allow them to train. 

“There was no ground for the girls to play. We started playing on the grounds of a private university nearby. I also decided to donate my salary for forming the team and appointing a coach to train the girls. Finally, we were also able to have a ground of our own in the village,” Yadav said in an interview with YourStory. 

She is today called ‘Hockeywali’ Sarpanch and some of the girls are playing at district level.

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Besides sports, she is also focusing on eliminating plastic waste, promoting women’s safety, and breaking other stereotypes plaguing women. 

Here’s a look at her extraordinary life:

Edited by Padmashree Pande