Women's Day 2025 Special: India women's cricketer Asha Sobhana concerned about Atrocities on Females, calls for Mental and Physical Strength in Women | Exclusive

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India Women's cricketer Asha Sobhana voices her opinion on International Women's Day and opines every young woman in the country must learn martial arts for their safety.

As International Women's Day arrives this year, a pledge must be taken rather to provide security for women every day of the year instead of celebrating the day and then keep a closed eye for the other 364 days in a year.

In our society, we witness a plethora of barbaric acts against women. From murder, rapes to trafficking, torture for dowry - our mothers, sisters, friends endure a plethora of atrocities. From female foeticide to homicide, these awful acts have ravaged our society, and as responsible citizens, the onus must be on us all to act against it.

And India women's star Asha Sobhana, beyond cricket, sheds light on a more pressing issue, which is violence against women. During an exclusive interview with MyKhel, Asha opened up on her concerns and a possible way to revolt against this.

"It is disheartening to hear about the atrocities women face daily. No matter what age, cases of rapes and murders continue to happen, and it is painful to witness such incidents in our society."

Women should learn Martial Arts

She believes in self-empowerment as a means of protection and advises all women to learn martial arts for self-protection.

"Every woman should engage in physical fitness and learn at least one form of martial arts. Everyone should know to block or give a slap. I think every woman should know something to counter and maintain their mental and physical health. That is one way we can give something back when somebody come against us," she adds.

"Not just for fighting back, but for self-defense and confidence. Even at home, I encourage kids to take up a sport of their choice while also learning a basic martial art."

When it comes to Indian women's cricket, Asha also shed light on Smriti Mandhana and Harmanpreet Kaur - two of India's biggest stars in women's cricket. And having played under both of them, Asha heaps praises on the 'amazing gems' of Indian cricket.

"They are elite cricketers, and any youngster will admire their work. And it's been great playing under both of them actually, Smriti in RCB and Hari Paji [Harmanpreet Kaur] in the Indian team. I know them and they've been very supportive. Both my debuts were under Hari Paji and playing under Smriti was also special after winning the WPL with RCB."