Making wheels the wings of her dreams, Insha Bashir is the first wheel-chair bound basketball player from Kashmir. The brave girl hasn’t let the disability decide her future.
Insha Bashir has represented India in the US in 2019. She has also captained the J&K Wheelchair Basketball Women’s team in 2019 at a National Championship.
Back in 2009, when she was a young girl dreamed of becoming a doctor, she met a terrible accident. The grade 12 student fell from the balcony of her home and lay bed-ridden for five years. The accident had left her paralyzed from waist down.
Despite, such hardship Insha Bashir emerged as an epitome of bravery and optimism. Let’s figure out how did this wheel-chair bound woman made it even to the international basketball platform.
Unfolding the journey of Insha Bashir.
Who is Insha Bashir?
She is a resident of Beerwah area of Budgam district, Jammu and Kashmir. Insha Bashir not only has showcased her prowess as an adept basketball player but has also received good education. She has completed her B.Ed. from the University of Kashmir. Also, she has pursued her post-graduation from Delhi University in social work.
On the suggestion of her doctor, Dr. Saleem Wani ( SKIMS Medical College ), Insha decided to become self reliant. She went into the rehab at Voluntary Medicare Society based in Bemini, Srinagar. There she mustered the best times of her life. For the first time, Insha was doing all the work without the support of her parents. There her mind took charge of her half paralyzed body rather than letting her disability decide her mindset.
One fine day, group of boys were playing basketball. This invoked interest into the young girl who wanted to give it a try. She was soon enchanted by the sport. Through this sport, she found the purpose of her life.
“Sports has made me spring back to life,” told Insha to a local news channel. How did this young girl honed her skills to become a professional basketball player ?
Insha Bashir’s Basketball Journey
Insha Bashir started playing professionally at district and state level games. In 2017, she qualified for the National Wheelchair Basketball Championship. This event she played in Hyderabad. There, she was selected for the Rest of India team and that’s how her professional basketball career began.
In 2018, she played at a state-level with Delhi team in New Delhi. In the same year, she also participated in a national level tournament in Tamil Nadu.
Insha’s best day in the basketball career was invited by US Consulate to participate in the Sports Visitor Programme 2019. In March 2019, she represented India at Sports Visitors Exchange Program in the USA. Speaking with talk show, Taaruk , she said,
“My most proud moment was when I got selected for the America tour.”
In the same year, 2019 she represented and captained her state, (now Union Territory), Jammu and Kashmir in Mohali.
Her recent achievement was clinching a silver medal at an international level in November 2022. She won the medal at Wheelchair International Basketball tournament held in Noida, Uttar Pradesh.
Insha Bashir’s unwavering love for the sport continues. She wants to represent India in Olympics and win gold for the country.
“I want to become the first Kashmiri to win an Olympic medal. Playing for India at the Paralympics is my big dream,” she told to a news channel.
Bashir also emphasized that the disabled people should never feel useless. Talking to the host of Taaruk, she said,
“If one organ isn’t working but brain is working. One should make good use of other organs and polish the talent they have. Having any disability is not the end of the world. One must keep going and never loose hope.”
She also believes that girls need to be supported more in this country as in many regions, girls are perceived to be less capable than boys.
Insha Bashir’s story serves as a beacon of inspiration to the youth of Kashmir, specifically those less fortunate, who have faced daunting challenges in life like her.
Tabinda Mir is a writer from Kashmir. She is an English Honours graduate and her interests primarily dwell in poetry and sports writing. She likes to cover Cricket as an avid fan. Apart from sports, her other publications include articles, poems and a letter to summer in the book titled, “Under The Summer Skies”.
Also, her leisure time activities include reading novels, poetry, non literary works, philosophies and writing poetry, short stories, articles on diverse themes.
