Insha Bashir is Kashmir’s first female wheelchair basketball player. She has participated in many national ad international tournaments and was selected for the Sports Visitor Program 2019 in United States.
Insha’s story is of ambition, struggle, and an inspirational comeback. The young from Budgam loved basketball as a child and harboured dreams to play at the top level. However, she was diagnosed with gastric ulcers and suffered oral bleeding.
One day while on her balcony at home she suffered dizziness and fell from the top hitting the ground below suffering grievous injuries to her spine.
Her life appeared to be in tatters at that time. After surgery, she was saved, but one that left her unable to walk and confined her to a wheelchair. While her family stood by her, she suffered from emotional trauma, struggling to come to grips with her harsh reality.
Her family sent her to Shafqat Rehabilitation Center in the valley, where she saw other such people with various disabilities leading a routine life. Her love for basketball and life re-emerged when she saw J&K Male wheelchair Basketball team playing. This revigorated Insha and she found a purpose again. She started playing with the Men’s team and learned the ropes.
She began training and qualified for the National Championship in Hyderabad, in 2017 and hasn’t looked back since. After participating in various national competitions, she got selected for the Sports Visitor Program 2019 in United States. This was a huge honour and for someone who had given up hope for a time, this was a big turnaround.
Apart from this Insha also featured on popular platform TED, where she narrated her inspirational journey that moved everyone.
Insha continues to train strictly, follows a disciplined diet, and goes to the gym to keep herself in good health. The inspirational young girl hopes motivate others with similar hardships to achieve their goals.
She believes one needs to accept their condition and do the best one can for themselves. Insha has truly shown that success is not bound to any shortcomings.
(Featured image design by Faizan Wani, Taarukk Media)