Ishrat Rashid, Kashmir’s first specially-abled Basketball player was awarded by Srinagar District Administration during Republic Day.
Now an International Wheelchair Basketball player, Ishrat’s journey from being a bed-ridden due to a grave spinal cord injury to reaching an international stage has been nothing short of remarkable.
In 2016, Ishrat fell down from the second floor of her house and suffered a spinal injury, leaving her wheelchair-bound. “I was unable to accept the new reality as I had not seen a wheelchair my whole life,” Rasheed said.
Ishrat’s fortunes took a turn for the better after she heard of a camp being held for specially-abled basketball players at Srinagar indoor stadium.
“I saw some boys playing wheelchair basketball. I wondered if they can do it, why can’t I? I had never played wheelchair basketball. I soon joined the team and made the cut for two national events,” she said.
