Kashmir's wheelchair bound hoopster, Ishrat Akhtar will play for India again

Ishrat Akhtar, Kashmir's first international wheelchair basketball player, has been selected to represent India once again by the Wheelchair Basketball Federation of India after a recent camp.

Ishrat hails from North Kashmir's Baramulla district and is also a motivational speaker. The player has accepted physical weakness as a blessing.

She is not only Kashmir's first international wheelchair basketball player but is also a torch for many other people. Even before this, Ishrat has represented the country at the international and national levels.

Ishrat said that on August 24, 2016, she had an accident which broke her spine, leaving her permanently disabled and forcing her to spend her life in a wheelchair.

She said "After this accident, I had to face many difficulties," But it was her courage and independence that gave her the opportunity to be included among successful people.

Ishrat said that she never thought that she could represent the country in wheelchair basketball.

"For training, I had to travel from Baramulla to Srinagar every day, due to the lack of infrastructure in Baramulla. I was able to overcome this difficult period only with the full support of my parents. They always encouraged me and never let me lose heart," she added.

On her thoughts on being selected to represent the country again, Ishrat said that she is to represent the country from Jammu and Kashmir and hopes to make her nation proud by winning the competition.