Title 9 in Bihar

BBC and Deepak have delightfully informed me that girls DO play sports in Bihar. I only have one niece who played a sport in highschool-- but Ruchi lives in Jharkand, the former part of Bihar that separated a few years ago taking all the industry and wealth, so she doesn't count as living in Bihar.

I know that playing sports during school made me who I am today. Field hockey in high school was part of my identity and provided me with a sorority of support that is still intact today. Even though I do not play any organized now, I still run and occasionally hike. I start going mental without regular exercise-- but that is a whole 'nother post!

Sports programs will do wonders for India-- especially the "backwards" areas. And just to let you know-- overweightedness, premarital sex, anorexia, and casteism are alive and well in rural India.

• It will help remove caste stigmas as girls from different castes play together.
• Girls will get real exercise-- not just hauling firewood and grinding masala and sweeping. Hopefully they will develop a habit for exercise and will exercise in adulthood to fight weight-related problems like heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.
• Girls will build confidence as they develop athletic skills. Their confidence will spread to the school setting and remain with them throughout life.
  
• Girls will be healthier-- no more starving to remain thin or to appear like a martyr. In the US, girls who play sports are also less likely to engage in drug use and premarital sex.
• Athletes are more disciplined and better time managers. Also, exercise is a good form of stress release and sharpens the mind.
  

The sad truth is that poor girls and low caste and untouchables will still be left out of these sports clubs. But it is a sign that if football can take hold in Barauni, then the future is bright for female athletes in India.