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Former India all-rounder Sanjay Bangar’s son Aryan has taken the internet by storm after he took the centerstage with his latest revelation. The former cricketer’s son on Sunday, November 10 revealed that he has been undergoing hormonal replacement surgery, while confirming himself to be a transwoman. Things further came into notice as after ten months of undergoing the surgery, the cricketer changed his name from Aryan to Anaya and also shared a reel of the transformation from 2016 till 2024.
After sharing the hormonal transformational journey, the video went viral in no time, which also included a few pictures of him with former India captains and greats of the game, MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli.
Who is Anaya? Sanjay Bangar’s son who underwent hormonal replacement surgery
As the young cricketer shared his 10-month transformation, now identifying himself as Anaya, is a cricketer like her father who played left-handed. Furthermore, as Aryan he played for Islam Gymkhana in local cricket club and also represented Hinckley Cricket Club in Leicestershire.
Although, the transformation will force him to give up on cricket, as Anaya she is happy to find her true self. “Chasing my dream of playing cricket professionally has been a journey filled with sacrifices, resilience, and unwavering dedication. From early mornings on the field to facing the doubts and judgements of others, every step has demanded strength,” she wrote on social media.
"But beyond the game, I had another journey. A path of self-discovery and lot of challenges faced. Embracing my true self meant making hard choices, letting go of the comfort of fitting in, and standing up for who I am, even when it wasn’t easy," it read further. "Today, I’m proud to be a part of the sport I love at any level or category, not only as an athlete but as my authentic self. The road hasn’t been easy, but finding my true self has been the greatest victory of all," it concluded.
Furthermore, it is to be noted that Anaya has time ang again voiced herself with the England Cricket Board (ECB) banning transgender woman from playing cricket. In one of the posts shared on her Instagram handle, Anaya Bangar shared a screenshot of the news, captioning it, “It sucks being a trans athlete…”.
In November 2023, ICC CEO Geoff Allardice confirmed that transgender athletes are not allowed to take part in women’s international cricket. “Inclusivity is incredibly important to us as a sport, but our priority was to protect the integrity of the international women’s game and the safety of players,” Allardice said as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.
