Himachal Pradesh: Resilient Renuka Singh Thakur returns home with a glow of victory
Shimla: World Cup champion Renuka Singh Thakur returned home on Sunday with a remarkable glow on her face and a quiet resilience in her eyes, acknowledging the greetings of hundreds of fellow villagers.
These were men, women, and young girls and boys who stood in long queues to catch a glimpse. For years, they had watched her grow in struggle, yet she played cricket on the village ground with a wooden bat and a cloth-bound ball before glory found her as India’s fastest woman bowler—also a world champion.
Carrying not just the glow of a World Cup medal but the quiet, unmistakable charm, the cricket World Cup champion stepped out of the vehicle to head straight to Hatkoti temple—a popular deity of the area—with mother Sunita Thakur and family members.
The crisp winter sun caught her face—lit with success, anchored by humility. She walked smilingly towards the deity’s temple, acknowledging the greetings of the villagers as the atmosphere was marked by festivity and the beating of the drums.
“She walked with a steady grace as eyes around her welled with pride and joy. For us, this moment is our ritual, our gratitude, our shared promise finally fulfilled,” said Naresh Bimta, a local youth.
Only two days earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had publicly praised her fiery bowling spells and paid heartfelt tribute to her mother, the woman who raised Renuka alone after the untimely death of her father, braving hardships that would have crushed many. That recognition had already touched the family deeply; today, the moment burst into life on home soil.
Villagers poured in from the mountains, and elders folded their hands with pride. It was more than a welcome. It was Rohru embracing its daughter, its hope, its champion.
“The Indian women’s cricket team has set a benchmark with the World Cup triumph, and the next goal for the side is to make winning a habit,” said Renuka in her first remark on home ground, Rohru. Interacting with the mediapersons, she said that “my hard work is yielding results, but the credit goes to my mother and uncle Bhupinder, who spotted my talent and supported me.”
Renuka flashed a tattoo of her father, Kehar Singh Thakur, on her hand, which she claimed acted as motivation, as it was the dream of her father to see his children, including Renuka’s brother Vinod, excel in sports. Her father died when she was just three, and it was her mother, Sunita Thakur, who raised Renuka and her brother single-handedly.
“There was immense pressure after losing three matches in a row, and the last three games became absolutely crucial,” she said. “But we never lost hope. We believed we could win the World Cup. This victory will inspire parents to support their children in pursuing sports.”
When asked about the interaction with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Renuka said that he knew about all the players, including her journey.
The cricketer said that Himachal was the first state to assure a job. The Chief Minister, Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu, had called Renuka over the phone after the victory and told her that an award of Rs 1 crore had been announced for the pacer.
Renuka’s uncle expressed his gratitude to her coach at the Dharamsala cricket academy, Pawan Sen, and her trainer, Veena Pandey.
