Meet Pratima Singh, Varanasi woman, DU alumna who is India’s top basketball player; she married star cricketer

Most women sports stars of India fight gender bias and overcome multiple hurdles to make a name for themselves. Ace basketballer Pratima Singh and her siblings, who famously form the “Singh Sisters”, are no different. Against odds, they became top basketballers of the country and made India proud at the highest level.

Pratima is the youngest of five sisters, all of whom have represented India in basketball. She and her sisters – Priyanka, Divya, Prashanti and Akanksha – have all starred for India at events like Commonwealth Games and Asian Games. Their teachers used to be unhappy with them missing classes, their family preferred civil services as the better option. But they chose to be trailblazers and become sportspersons instead of cracking the UPSC exam.

Varanasi-born Pratima Singh is an alumna of the University of Delhi’s Jesus and Mary College (JMC). Her father is a banker. Pratima is a member of the India women’s national basketball team as a forward. She has won several medals and titles. Pratima won the gold medal for India at the FIBA Asia Championship 3X3. She also led the Delhi University Team and was the joint best player at the All India University Basketball Championship.

Pratima married star India cricketer Ishant Sharma in 2016. The top basketball player had first met the Indian bowling ace at a basketball event in Delhi where he was the chief guest. Pratima was managing the score for the game as she was injured at the time.

Ishant fell for Pratima at first sight, he later revealed. The lanky fast bowler had no clue at the time that she was a professional basketball player.