Cricketer Sana Mir to receive Asia Game Changers Award

KARACHI: Former captain of Pakistan’s women cricket team Sana Mir has been selected for prestigious Asia Game Changers Award by the Asia Society.

According to a statement by Asia Society, Mir will receive the award along with five other women who have excelled in their respective fields.

The award ceremony will be held in New York City on October 24, 2019.

“Asia Society is honouring Sana Mir, recognized as one of the world’s greatest cricket players and former captain of Pakistan’s national team, who has championed women’s participation in this male-dominated sport,” the statement from the Asia Society read.

The Asia Society annually honours game-changing leaders from a broad geographic range and varied backgrounds; this year marks the first time that all of the honorees are women.

“Our 2019 Asia Game Changers are women who have truly championed gender equality while making enormous contributions to society and social structures within their home countries. They are inspiring agents of change who are building a better world — for women and for everyone — by changing the rules, changing the game, and challenging all of us to follow their lead.” Asia Society President and CEO Josette Sheeran said.

According to the Asia Society website, Mir has been selected for this prestigious award for excelling at one of the world’s most popular sports and inspiring millions of girls — on and off the field.

“In a country where many women still struggle for basic rights, Mir’s success has been a lodestar. Unwilling to simply rest on her laurels, Mir is an outspoken advocate for women’s rights, working to change attitudes about women’s participation in the traditionally male-dominated sport of cricket — and beyond.”

“An avid social media user who is followed by hundreds of thousands, Mir employs her platform to advocate for everything from compulsory cricket programs for schoolgirls to an end to body-shaming advertisement,” it added.