J&K’s 1st kho kho world champ fought hard to live her dream. Kashmir struggles to catch up

In Kashmir’s Bakarwal community of nomadic shepherds, even sending a girl to school is viewed as a luxury. So, when Nazia Bibi wore shorts and a t-shirt and started playing kho kho in 2014, it set tongues wagging. It was unimaginable. Today she is a national kho kho champion. Since winning the Kho Kho World Cup in 2025 with her team, the first Muslim woman from J&K to do so, Nazia Bibi has been living the big, beautiful dream, even as Kashmir has struggled to catch up. The J&K govt has turned the dream sour. 'I haven’t got a single rupee from them,' she tells Triya Gulati. Watch: --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Exclusive content, special privileges & more – Subscribe to ThePrint for Special benefits: https://tinyurl.com/4ymm9wh5 --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Connect with ThePrint » Subscribe to ThePrint: https://tinyurl.com/4ymm9wh5 » Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: https://bit.ly/3nCMpht » Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theprintindia » Tweet us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/theprintindia » Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theprintindia » Find us on LinkedIn : https://www.linkedin.com/company/theprint » Subscribe to ThePrint on Telegram: https://t.me/ThePrintIndia » Find us on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2NMVlnB » Find us on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3pEOta8