Vrinda Rathi, a Navi Mumbai-based sportswoman, has become the country’s first national woman umpire! The 29-year-old cleared BCCI’s Level 2 exams, along with Chennai’s N Janani, making them eligible to officiate national level matches.
According to Indiatimes.com, she was enamoured by New Zealand’s Kathy Cross’ work as an umpire that made Rathi try out the local and state-level umpiring exams. This meant she had to sacrifice several weekends and loo breaks for her preparations.
Women umpires are clearly something rare in the field. Needless to say, the raise in her pay is also a considerable one thus quelling all those rumours that sports don’t pay well. Vrinda has been officiating Mumbai Cricket Association (MCA) matches since 2013 and her latest stint has now allowed her to umpire in women’s cricket matches and junior boys’ matches as well.
If there’s something that she is sure about is the change that the field might bring. “Boys also control their aggression in presence of women umpires,” she said.
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