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India created history on November 2 (Sunday) as they won their first-ever Women's World Cup by defeating South Africa in a tense final. This was a watershed moment in Indian women's cricket, as they ended their 47-year long wait and won their very first ICC trophy. The Harmanpreet Kaur-led team was lauded across the country for achieving something that will always be remembered as one of India's biggest sporting moments. In fact, former legends like Mithali Raj, Jhulan Goswami etc. were also lauded for their important contributions to women's cricket. However, very few would know that actress Mandira Bedi once played a crucial role in supporting the women's team. Before 2006, the Indian women's cericket team did not fall under the jurisdiction of the BCCI, and was managed by the Women's Cricket Association of India (WCAI). They went through a lot of financial struggles throughout their journey. During a 2003 tour to England, the WCAI did not have the money to buy plane tickets for the players for this tour. That is when Mandira Bedi stepped into the picture. Bedi was at the peak of her popularity in 2003, especially as she created a revlution in cricket broadcasting. She shot an advertisement for a diamond jewellery brand, and donated the entire money earned from it to the WCAI. They were thus enabled to buy tickets for the crucial England tour, as Bedi emerged as the silent sponsor of the team. Mandira Bedi also reached out to several companies and raised funds for women's cricket in the future as well. ALSO READ: The Night India's Women Ditched The Chokers Tag WCAI's Financial Struggles Revealed In an interaction with PTI, Nutan Gavaskar, one of the pro-bono members of the WCAI and Sunil Gavaskar's sister, revealed the financialsstruggles of the WCAI before BCCI took charge of women's cricket. She revealed that India did not money to stay in hotels during a tour to New Zealand, and hence had to stay in the homes of NRIs. "The Women's Cricket Association of India (WCAI) was formed in 1973 and selected the national team until 2006, when the BCCI finally took the women's game under its wings. Looking back, those were days without money, but the women played on for the passion and love of the game," Nutan told PTI. "There was one tour of New Zealand where we couldn't afford hotel stays for the girls. Our team ended up staying at multiple homes of kind NRI families who hosted them. On another occasion, Mandira Bedi shot a commercial for a famous diamond brand and donated her entire endorsement fee to the WCAI. That money helped us arrange air tickets for India's tour of England," Get Latest News Live on Times Now along with Breaking News and Top Headlines from Sports, Cricket and around the world.
