'The Journey Wasn't Easy...,' Anaya Bangar Thanks Her Family, Father Sanjay After Successful Gender-Affirming Surgery

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Anaya Bangar, the daughter of former India cricketer Sanjay Bangar, shared a heartwarming post on Instagram, where she explained about the gender-affirming surgery she underwent in Thailand.

She described the difficult journey for her as well as the family, and she thanked her family members for always being supportive of her.

"This journey wasn't easy... not just for me, but for my family too. Understanding, accepting, and standing by me took time. It wasn't instant. There were moments of confusion, questions, and growth for all of us. But today, standing here, I'm filled with nothing but gratitude," she wrote on her Instagram page.

Anaya Bangar reveals Sanjay's role

She also revealed the role her father Sanjay Bangar had during these tough times.

"To have my father beside me through one of the most important moments of my life means everything. His support didn't come overnight... but when it did, it was real, unconditional, and strong. This surgery was a big step for me, but having him with me made it feel possible," she added.

"Growth takes time. Love takes time. But when it comes, it's worth everything. Grateful. Always," she concluded.

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Anaya was identified as Aryan prior to the transition, and had followed Sanjay Bangar's footsteps in taking up cricket. Aryan played for the Mumbai Under-16 and Pondicherry Under-19 trials, and had also appeared in the trials for the Mumbai Under-23s side.

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Anaya has shared the field with prominent cricketers like Sarfaraz Khan, Musheer Khan and Yashasvi Jaiswal. Anaya had earlier explained how things used to be different during her childhood.

"When I was around eight or nine years old, I used to sneak into my mother's room, wear her clothes, look in the mirror, and say I'm a girl," she had said earlier.

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Talking about Sanjay Bangar, the now 53-year-old's brief international career spanned between 2001 and 2004. During this period, he played 12 Tests and 15 ODIs, scoring 470 and 180 runs in the two formats respectively. The all-rounder finished with seven wickets each in both the formats.

The former Railways cricketer played 165 First-Class matches, scoring 8349 runs and taking 300 wickets.

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