NEW DELHI: Anaya Bangar, child of former India cricketer Sanjay Bangar, has called upon the International Cricket Council (ICC) and Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to support transgender cricketers.

Currently, transgender cricketers are not allowed to participate in women’s cricket. This ban was implemented during the ICC board meeting following the 2023 ODI World Cup.

Anaya shared an eight-page scientific report detailing her transition journey as a transgender athlete. Bangar plans on submitting these findings to the ICC and BCCI.

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“For the first time, I’m sharing the scientific report that documents my journey as a trans woman athlete. Over the past year, I’ve undergone structured physiological assessments after starting hormone therapy. This report captures the real, measurable impact of my transition not opinions, not assumptions, but data.”

“I’m submitting this to the BCCI and ICC, with full transparency and hope. My only intention is to start a conversation based on facts not fear. To build space, not divide it. Whether you agree or not, thank you for witnessing.”

Anaya, who was born male, later transitioned to female. Bangar recently shared test reports through an Instagram video. The 23-year-old collaborated with Manchester Metropolitan University after completing one year of Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT).

The tests collected data on her muscle power, endurance, glucose, and oxygen levels, comparing them with cisgender female athletes. The results indicated these parameters fell within cisgender female athlete norms.

“Science kehta hai main women’s cricket ke liye eligible hoon. Ab sawaal yeh hai kya duniya tayyar hai sach sunne ke liye? (Science says that I am eligible for women’s cricket. Now the question is whether the world is ready to hear the truth or not?)”

Anaya’s father, Sanjay Bangar, played 12 Tests and 15 ODIs for Team India. He later served as the national team’s batting coach from 2014 to 2019.

The world of sports adores a happy tale, and Reddit just discovered its new favorite. In a viral forum that instantly garnered buzz throughout hockey fandom, fans found an amazing coincidence: Seth Jones, just off a Stanley Cup victory with the Florida Panthers, is Popeye Jones’ son, the former NBA player and assistant coach who won an NBA championship with the Denver Nuggets in 2023.

Reddit hails unusual father-son moment as Seth Jones becomes second Jones to win championship

The discussion started when users started posting clips of Seth Jones hoisting the Stanley Cup following the Florida Panthers’ six-game win over the Edmonton Oilers. That alone was something to celebrate. But another fact caught fans’ attention, not just from the NHL community but also from the NBA world—Seth Jones’ father, Popeye Jones, played 11 seasons in the NBA as a journeyman forward.

Redditors were left amazed. “I had no idea Popeye Jones was his dad! Amazing stuff! And amazing athletic genes!” one of them wrote. “The genes are strong,” another wrote. The thread went viral not only due to the sensationalism, but due to the fact that such cross-sport, father-son championship pair is very rare, if not unheard of, in high-level North American sports.

“Only person on Florida I’m happy for because of that,” one commenter wrote.

It seems Seth and his brother Caleb learned to skate in Colorado as Popeye played for the Nuggets during the late ’90s. The thread says Colorado Avalanche captain Joe Sakic told Popeye to get his son’s skates before sticks. That tip made all the difference.

Seth Jones, at this point in his career, a mid-career NHL defenseman, is one of the league’s most consistent blueliners. His Stanley Cup victory with the Florida Panthers puts a capstone on a truly generational story of success, and Reddit was on hand to connect the dots in real time.

Also read: NBA legend Charles Barkley holds grudge against NHL player Seth Jones for strangest reason

A moment Reddit won’t forget

In an age where sports fandom happens one post at a time, Reddit brought attention to a multi-generational victory that many overlooked. Amid all the arguments over numbers and legacies, sometimes it’s the off-the-beaten-path family ties that unite fans. From courtside to rinkside, the Jones family now occupies a special and memorable space in sports history.

Atlanta Falcons Pro Bowl safety Jessie Bates is known for his playmaking ability on the field, but off the gridiron, he’s making headlines for a different kind of game-changer—his bold investment in Elon Musk’s aerospace giant, SpaceX. Bates, who first backed the company in 2019, is now seeing the kind of growth most investors only dream of. But as Musk’s political ties stir heated debate, Bates—and other NFL investors—are navigating not just rocket launches, but reputational turbulence.

A touchdown investment: how Jessie Bates bet early on SpaceX

Bates made his initial six-figure investment through Rise Sports Advisors, a firm that helps pro athletes tap into high-growth startups. He doubled down three years later through Summit Peak Ventures, joining former Bengals lineman D’Ante Smith in SpaceX’s Series J round, when the company was valued at $127 billion.

Now valued at over $350 billion, SpaceX has become one of the world’s most lucrative private firms. “I didn’t know what to expect from it,” Smith said. “I didn’t think it would fail but I didn’t know what to expect.”

For Bates, the decision was about long-term vision. “It would be crazy if we didn’t think that [one day] people will be going to space normally,” he said. “You would be crazy not to educate yourself in that space and maybe participate in some investments.”

The Musk factor: business genius or political liability?

While Bates respects Musk’s acumen, he stops short of backing him politically. “You can’t ignore how business-savvy these guys are and the leadership that they have in this space,” he explained, acknowledging SpaceX’s “polarizing reputation.”

That reputation has only intensified. Musk’s past close relationship with Donald Trump drawn criticism amid sweeping federal job cuts and regulatory rollbacks. Still, Rise Sports’ VP of Finance Jay Bass said Musk’s government connections “help more than it hurts” from an economic lens.

Until SpaceX goes public or sells, Bates and his fellow athlete-investors are holding tight. “This is one of the pretty big investments that I’ve made,” he said. “To see that it can be a 10x type of deal, that’s exciting.”

Also Read: Donald Trump and Elon Musk feud turns ugly as NFL stars like Robert Griffin III and Ryan Clark become unlikely pawns

But with growing media scrutiny and protest movements targeting Musk’s companies, the question remains: will SpaceX’s value soar high enough to eclipse the controversy—or will politics bring it back down to Earth?