Summary of this article

Ishrat Akther’s life changed in 2016, an uneasy year for the Kashmir Valley, when she sustained a spinal cord injury that rendered her wheelchair bound.

She started playing wheelchair basketball in 2018 and has, over the years, represented India internationally and won numerous medals and awards.

Despite all the achievements, due to the absence of any sponsors, she struggles to collect funds every time she has to travel for tournaments.

On August 25, 2019, Ishrat Akther, who was then 23, was holed up in her house in Bangdara village in Baramulla. Kashmir was cut off from the rest of the country after Article 370 was revoked and the Valley was put under lockdown.

There was a knock on the door. Ishrat’s father, Abdul Rashid Mir, froze when he saw Army and police

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