Thiruvananthapuram, Nov 3 (IANS) Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday congratulated the Indian women’s cricket team for making history by winning their first ICC Women’s Cricket World Cup title, calling it a “moment of immense pride for the entire nation”.

Taking to social media, he lauded the team’s fighting spirit and said their achievement would inspire generations of young women to chase their dreams fearlessly.

“The fighting spirit displayed by the Indian team throughout the tournament deserves special mention. This victory is not only a proud moment for Indian cricket and the sporting fraternity but also for the entire nation. In a male-dominated society where only men’s achievements are often celebrated, this World Cup triumph will serve as a powerful source of inspiration and energy for every girl in the country,” CM Vijayan said in his congratulatory message on Facebook.

The landmark win has elevated women’s cricket to new heights and sparked celebrations across the country.

More than just a sporting triumph, the victory symbolises the empowerment of women and a shift in societal attitudes. As CM Vijayan noted, this success will fuel a new generation of girls to believe that no dream — on or off the field — is beyond their reach.

Echoing CM Vijayan’s statement and speaking to IANS Niketha Ramankutty, former chairperson of the South Zone Women’s Selection Committee and also the former chair for the Kerala Women’s Selection Committee said that even though there are no Malayalees in the present Indian test team, Kerala can also be proud that Arundathy Reddy, has been playing for the Kerala Women’s senior team for the past two years.

“This win is going to spur the interest in Women’s cricket in Kerala as last night many in Kerala were glued to their TV sets. At the moment there are five Malayalees who figure in the Indian ODI and T 20 sides. That’s a great achievement for Kerala and yesterday’s win is going to take to greater heights and Reddy’s presence is going to give her Kerala team mates a big boost . Moreover Jayesh George, the current president of the Kerala Cricket Association (KCA), has been appointed as the first-ever chairman of the Women’s Premier League and this is also going to help Women’s cricket in Kerala,” said Ramankutty.

–IANS

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