The appointment of Navnita Gautam as their massage therapist will make the Royal Challengers Bangalore the first team in the history of the Indian Premier League to appoint a woman as a part of their support staff. She will work alongside Evan Speechly, the head physiotherapist, and Shanker Basu, the strength & conditioning coach.
Her role would entail “performing specialized techniques about the preparation, motivation, overall supervision and all individual physical ailments relating to the team,” a release from the franchise stated on Thursday (October 17).
“I am very pleased to be a part of this moment in history and another step in the right direction,” said RCB chairman, Sanjeev Churiwala. “The game has come a long way, in many ways, in terms of the Women’s Cricket Team and how many people are watching it, the interest was long due.
“Sport is a great enabler, but it is important to ensure that the principles of equity in participation also extends to its staffing bodies. Increasing participation and success by women in all sporting arenas have made this possible and we at RCB are very thrilled to have found great talent in Navnita.”
