Rescued from child marriage, 16-yr-old makes a mark in sports

A 16-year-old girl, whose child marriage was stopped by the Rachakonda police here last year, has made a mark on the cricket field.
The achievement of B Anusha, whose exploits on the sporting field during the inter-school cricket have received an all-round appreciation, is a shining example of what proper encouragement and guidance can do.
Anusha's family was going to get her married to a 26-year-old relative in April last year when the police and and the city-based child rights NGO Balala Hakkula Sangham rescued her in the Saroornagar area here, police said.
Subsequently, the class 10 student found her calling in sports.

"Anusha showed an all-round performance in the inter- school under-19 cricket match held in Madhya Pradesh recently," Rachakonda Police Commissioner Mahesh M Bhagwat said.
After excelling in the national-level cricket tournament, Anusha is now set to participate in the under-19 rugby tournament to be held at the L B Stadium here in the next couple of days, Bhagwat said yesterday during an event to felicitate her.

Congratulating Anusha on her exceptional performance, he assured all assistance to her in future.
"The police department will play the role of a care- taker for Anusha. We will provide the required financial help till she completes her academics," the commissioner said.

He said families should encourage girls and women to excel in life and stop the discrimination against them.
As per the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act-2006, the marriage of a girl under 18 years of age and a boy below the age of 21 is prohibited, and a punishment of up to two years of imprisonment and Rs 1 lakh fine is imposed on those found guilty, he noted.