Ritika Singh
Birthplace:
Malpura, Tonk, Rajasthan
Residence:
Malpura, Tonk, Rajasthan
Qualification:
Class 12
Inspiration:
Parents, Pushpa Maa, Noor Shekhawat and other stars of the community
THE GOLD GIRL!
A sportsperson, she has her spirits high—always. With every colour of medals around her, she has made her family immensely proud. “What’s life without some struggles?” she asks as she begins to share her story. In the same breath, she tells us about her gold medal, ice stock sports, and all the support that she’s been blessed to have from the many people around her!
Coming from a small town was never a deterrent to her. Coming from a confused state of mind about her gender too seldom, if ever, bogged her down. Nags from people around her too failed to dampen her confidence, ever.
“My parents have given me a firm foundation. What they taught me made me strong. I was ready to deal with anything that tried to stop or mislead me,” Ritika shares with a smile. All that positivity eventually took her to participate in sports and create the much-needed aura in Ice Stock in India. She has one gold medal in singles, one silver and two bronze medals in singles, and team games to her name. “Oh, and I am beginning to prepare for the Icestock World Championships 2026,” she avers.
Born in a rather unheard of and small village, Malpura, she was assigned male at birth. While she for sure felt different and very unlike the other boys her age, she tried to fit the box initially—but not for too long. Coming to accept the difference in her feelings was difficult but not as difficult as society made it for her.
“Yes, there were challenges, social taunts, prejudices and abuses from an early age. Though there was a time when my father too found it difficult to understand and accept it but not once did he rebuke or disown me. My parents were and are my strongest pillars,” shares Ritika.
“Was God wrong?”
But the challenges stared deep in her face, often from unexpected quarters. Peers and even some teachers ridiculed her for her gender identity. So, where to find shelter? Well, she found solace in dance, where she excelled at the national level. However, the journey of finding her solace wasn’t easy. She shares an incident. “I was on the stage, performing for my state. My elder brother and his friends were in the audience. One of his friends made a rather cheap remark that pissed off my brother. Once we were home, he hit me hard and hit me for long. He didn’t bother questioning his friend for his choice of words but found me wrong in choosing my identity. Was dancing wrong? Was my gender wrong? Was God wrong? Or were his leering friends wrong? That was probably male ego because after this when my parents sat him down to make him understand, he never asked me a question.”
And it didn’t end there. During another cultural celebration at school, one of her seniors nailed her against the wall, asking her for ‘favours’. “I barely managed to escape. At the same school, I had some wonderful teachers who supported me to no end; for them, my gender wasn’t the case, my good grades were. I was always among the top five,” she reveals with a tinge of sadness in her smile.
She was still in class 9 when one of the most traumatic things happened to her – she was kidnapped. “I was picked up from my village and then, something happened, they threw me off at the outskirts of Delhi in the wee hours. I ran and ran and ran without a breath and found a tele-calling booth, called up my parents, crying and asking them to pick me up from where I was. The people there were good—they gave the right address to my parents and ensured I was safe. And that’s all I wanted—to be safe,” she shudders as she shares the traumatic mishap.
Rising above the adversity
What keeps her going despite the trauma and knowing for a fact that it isn’t a safe world? She is quick to reply, “While many things were going wrong, I had the love and support of some people—my parents, my siblings, my teachers, my friends. It’s been great the way they have encouraged me, guided me, supported me. With them being by my side, these experiences only fueled my determination to rise above adversity and make a name for myself.”
After completing her schooling with exceptional grades, Ritika moved to Jaipur for further education and personal growth. “I started taking some computer courses to polish my skills. And later, I found out about this LGBTQ+ support group, Nayi Bhor Sanstha. I started exploring it, found like-minded people and joined it. I can’t stop being thankful to Pushpa Maa and Noor Shekhawat ma’am, two leaders of transgender community in Jaipur, the change makers for us in Rajasthan. Both Pushpa Maa and Noor ma’am have loved me selflessly and guided and motivated me to do better things.”
It was now that she was introduced to the sport of ice stocks by her coach, Manish Sir.
Initially, Ritika had no prior knowledge of ice stocks, a sport similar to curling, but as soon as she picked up the equipment, she felt an instant connection. Training tirelessly, she overcame the physical demands and mental barriers associated with being a transgender athlete in a male-dominated field. Her perseverance paid off when she was selected to compete at the national level.
The winning stroke
However, the path ahead was not easy. She faced resistance from fellow athletes who questioned her inclusion. But Ritika stood firm, insisting on her right to compete under her true identity. Thus she became the first female transgender athlete in the sport, paving the way for inclusivity in ice stocks. Her hard work culminated in a historic victory when she clinched a gold medal in the Winter Ice Stock Championship, making her the first transgender woman to achieve this feat.
Ritika believes her triumph was not just a personal achievement but a victory for the entire LGBTQ+ community. Her success inspired many transgender individuals to pursue sports and break the shackles of societal norms. She became an activist, taking up the gauntlet for greater acceptance and equal opportunities for transgender athletes in India.
Ritika’s journey from a bullied child in a conservative village to a national champion stands as a testament to the power of resilience and self-belief. Her unwavering spirit continues to inspire countless others who look to embrace their true selves and chase their dreams fearlessly without the shackles of gender expectations and discrimination. Today, Ritika is not just an athlete but a symbol of hope, courage, and transformation in the world of sports and beyond.
VISION FOR THE TRANSGENDER COMMUNITY
Education, she asserts, should be the community’s primary focus. “The government too is working to educate as many transgender individuals as possible.” While she encourages the community to uphold its traditions, such as the guru-chela system, she equally emphasizes the importance of awareness of their rights and responsibilities.
For instance, she highlights the significance of the government-issued identity card for transgender people. “An ID card can be extremely useful in many situations—but one must know about it, its purpose, where to apply, when to use it, and the benefits it provides. Unfortunately, awareness of such essential matters is something the community severely lacks.”
MESSAGE FOR THE MAINSTREAM SOCIETY
Ritika carries a simple yet profound message for society—equality. “Whether cisgender or transgender, the way a person dresses should never define their character,” she asserts, her voice firm yet laced with an unspoken plea for acceptance. She challenges society’s biases, insisting that clothing does not define someone’s character. Given the same opportunities, transgender individuals can excel alongside their cisgender counterparts. But history, she laments, has not been kind. “Ever since the Mughal era, our community has been cast aside, mistreated, and misunderstood—even though Hinduism and its mythology once revered us, holding us in high regard.” This, she insists, must change.
She calls for early awareness—integrating transgender representation into school curricula and organizing sensitization camps for cisgender communities. More crucially, she advocates for transgender voices in policymaking. “Treat us as equals, and watch us thrive,” she declares—a plea, a demand, and a promise wrapped in resilience, waiting for the world to finally listen.
FIVE FACTS ABOUT RITIKA
She is, she believes, one of the best bathroom singers!
She has won many state-level painting competitions.
An adventurer at heart, she loves travelling and has explored quite a lot of places in India.
She loves bikes and long drives.
She cooks awesome nonveg food, especially mutton. “My father loves it when I cook.”
