Women, an epitome of power, beauty, grace and homely feeling has mapped her own success, her own life and her own journey in this world of patriarchy. Their strength needs to be recognised and celebrated. LA POLO pays tribute to such women as we set in conversation with some splendid women who stand as the representative of all the ladies out there.
Here’s the snippet of the candid interviews:
1.Are there any assumptions about women that you would like to change? Why?
RHEA PAREKH: A common misconception people have is a man can be a better leader than women. The highest authority in any field is to be given to man. I would like to change the assumption as I feel women are equally smart, talented and more focused naturally.
ASHLEY PAREKH: I personally have heard women assume that polo as a sport is for men alone and that women are not capable of playing it. I strongly oppose it because I believe anyone who has a strong passion for this sport can play it. In fact, I feel women have taken this sport to a whole new level and are raising the bar all over the world. There are so many amazing and powerful women polo players who have proven to be no less than men. One of the reasons I want to change their assumption is because I want more and more women to be encouraged and play this sport and not to be made felt any lesser than anyone.
MONICA SAXENA: Women can never be equal to men, physically and socially. The sad part is that it is the women themselves (the mothers of the sons) who encourage this thought in the men.
The homes where men (fathers and husbands) are against traditional thought process; gives birth to champions like Mary Kom, Hina Das and Sakshi Malik.
2.Female icons that you aspire?
RHEA PAREKH: Michelle Obama, Manushi Chillar, Theresa May, Kylie Jenner, Ellen Degeneres
ASHLEY PAREKH: My biggest female icon is my mother and others are Lia Salvo and Michelle Obama.
MONICA SAXENA: Women from affluent families get support, but they themselves don’t have motivation and aim. The women from villages are actually the champions who with very less infrastructure, work with dedication and have shown that they are equal.
3.What do you believe will be the biggest challenge for the generation of women behind you?
RHEA PAREKH: The personality and authority of a woman are getting stronger every day. The next generation must not be confined to the traditional norms and challenge themselves to be better than the world as they can surely reach the stars.
ASHLEY PAREKH:: The challenge for the generation of women behind me will definitely be time because polo demands a lot of time, energy, and passion and for students like me, it can be really difficult to balance academic life and polo. Also, competition is increasing every day so they will need to work really hard to perform well on the field.
MONICA: Biggest challenge is to change the mindset of elderly women, who have brainwashed their sons for generations and starved the daughters of confidence, that you can achieve and do equally well as men. So don’t underestimate your capabilities.
4.Who is your biggest influence?
RHEA PAREKH: My strongest influence would be all the people I meet every day. They influence me directly and indirectly and that has moulded me into a person I am today.
SHLEY PAREKH: My biggest influence is undoubtedly my father, Chirag Parekh. He and my entire family have supported and motivated me immensely to play this sport. They have helped me in every step and continuing doing so.
MONICA SAXENA:: My icon is Mary Kom, as we both are mothers of two boys!
