New Delhi, Sep 24 (IANS): Union Minister of Women and Child Development and Minority Affairs Smriti Irani on Saturday met the five women umpires and match officials, who have been officiating in the ongoing Legends League Cricket, at her residence here.

This is a first-of-a-kind initiative in Indian cricket where ICC-approved match officials Gayathri Venugopalan, Shivani Mishra, Kim Cotton, Shubhda Bhosale and GS Laxmi have been officiating in a men's tournament for the first time in Indian cricketing history.

In an interaction with the match officials, the Minister applauded the remarkable initiative of Legends League to promote women umpires.

Special badges of 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao' were also presented to the match officials which they will be wearing during the remaining league matches.

"Women have been making the nation proud in the field of sports and the women officials of Legends League Cricket being in the limelight is a shining example of that. It is a matter of particular pride and privilege for me that they stand with me today in support of the Prime Minister's flagship scheme of 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao'. I am particularly delighted that one of the officials who has joined us today has benefited from the 'Ladli Laxmi Yojana'. It makes us immensely happy that LLC's team of Women officials will now wear the buttons which proudly say 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao' in matches," said Smriti Irani.

The aim was to promote and talk about the significance of women empowerment, particularly in the field of sports.

"Legends League Cricket is a great initiative that has given us this wonderful opportunity to officiate and prove that we are not better or worse but we are good enough. We feel fortunate to be the pioneers of an all-women's team of match officials in charge of a men's cricket league. I would like to thank Smriti Irani for taking the time out to meet us and for the improvement that 'Beti Bachao Beti Padhao' andolan has made in the right direction of statistics," said Gayathri Venugopalan.