Indian President to Honor Poker Pro Muskan Sethi

In recognition of her achievements within a male dominated arena, the President of India, Ram Nath Kovind, will honor professional poker player Muskan Sethi at a ceremony next month, along with another 99 women from across the sub-continent who have also accomplished notable feats in male-dominated fields. These include India’s first woman to trek to Antarctica, its first woman to become a firefighter, the Indian Army’s first female cadet, and the merchant navy’s first female captain.
The news was announced last week by the Hindustan Times, with the list of notable women having been selected by the government ministry. Commenting upon the honor, a delighted Muskan Sethi, aged 28, stated:
“I still can’t believe it. It’s hard to express how I feel, my journey so far is flashing before my eyes, feeling blessed and really looking forward.”
Muskan Sethi works as a social worker in India, but since 2010 has also been earning a living as a professional poker player. On the live circuit, she has racked up $44,310 in winnings since 2014, including this year finishing the GUKPT London £1,100 Main Event in 8th place for £10,400 ($13,107). It is online where Sethi’s results really shine, though, having amassed $114,597 in winning at PokerStars playing under the screen name Musku89.
A few weeks ago, Sethi also joined the Global Poker League (GPL) India, where she was made Team Manager for the Delhi Diehards. Similar to the GPL, the team-based poker competition provides a way of celebrating the game’s growing popularity in India, whilst also acting as a promotional platform for further growth in the vast country of 1.3 billion people.
Needless to say, this makes it an extremely attractive target for gambling companies, especially as it has an estimated 1.2 billion mobile users, with the gaming market expected to grow to a $1 billion industry within five years.
In the meantime, Muskan Sethi is playing a hugely influential role in helping to promote gender equality in poker, and commenting upon her experiences in India over the past few years, stated:
“Times have been changing. I am still experiencing the change. Earlier they would not be too keen to have me play with them. But now they know how good I am at the game and enjoy playing with me.”