Create more opportunities for women in sport

Representation pic

A bodybuilding championship held recently in Ratlam, Madhya Pradesh, was overshadowed by controversy. The patron of the contest is from the Bharatiya Janata Party. The tumult began when some from the Congress party opposed women bodybuilders in bikinis, mandated attire for the participants, posing before a picture of Lord Hanuman. They said this was an insult to Hindu dharma and the Lord, while the BJP hit back stating that the Congress was unable to look at women in sport through the proper lens.

Political battles and publicity aside, this paper in a report quoted the general secretary of the parent body of the sport in India, a woman administrator, ask mentioning how women's bodies must stop being political battlegrounds. This is true not just for sport but also in entertainment; in fact, in every stratum of society. From the smallest unit, the family, to the political sphere, women's attire has become a vehicle for mudslinging and cheap, easy attention. This is especially so in the vast social media landscape where facile commenting is easily facilitated.

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It is time more attention is paid to real issues. Create more opportunities for women in sport. Help them smash the glass ceiling in sporting administration. Seek to bring parity, especially in sports like body building where women's participation is still low, for a number of factors. Make our schools, colleges and sporting venues safe and hygienic. Look at changing mindsets right from the grass-root level. Help athletes who have reached a certain level compete overseas. Ensure that promised sums of money and prizes reach our triumphant players, and politicians act on promises. These are the aspects that need attention, instead of infantile slugfests.