Steel up, girls!

 

Steel up, girls!

Not to be engaged in a regular job is not good for the mental health of some people like me. This week has been worrisome and I have been tense thinking about the women in sports in our country.  

Come to think of it, while the whole country (rather the large milieu of sports-enthusiasts) is following the Tokyo Olympics, 2020 taking place now in 2021, I am thinking of the present and future of sportswomen in India and I am pleased that it has shifted the focus away from cricket and lives of cricketers even if temporarily.

Olympics to me is not about participation or also-rans, but about winning the silver and the gold medal. Those who get gold are understandably happy but happier are those who win a bronze because even this non-precious alloy gets them a spot on the podium and a mention on the medal tally. By that calculation silver winners are the discontented lot because they know they missed out on the gold. Let me know what the reaction is when you talk to a silver medalist, please.

A country of 1.3 billion people, we have more gold on our bodies, in our cupboards and bank lockers than probably any other country in the world. Not to talk of the stocks in the jewelers’ shops too! In fact have you ever noticed how like fast food sellers, a jeweler starts with a small shop and slowly grows to two, three, and then several shops in town and then in other cities, maybe with branches overseas also. But all that ornately carved collection does not bring as much name and fame for a person, more so honour for the country as that simple disc of nearly half a kilo of metal hanging from a ribbon brings.

Sorry, I got distracted. Let me push my words to the point.

We feel proud that on the world population pie chart, we hog most of the surface area but what percentage of that is sportspersons or even have a passing interest in sporting activities?

And then how many among them are women?

Furthermore, come to think of it, even as little children, except the participation expected in games and sports by the school curriculum, girls stay limited to hopscotch, rope-skipping and maybe kho-kho in the name of sport at home. As they grow older, this too becomes taboo for them. The objections can be anything from what use is it, whatever will others say, they cannot wear these clothes, the movements draw attention to parts of their body, so much physical exercise changes their bodies or if they want to do something, why not work to get a well-paying job. The premise still is that girls have to get married, bear children and look after the house. That is it.

The boys, on the other hand, are handed out no such directives. Most start playing anything- badminton, football or gully cricket from childhood and may continue to play till work routines, aching joints, protruding bellies or lethargy prevent them from doing so. Warnings for them are only limited to - come back home before the dad returns from work, no breaking of others’ windowpanes and no fights.

And all of you are witness that these males of the species cannot even follow these instructions faithfully.

No, I am not being sexist right now (although I see nothing wrong in that either) but going by the skewed sex ratio/condition of daughters of Bharat mata, it does no harm to scratch the surface and look beyond.

Before our men’s hockey team had got the bronze, it had been women all the way- Saikhom Mirabhai Chanu, Lovelina Borgohain and PV Sindhu, in the recent contests.

The personal stories of nearly all these girls are not narratives of their intention to merely break glass ceilings, but the struggle to rise above their own circumstances. No, they are not fighting men per se, they are trying to rise above their own odds - poverty, gender bias, social norms and stigmas.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-58071416

Proving wrong the social thought that women are physically weaker, they have not shied away from heavy duty contact and injury-prone sports like weightlifting and boxing. Disregarding the harsh reality of lack of funds and facilities, disdain for non-glamorous or money-spinning sports, ignored or worse spurned by most people around, fighting politics in selection process, they have steadfastly carried on their romance with a bat or racquet, stick or metal ball, whatever they picked up. Those whose attempts failed, have quietly come back home to we do not know what reactions from family, village/town, local and state governments and the society at large.    

Even men in sports face most of these issues, you might ask. Does that make the neglect any more pardonable?

Indian Parents

Bursting with a surge of emotions, naturally, I feel like shouting a loud cry of bravo to the parents, families, friends, coaches and whoever with or without executive powers  helped them rise to the level that they could not only stand among but compete with stronger people of other races, colour and countries.

I have been forwarded videos of men’s hockey captain Manpreet Singh taking the Prime minister’s congratulatory call. I also saw the pictures of Union Sports and Youth Affairs Minister with winner P V Sindhu.

Goaded by social media, as the news channels are saying, the Prime Minister talked to the heartbroken women’s hockey team and their delicate emotional state was merrily aired too. But who will wipe the tears of these and all other such sportswomen’s hopelessness after today?

So somebody please carry my missive to those women from various sports who are nursing their fresh wounds.

Steel up, girls, it is just a matter of three more years and there will be a fresh chance for you to show your mettle. Just look around. There are thousands of young girls growing up in our country who carry a tiny flicker of hope hidden in their chests that they would be able to cite your example and follow in your footsteps.

Karnam Malleswari, first Indian woman to win an Olympic medal

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                                                                                       - Anupama S Mani