Women's Sport

I had the misfortune to listen to Mark Watson on RadioSport last night.  My misfortune for listening in the first place, but the discussion on the table was surrounding the Halberg Awards and more importantly the success of Lydia Ko at the awards and was she deserving?

But Watson's tirades were bordering on utter disbelief that women's sport amounted to anything in the real context of world sport, especially women's Golf.  Sure in some regards I agreed that Lydia was not a world champion in her given sport and had not won a pinnacle event in her sport thus was undeserving of the Halberg.  But I too think he was missing the point.  The Halbergs are not just about being a winner but showing ability and overcoming the odds.  Ko was 15 when she won an LPGA event and she went on to win three as an amateur. That's excellence in my book and she deserved the award on that facet.

But what about  his tirade at women's sport in general?  He intimated that women's sports were not pinnacle

events, that in the scheme of things women did not deserve to be recognised for playing sport.  I had this vision that Watson would sooner watch lovely young athlete ladies smiling and in tight fitting outfits than see a long rally or a 250 metre drive.  I'm betting he has a picture of Danica Patrick posing in a skimpy outfit and not behind the wheel of a Nascar drive.  And sadly many men see this only.  But some men, and many women, see the true picture.  An athlete striving to be the best in their chosen sport.

And what of the dominant figures in world women's sport (no not dominatrix).  The Serena Williams,; the Valerie Adams, the Lisa Carringtons, what of these ladies.  They are champions (as Ko will be one day) and they excel in their given sport.  They don't do it to look great for perving males and butch lesbians.  They don't necessarily do it for the money, they do it, just like males in their given sports, to be the best, the champion, to be remembered for what they put into the sporting arena.

So my message to Mark Watson, and other bigoted males, get a grip.  Women's sport is valid, has a place, is widely viewed and held in high esteem. They may lack the strength and agility of males in similar sports, but they are the best women in that women's sporting event.