As school students, everyone is introduced to sports. There are exams taken under the subject of Physical Education. So why is it that the number of women in sports is comparatively less? It can be observed that only a handful number of girls would play on the field where boys are playing. This may not be the case in all schools, but such a scenario exists. Those handfuls of girls are then teased and made fun of pushing them away from that ground.
Sad and demotivating scenario to imagine, right? Like every student going to school, girls should not only get the opportunity to play but also be encouraged to go play.
The reason behind this may be a lack of mentorship? Or lack of female role models for young girls to look up to?
Starting from women having to protest to be a part of athletics and games, to today where there are special tournaments organized by and for women. Women’s sports have come a long way: Women’s T20 World Cup, FIFA Women’s World Cup, Women’s NCAA. There are women’s versions of several games. Due to the historical underrepresentation of women in sports, there has been a noticeable surge in interest in recent years as attention has been focused on female players.
This growing interest in female athletes is here to stay since female sports have proven incredibly resilient over time, creating the foundation for even more development. There is no doubt that the rise of female sports has affected the sports industry, affecting not only athletes but also rights holders, sponsors, media, advertisers, brand commercialization strategies, and fan engagement, leading to significant changes in the dynamics of the industry as a whole.
Mithali Raj (Cricketer, India)
One of the female cricket players with the most awards. Mithali, a role model for women all around the nation, joined the Indian national cricket squad in 1999 at the age of 16, when she made history by scoring the youngest-ever 114 against Ireland in an ODI. Since then, the woman from Jodhpur, Rajasthan, known as India’s “Blue City,” has been unstoppable, setting record after record. Raj is by far the most prolific run-scorer in ODIs with 7391 runs, and he is continuously adding valuable runs to his total. With 5992 runs, former English cricketer Charlotte Edwards is ranked second.
Raj, who received the Padma Shri award in 2015, has the longest ODI career in women’s cricket, lasting 22 years and 92 days as of September 2021. Her teammate Jhulan Goswami, whose ODI career had lasted 19 years and 263 days as of September 2021, is in second place. As of October 2021, both of these Indian legends were tied for second place with ages 19y 262d.
Marta Vieira da Silva (Footballer, Brazil)
Marta Vieira da Silva is still establishing herself as the most talented player on the planet. The Brazilian maestro dubbed Marta “Pele in skirts” because of her versatility. She has outrun defenders so frequently that the world has lost count of the instances. That includes dribbling, where she confounds opponents with her exceptional skill, generates goals with her vision, and scores them with a fierce determination to win.
Her achievements are impressive, as she has been named the Fifa female world player of the year five times in a row (2006 to 2010). Marta is the competition’s all-time leading scorer with 15 goals and was also awarded the Golden Ball and Golden Boot at the 2007 Women’s World Cup.
Brianna Decker (Hockey, U.S)
2011 national winners in Wisconsin were aided by Brianna Decker. The Patty Kazmaier Memorial Award was given to her in 2012. Her 12 game-winning goals in 2010–11 set a record for the program. She now has a 32-game scoring streak for the Badgers (Feb. 11, 2011, to Jan. 6, 2012). She is a member of the Calgary Inferno (CWHL). “Fall” by Eminem is her go-to upbeat music. At a Milwaukee Brewers game, she threw out the first pitch.
Leila Rajabi (Shot Put, Iran)
Shot putter Leila Rajabi competed for Belarus from 2001 to 2007. She has been Iran’s representative since 2007. Rajabi’s silver medal victory in the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon is what makes him most famous. The current shot put national record holder for Iran is Leila Rajabi.
Liveta Jasiūnaitė (Javelin Throw, Lithuanian)
Liveta Jasiūnaitė is a Lithuanian athlete with expertise in the javelin throw is Liveta Jasinait. In Amsterdam, Netherlands, for the 2016 European Championships, she took part in the javelin throw competition. The javelin throw record for Lithuania is held by Jasinaite. When the European Youth Summer Olympic Festibornwas held in 2011, she won the silver medal. She took home the bronze medal in the U23 European Athletics Championships in 2015.
Anshu Malik (Wrestler, India)
A young Indian wrestler from Haryana named Anshu Malik is regarded as one of the best in the nation right now. Anshu who is only 21 years old, has achieved success in the wrestling world. At the 2021 Oslo World Wrestling Championship, she made history by becoming the first Indian woman to take home a medal from a World Championship.
Garbiñe Muguruza Blanco (Tennis, Spain)
Garbie Muguruza Blanco has competed for Spain in the Fed Cup since 2015 and at two Olympic Games, Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020. The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) has given her a career-high singles rating of No. 1 and a career-high doubles ranking of No. 10 in the world. At the 2016 French Open, the 2017 Wimbledon Championships, and the 2021 WTA Finals, she won two Grand Slam championships. She finished second at the 2020 Australian Open and the 2015 Wimbledon Championships while winning 10 WTA Tour titles.
Hestrie Cloete (High Jump, South Africa)
When she was 13 years old, Cloete was found. Her greatest successes included taking home two world titles and two Olympic silver medals. Numerous accolades on the world stage were given to Cloete. When she won the gold medal at the World Championships in Paris on August 31, 2003, she cleared 2.06 meters in the high jump, which is her personal best (African record, as of May 2011)
