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No longer a `guy thing'

When it comes to girls, excellence in academics is welcomed, but in sports? Let's see what sportswomen have to say

ROLE MODEL Sania Mirza has given little girls plenty to dream about

Sports = P.T. classes, perhaps a spot of tennis or a `cool' summer swimming camp. Sports = an excuse to buy fancy sports shoes and accessories. Sports = occasionally watching the last few nail-biting overs of a cricket match, en famille. Sports = well, it's a `guy-thing' and doesn't really amount to much in most women's lives.

Though the love affair with marks, textbooks and engineering seats does cut across the gender barrier, boys fare slightly better than girls in sports. Even if all boys don't aspire to be Tendulkar, sports still remains a rite of passage (is there any street in India without its own amateur, yet terribly professional `gully' cricket-team?) But it remains, according to the parents of most girls, a `waste of time and money'. The attitude, that's the problem...

"Girls are actively encouraged to learn an art form — dance or music, but rarely sports," rues Vidya Pradeep, manager in a private bank. Excellence in academics is welcomed; in arts, encouraged; but in sports? "If a girl gets really interested in a sport and wants to take it up, there are a string of objections from paati and thatha, uncle and aunty," reasons her husband Pradeep Raghunathan, software professional.

Shiny Wilson, trail-blazing athlete, Asiad champ and 4-time Olympic participant, points out that studies take a definite preference over sports. "Moreover, during P.T. lessons, kids are simply sitting under the trees and talking; it's only before the annual sports day do you ever see any activity at all in the grounds!"

The proof lies in television! Or rather in its viewers. Look closely. When a major match is telecast, the `adoring' crowd in front of the television would be mildly delirious. Jagannath, IT consultant, reminisces about a bachelor party that was organised to celebrate the live telecast of a cricket match. "The noise level increased, conversations led to arguments on the best coach, best player, the way cricket should and should not be played, and ended in an outburst of aggression and emotions." Pradeep also admits to screaming at the batsmen — `tap it on the legside and run man!' — while feverishly watching matches with friends.

Well, honestly, how many women will throw a party to watch a cricket match? Or fight bitterly over who scored the maximum goals? (Or is it runs?) As Nithya, HR professional retorts, "Unlike men, very few women would lap up repeat episodes of a match played 10 years ago and our world definitely doesn't end because there is a match on TV." (But she concedes that there are now more women viewing sports, though she doubts if they would, if ever, passionately shout out instructions to a team playing 10,000 miles away.)

Changes on the horizon

Rohini Rau, Asian sailing champion (and medical student) is, however, thankful that some things are fast changing. "When I started sailing there were hardly 5 or 6 women sailors in India. It's heartening to see almost 50 of them who're keen on it today. But then, people still come up with excuses like outdoor sports tans the skin or makes one too muscular."

There's also no avoiding the fact that sportspersons face several constraints. Juggling sports and studies, doing justice to two taxing fields can be rather demanding. "But it is possible. Everybody is capable of doing it... just as long as you believe you can, and love what you're doing," says Rohini. Incidentally, Rohini is the only sportsperson in the international sports circuit who is also studying medicine.

Beyond marriage

Vidya points out that the careers of many sportswomen come to a grinding halt right after marriage and a baby. But Rohini reasons, "As long as the guy is understanding there is absolutely no need to give up something for which you've given your all." Shiny believes that with determination and hard work, it is possible to overcome impossible odds. "Nine months after I delivered my first child, I was the Indian champion; in less than a year, I was the Asian champ. Naturally, I had trained very hard for it," she says.

Shiny further elaborates that there are now many incentives to take up sports. This attracts and retains talent. "Prize monies have increased; sports quotas (in colleges and offices) make it possible for sportspersons to straddle both worlds; and, more important, there are several role models for girls to follow!"

The last bit is perfectly true. Sportswomen are currently the rage — when they're not winning medals by the dozen, they're beaming at you from billboards, they're glamorous, they're gorgeous, and best of all, they're giving cricketers a run for their popularity. Sania Mirza (Indian tennis "Goddess", as one fansite calls her!), Joshna Chinappa, Rohini Rau and Anju George have certainly given little girls plenty to dream. And Sania is solely responsible for the serpentine queues of pig-tailed hopefuls at tennis academies.

Then again, who really wouldn't want to be a Sania?

APARNA KARTHIKEYAN

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