We’re living through the beginning of a jump for gender equality in sport with 49% of athletic women

Tokyo Olympics 2020 had the most prolific gender balanced of 49% comprising of athletic women for the first time in the history of the games.

An amazing silver medal for Chanu Shaikom Mirabai in the Women’s category of 49kg for Weightlifting, a surprising bronze medal for World No 6, PV Sindhu and another bronze medal for Loveline Borgohain in the Women’s Welterweight category were the perfect examples set for cheering the celebration and success of Indian women this year.

Initially when the Olympics started for the Indian Contingents, the first day itself, India was awarded the silver medal all thanks to an excellent performance from Mirabai Chanu lifting a mammoth 202kg in total, PV Sindhu’s performance against Tai.Tzu.Ying of Chinese Taipei was the most surprising turnaround match as she lost in the semi-final but won the Bronze medal game against He Bingjiao of China 21-13, 21-15, with Loveline excellence by winning a Bronze medal. The likes of Neeraj Chopra, India Men’s Hockey Team also joined the party later, with six of the last eight medals won by the Indian Women. What we have witnessed is a drastic intersection in two changes – generational in our country—achingly, painfully, grindingly slow, but real, societal within the entire sport.

Advertisement

I believe we are living through the beginning of a jump for gender equality in sport. “To encourage and support the promotion of women in sport at all levels and in all structures to implement the principle of equality of men and women.” as called out by a Gender Equality Review Project after the 2016 Rio Olympics as per Hindustan Times Report.

But how they look as The Tokyo Olympic Games, 2020 were the most gender-balanced in history. Nearly 49% of the athletes are female. Every country includes at least one male and female athlete for the first time with mixed team events doubled to 18.

Journalist Sharda Ugra, while providing the keynote address at the Sports Law and Policy Centre Symposium also painted a picture of what accountability glimpsed like.

She surmised by saying “As long as the Olympics have a great hold over the Indian imagination, our sporting governance, particularly when it comes to questions of female access and participation, are fortunately dictated by a more progressive world.”