The Australian government has warned top sports bodies to end years of second-class citizenship for female athletes and pay for them to travel in the same style as males for major events overseas.
Australian Minister of Health and Sport Sussan Ley and Australian Sports Commission (ASC) Chairman John Wylie have written to the top 30 funded organizations threatening cuts if “gender-neutral” travel is not introduced.
“In 2016, we can think of no defensible reason why male and female athletes should travel in different classes or stay in different standard accommodation when attending major international sporting events,” the letter said.
“The ASC is now proposing to make gender-neutral travel policies for senior major championships a condition of investment by the ASC in a sport,” it added.
The commission is to provide A$134 million (US$94 million) in funding to sports organizations in the year to June.
Ley told the Australian Broadcasting Corp: “Quite frankly, I was shocked and surprised to find that, in every sport, it is not always the case that the guys and the girls fly and are accommodated at the same level of travel.”
“I am prepared to tie the funding to compliance with this, but I do not expect it to come to an argument. I know it will not, in fact. This is not a name and shame exercise,” she added.
“This is a strongly worded request ... to remind the sports [bodies] that the significant funding that comes to them courtesy of the taxpayer does sometimes have some strings attached,” she said.
Media slammed Basketball Australia after the Opals female team traveled economy to the 2012 Olympics in London, unlike the men, who flew business despite being less successful.
In Canberra, opposition Labor Member of Parliament Lisa Chesters weighed into the debate, saying there was no justification to treat men better than women.
“We have got a long way to go to ensure our women athletes are treated the same as male athletes,” Chesters told reporters.
Professional surfing great Layne Beachley welcomed the move.
“There was huge disparity between the level of prize money, level of endorsements, level of marketing opportunity,” Beachley told ABC News 24.
“Now we are seeing that gap narrow. It will take time, but it starts with education, awareness and someone taking a stance and saying this is unacceptable, we need to change it,” she added.
Ley said sporting organizations had already responded well to a request to boost the numbers of women on their boards.
She also called for gender-neutral progress in domestic sports leagues and for elite-level mothers to get help.
“If you are competing at that level and your child needs to travel with you, of course, arrangements I am sure would be made. That is common sense,” she said.
US track and field athletes have about four dozen pieces to choose from when assembling their uniforms at the Olympics. The one grabbing the most attention is a high-cut leotard that barely covers the bikini line and has triggered debate between those who think it is sexist and others who say they do not need the Internet to make sure they have good uniforms. Among those critical or laughing at the uniforms included Paralympian Femita Ayanbeku, sprinter Britton Wilson and even athletes from other countries such as Britain’s Abigail Irozuru, who wrote on social media: “Was ANY female athlete consulted in
Forget Real Madrid, Manchester City or Paris Saint-Germain, the world’s best soccer team — statistically speaking — might be a little-known outfit from the closed central Asian nation of Turkmenistan. Founded last year, Arkadag, named in honor of former Turkmen president Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow, have been unstoppable, notching up 36 consecutive domestic victories in a run still ongoing. The side have not lost a single competitive match and swept to a league and cup double in their inaugural season — success unthinkable almost anywhere else. However, in Turkmenistan, it could hardly have gone any other way. The energy-rich country is one of the most closed
Former US Masters champion Zach Johnson was left embarrassed after a foul-mouthed response to ironic cheers from spectators after a triple bogey at Augusta National on Friday. Johnson, the 2007 Masters winner, missed the cut after his three-over-par round of 75 left him on seven-over 151 for 36 holes, his six on the par-three 12th playing a big role in his downfall. Television footage showed Johnson reacting to sarcastic cheers and applause when he tapped in for the triple bogey by yelling: “Oh fuck off.” Such a response would be considered bad form in any golf tournament, but is particularly out of keeping
Taiwan’s Lee Jhe-huei and Yang Po-hsuan on Saturday won the men’s doubles bronze medal at the Badminton Asia Championships in Ningbo, China, after they were bested by the hosts in their semi-final. The Taiwanese shuttlers lost to China’s Liang Wei Keng and Wang Chang, who advanced to yesterday’s final against Malaysia’s Goh Sze Fei and Nur Izzudin. The Chinese pair outplayed Lee and Yang in straight games. Although the Taiwanese got off to a slow start in the first game, they eventually tied it 14-14, before Liang and Wang went on to blow past them to win 21-17. In the second game, Lee and