Women athletes deserve a strong sports ecosystem
One of the most heartening aspects of the revamped Shivaji Park Gymkhana is the commitment of its office-bearers to giving a significant boost to women’s cricket. In a front-page report in this paper, the gymkhana’s top brass collectively stated that the club’s next chapter, which opens post-revamp, will have a special focus on women’s cricket.
By this, the club custodians did not simply mean playing cricket. What they meant—and have actually done—is improve infrastructure for girls and women who arrive at the nursery of Indian cricket to play. The club now boasts good changing rooms and washrooms for girls, which is a vital aspect of women’s sport that is sometimes overlooked or not given enough importance.
Lack of adequate changing rooms or washroom facilities for girls can discourage them from continuing to play the sport altogether. Without a place to change or attend to basic needs, some girls may be forced to stop playing the sport they love, which in turn shrinks the talent pool.
This platform has highlighted very poor changing facilities for girls—not just at Shivaji Park Gymkhana but at other sporting locations as well. We have published reports where girls have had to change in the vans or transportation that brought them to sporting venues. Even now, many Maidans in Mumbai lack toilets entirely, and changing rooms are non-existent.
These challenges are compounded for women athletes. Strengthening the sports ecosystem requires more than just equipment and opportunities; it demands basics like access to drinking water, clean rooms, and proper toilets for our athletes. Only then can we genuinely aspire to become a sporting power.
There is little value in touting medals on podiums if the foundational support remains weak and wanting. It is time to build infrastructure that truly supports our athletes from the ground up.
https://www.mid-day.com/news/opinion/article/women-athletes-deserve-a-strong-sports-ecosystem-23595502
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