Levelling the playing field for women’s sport

A women’s lawn bowls team comprising a schoolteacher from Delhi and three police constables from Assam and Jharkhand made history at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

The quartet of Lovely Choubey, Pinki Singh, Nayanmoni Saikia, and Rupa Rani Tirkey brought home a gold medal, which was India’s first in the sport. Their singular achievement made a cricket-crazy nation google the rules of little-known lawn bowls.

But just three months after grabbing all the headlines, news surfaced of the athletes having to skip a tournament in New Zealand due to financial constraints. The team is hopeful of receiving sponsorship to participate in the Asian Championship in February.

The achievements of women athletes this year has pried open a door that was previously reserved only for male athletes, especially cricketers. And it has already started a conversation about sponsorship for women’s sports. While Choubey, Singh, Saikia, and Tirkey wait to represent the country on another global stage, LinkedIn’s Big Ideas 2023 — an exploration of the trends set to change the world of work — predicts that it is time for money to stream into women’s sports.

Cricket’s setting an example

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has led the way in this regard by announcing in October that men and women cricketers would be paid the same match fees. And the first Women’s Indian Premier League is slated to take place in February.

This trailblazing development has the potential to change not only women’s cricket in India but women’s sports in general. Shireen Limaye , captain of India’s national women’s basketball team, has spoken out in the past about there being fewer jobs for women in sports and male athletes getting the better paying opportunities. She regularly posts videos about basketball practice and fitness challenges.??

When it comes to para sports, India recorded its best medals tally at a single edition of the Paralympics in Tokyo last year. However, of the 19 medals, only three were won by women, with two going to ace shooter Avani Lekhara PLY . In an interview with LinkedIn News India, she mentioned how a lot of equipment for her sport has to be ordered from abroad, which pushes up costs. Lekhara, a disability advocate who believes “that life consists not in holding good cards, but in playing those cards you hold well”, urges corporate bodies to support para sports and players.

Ekta Bhyan , a gold medallist in club throw at the Asian Para Games in 2018, says that only a handful of organisations in India support para athletes. Could cricket show the way for para sports too? “Equal pay for women cricketers is a revolutionary step. Hopefully, this trend will be followed by other sports as well. Now that our country is becoming a new sports power, this will surely create awareness and recognition for women athletes too.”

More brands backing elite women athletes

In February 2022, German apparel giant 阿迪达斯 announced partnerships with a host of women athletes like Nikhat Zareen, Lovlina Borgohain, and Mirabai Chanu. The Indian Olympic Association , on the other hand, now counts Reliance Industries as its long-term partner for supporting athletes during multi-nation events like the Commonwealth and Olympic Games.

Paul R. is in charge of partnerships and business development at Nimida Sports, and often shares behind the scenes glimpses into navigating a career in sports. He says, “Brands investing in independent women athletes, who are making their dreams come true, is the upcoming trend. We already have top brands associated with badminton ace PV Sindhu.”

Not only on the field but even off it, women are taking up decision-making positions in clubs and sports bodies across the country, which can only lead to more corporations warming up to women’s sports. Emami East Bengal, one of Asia’s oldest football clubs, appointed Namrata Parekh , co-founder of Meraki Sport and Entertainment, as its CEO — the only woman to hold such an office across any club in the Indian Super League.

More significantly, the iconic PT Usha was recently elected as the first woman president of the Indian Olympic Association. Around 240 girls had enrolled for the selection trials to Usha’s sports academy in April.

“At the moment, Indian parents are no longer hesitant to encourage their daughters to pursue sports as a career as they can see the accomplishments of women athletes,” says Paul R, who recently discussed the power of networking when building a career in sport (but better).

With so many firsts already in the bag, the coming year will be a watershed for women sports in India. It could well end the wait for Choubey, Singh, Saikia, and Tirkey to compete in a global meet and possibly, win another gold medal.

Want to share your take? Write in the comments using #BigIdeas2023.

Reported by:? Abhiraj Ganguli

Creator Managers:? Vaishnavi Singh , Rakshit Ravindranathan

Managing Editor:?Nirajita Banerjee

Special projects leads:?Natalie MacDonald?(APAC),?Michele Pierri?(International)

Regional Lead:?Pooja Chhabria

International Executive Editor:? Sandrine Chauvin