The recent controversial arrangements proposed by the All India Tennis Association has attracted wide criticism from woman athletes round the country. Actually the trouble for the tennis association started with the warring lords of the Indian Tennis Leander Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi. With Hesh refusing to partner Paes for the London Olympics 2012. AITA was forced to opt for two teams for the men's double event. Hesh was paired with Rohan Bopanna and Paes with less known Vishnu Vardhan. In order to make Paes participate in the Olympics, AITA proposed a mixed doubles team with Sania Mirza pairing up with Paes. Whereas Sania was comfortable with hesh and the duo had brought prestegeous laurels to the nation with their deadly combination.
"For the sake of India I am committed to play with Leander Paes or Mahesh Bhupathi or Rohan Bopanna or Somdev Devvarman or Vishnu Vardhan or any other person that my country feels I am good enough to partner. There should never ever be a question on this. what I find disillusioning is the humiliating manner in which I was put up as a bait to try and pacify one of the disgruntled stalwarts of Indian tennis," reckoned women tennis star.
True feel the critics from the media side. As most media inspite of being narrated by all male scribes support the reason. Such down-treating the Eves only reflects our under developed nature psychologically say experts. But this is not a stray incident says Jwala Gutta, International ace badminton player from India, “It’s always been there. I have suffered the same way. It is quite ridiculous. We have so many female athletes, big names who have done really well in sports. Many might be afraid to take up sports as a career.”
It is the same case with Chennai's Dipika Pallikal, India’s No. 1 squash player and World No. 15. The Squash Rackets Federation of India was less inclined to recommend her for the coveted Arjuna award. In fact she was the first woman to be in the world top 15 from the country.
Another Squasher from Chennai Joshna Chinappa had to take the legal course, to play, against the Squash Rackets Federation of India that banned her for “indiscipline”
Time and again the step motherly treatment has been meted out to these sports dieties who have brought equal amount of pride to the nation like their male counterparts. All they demand is recognition and nothing else. Even Olympian from Bengaluru, Vandana Rao, urged on the sweeping changes required in the Indian sports scenario. She is quoted as `Why the sports scenario in India was not changing “even as the winds of change seemed to be sweeping right across our corporate world and other walks of life.”
Even the recent disbusrements by the BCCI of the cash strapped IPL gains to old players seemes to have neglescted the Eves of the sport. Whether it irks some or not it is absolutely true that it is the esteemed Eves who make the society a pleasant place to live in. Their urge time and again is not for cash but for due recognition and encouragement. (With inputs from internet- AW AarKay)
