Women adding colour to sports

Main picture, Olympic gold medalist and minister of Sports Kirsty Coventry. Clockwise from top left: former tennis star, Cara Black; motocross rider Tanya Muzinda; Olympic eventing rider, Camilla Kruger and long-distance runner Rutendo Joan Nyahora.

MARCH is women’s history month, and tomorrow is International Women’s Day. A day that highlights the contributions of women to events in history and the future, be it politics, business, arts, entertainment, society and sports.
When people talk about sports, men dominate the conversations.
When you think about the top athletes in the world, who comes to mind? In Zimbabwe probably Nick Price, Peter Ndlovu, Bruce Grobbelaar, Byron Black, Heath Streak or Andy Flower and yes, maybe some do add Kirsty Coventry and Cara Black to that list (a list they should definitely be on).
But what about the women? There are plenty of women who not only dominated at their respective sports disciplines, but made history and inspired generations.
Some of these legendary women have left a mark on the sports world, yet many do not even know or recognise their names.
The Zimbabwe women hockey team that won gold at the 1980 Olympics in the then Soviet Union come to mind. The team was made up of Arlene Boxall, Sandra Chick, Gillian Cowley, Patricia Davies, Sarah English, Susan Huggett, Anthea Stewart, Brenda Phillips, Sonia Robertson, Christine Prinsloo, Helen Volk, Linda Watson, Liz Chase (late) and Ann Grant.
These golden girls paved the way for the modern-day female to step onto the court, the pitch, the pool or track to play any sport they put their talent and mind to.
Many women in sports do not get the credit they deserve for what they accomplish. Even if they once did get some recognition during their playing days, many of their names have become just that, a name in the history books.
But these women broke gender barriers, colour barriers, played multiple sports, and excelled at all of them.
They fought and are still fighting for equal pay, and they are still setting records and teaching the next generation of female superstars.
There is still much work to do, but we are undoubtedly in a better position today than decades ago.
Today, children everywhere can witness the greatness of female athletes competing on the global stage.
If one searches for “best athletes of all time” on the internet, one of the first faces or name you will see is Serena Williams, and she’s not alone. Alongside Williams are Zimbabwe’s minister of Sport Coventry, Mia Hamm — soccer, Steffi Graf — tennis, Martina Navratilova — tennis, Babe Didrikson Zaharias, — athletics (track field) and golf and Bonnie Blair — speed skating.
Women’s power and influence over sport has been pretty minimal until, say, now.
Women can play any sport, amass trophies, can be appointed to influential positions and even be inducted to halls of fame.
Coventry is a member to the influential International Olympic Committee (IOC) and chairperson of the IOC Athletes’ Commission, the body that represents all Olympic athletes worldwide.
The minister of Sports, who is also the vice-president of the International Surfing Association, also spearheads various projects including a swimming academy (the Kirsty Coventry Academy) which she set up in 2015 in an effort to reduce drowning incidences by training coaches, promoting water safety and carrying out drowning prevention campaigns.
Zimbabwe has had female athletes that have competed at international events such as the Olympics and All Africa Games and should be celebrated.
These include long-distance runners Samulekiso Moyo, Sharon Tavengwa, Rutendo Joan Nyahora, Tabitha Tsatsa and Linda Hunter.
Micheen Thornycroft — rowing, Mariette Van Heerden — discus throwing, Heather Brand — swimmer, Elana Hill — rowing and Camilla Kruger — equestrain rider, also come to mind.
The Zimbabwe women senior soccer team — The Mighty Warriors — also took part at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro Brazil. There is also the 14-year old motorcross champion, Tanya Muzinda.
Undoubtedly, businesses small and large have identified the commitment and accessibility of women’s sport as an uplifting commodity in which to invest.
Essentially, the rise of women’s influence in sport is about confidence. In all areas of sporting life from players, administrators, lawyers, agents to politicians, campaigners, designers, sportswriters and broadcasters women are excelling.
There are still barriers, certainly on the international stage. Currently, having a woman becoming president of the Zimbabwe Football Association, Zimbabwe Cricket Union, Zimbabwe Rugby Union, the International Association of Athletics Federations, Fifa, Uefa, or the IOC seems like an uphill task athough women now occupy influential positions in some of these bodies. newsdesk@fingaz.cozw