Hima Das’ Victory Only Shows That It’s Time We Finally Accept Women In Sports

From PT Usha, Sania Mirza to the “DANGAL GIRLS” women in sports have set a remarkable benchmark. When we talk about India competing with the world on global standards, then why do we not start with eliminating all the stereotypes, and gender bias roles of the society?  Today when we high technological advancement, and our cricketers being ultra famous all over, why is the country not talking about development from all the aspects? We still live in a society where we ask our sons to play sports like cricket, football or baseball, then why do we limit our girls from playing the sports they like the most?

Very recently, Hima Das, an 18-year-old sprinter made the entire nation proud. Das became the first Indian track athlete to hold a global title on winning the Gold medal at the World U-20 Championships 2018 at Tampere, Finland, in Women’s 400m with a time of 51.46 seconds. Having run a slower first half, Das accelerated on the last 100-meter stretch overtaking three competitors en route to the gold medal. Das is now part of a group of Indian athletes who have won medals at the World U20 Championships, which includes Seema Punia (Bronze, Discus throw), Navjeet Kaur Dhillon (Bronze, Discus throw) and Neeraj Chopra (Gold, Javelin throw).

Hima Das comes from the northeastern state of Assam. Her talent got her to a platform, where most of the people at her age can only dream of achieving or reaching. At the age of 18, when she was awarded her gold medal, the national anthem of our country played in the background and that’s when tears of happiness and pride ran down her eyes.

However one cannot deny the fact that the situation today is a lot better than until a few years back. From Mithali Raj, Sania Mirza, Saina Nehwal to a lot of more female sports players, we’ve come a long way around. But still, there are a lot of racist and narrow-minded people who discriminate and differentiate on the basis of gender when it comes to sports.

Today when we’re just 2 years away from the completion of a decade, then why do we not ask the men in sports, about when they will settle down? or when will they start a family? Why are the women only targeted for gender bias question during interviews and talk shows? It’s our responsibility as viewers and citizens to bring a stop to gender bias society and start supporting both our men and women in sports equally.