By Joshua Mason
How can a young girl sitting in Ireland aspire to be a sporting success when the world seems so balanced in the favour of men? While it seems a daunting task there are a few shining lights in sport which are leading the way when it comes to opportunities for women. While Tennis had been a leader in this field there is one that you may have not even thought about. Poker is becoming increasingly popular in the world and with 100m players worldwide, this popularity makes it more than both Tennis and Golf.
This year has seen a few spats about gender equality already with Bernie Ecclestone chipping in recently and showing his age, with comments about how women race drivers will not be taken seriously. The 85-year-old is not alone in thinking women cannot equal men in sport. Recently a top Tennis administrator portrayed a similar prejudice. Raymond Moore, who has since resigned, claimed that women “should be on their knees every night thanking Federer and Nadal”. Superstar Novak Djokovic also commented after this that he thought the interest that the men brought into the sport was reason for men to be paid more. The comments were truly condemned by Andy Murray and Serena Williams, but ideas such as these tend to gather momentum.
Katie Taylor is arguably the most famous Irish sportswoman out there, but she unfortunately struggles. People have claimed she could become the Ronda Rousey of boxing, but the money is simply not there for her to commit to a professional career. Taylor prefers to fight for glory and medals in the amateur ranks, but you can just imagine the amount of money she would be capable of earning as a man in her sport. Floyd Mayweather jr earned a reported $200m for his bout against Manny Pacquiao. Katie Taylor is a massively popular and marketable star so it will surprise many to find out that in 2013 she was looking for sponsors. Only a year after winning Olympic Gold.
Poker seems to be somewhat of a haven and advantage for women in sport. The card game is hugely popular and thanks to the nature of the game, it doesn’t matter what body parts you have. Women have just as much earning potential as men. In a recent interview Belgian Professional Poker player Charlotte Van Brabander said “I personally don’t experience many problems with sexism, I believe it can only be an advantage being a woman, if you know how to use it well.” Tina Lange a poker player from Florida also added the need for more female players “I watch the World Series of Poker often and it’s rare that a woman ever makes it to the final table. The reason isn’t that the female players are lacking experience, it’s just the percentages of women in the game to begin with!”
In Ireland there has been one success story this year. Lidl have invested in sponsoring the Ladies Gaelic Football League, with £1.5m been given in the first year of a three-year contract. This is the start most women’s sport’s needs, investment. It seems easy to mock female sport until you have actually seen it. What women’s sport is crying out for is more exposure, and while Tennis and Poker are doing there bit, it is not enough yet as men like Bernie Ecclestone will continue to maintain stereotypes in the media.
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