Women’s sports underrepresented

I DON’T consider myself an avid cricket fan, but even so, I can hardly fail to notice the commentary, predictions and general cricket-related bustle that goes on in the sports pages when the Proteas play an ODI.

So I was very surprised – and not terribly impressed – to see your team give more space on the back page to a biography of a PSL coach (Fadlu’s return is something “really special”) than to the Proteas Women’s 5-0 series win over Bangladesh! (Well done to our Proteas.)

I’m not saying Mr Fadlu isn’t worth writing about, but you had already devoted an entire page to PSL commentary – by staff who don’t even specialise in football reporting!

Couldn’t that space have been better used to celebrate a decisive victory by one of our national sides?

Women’s sports reporting tends to get short shrift. Editors can claim that this is because there’s little interest in their fixtures – but who is responsible for generating interest, if not the media?

It is the role of your sports writers to hype upcoming fixtures, and subsequently to cheer victory, or mourn defeat. Can we get a little more love for our ladies, maybe? Bronwyn White Newlands

You may have noticed that last Thursday the Cape Times led our back page with the Proteas women clinching the series 3-0 against Bangladesh. Yesterday, due to technical problems, we received very little copy on the final ODI. But yes, we certainly take women’s sport seriously. Tomorrow we will be running an interview with stand-in coach Salieg Nackerdien reflecting on the 5-0 series win and looking ahead to the upcoming World Cup. – Sports Editor