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Saina unhappy with 'mandatory skirts' rule

By Rupam Jain, TNN

Saina Nehwal during a practice session in Chennai. (BCCL Photo)

HYDERABAD: Ever since Badminton World Federation decided to make skirts compulsory for female players, World No. 3 Saina Nehwal, has been looking up her cupboard for old skirts. She spent most of the day trying them on.

Saina in conversation with Hyderabad Times on the issue:

Indian Open, starting April 26, is the last tournament that will see you playing in shorts.

"Yes, I am not happy about it. But if it's a rule, I will have to follow it."

Have you tried wearing a skirt ever since the rule?

"Yes, I wore one today."

Why don't you voice your disappointment?

"If others have accepted the decision, I can't be the only person fighting with the federation, can I? I will take time to adjust to this, but I will have to do it."

Is this the right way to promote the sport?

"I feel they should have just left the choice to the players."

Your comment on this sexist notion attached to the rule...

"They are only trying to implement this idea to make the sport popular, but there are so many other ways, right? They claim more people will come to watch my game if I wear a skirt instead of shorts. The stadium is always packed whenever I play, even if I'm in shorts. Let's see how well they can promote the sport through this rule. I am sure it will be made optional after two months."

What makes you say that?

"Badminton is a lot about jumping and running across the court. Once the players start getting uncomfortable doing this while wearing skirts, I am sure they will fight against the rule together."

Till then are you okay with pictures of you and other players in flying skirts making headlines, like it happens with tennis players?

"My job is to play and I don't care about who clicks me. When pictures of me and other players in flying skirts come out in the papers, I am sure there will be opposition and then, maybe, the federation will change the rule."

Source: http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-04-20/badminton/29450546_1_skirts-rule-shorts

Governing Group Ends Controversial Dress Code

Jené LONGMAN

Facing mounting criticism, the Badminton World Federation announced Sunday that it was scrapping a rule that would have forced women to wear skirts or dresses in elite competition.

The rule, which was to take effect Wednesday, was intended to make women appear more feminine and attractive to fans and corporate sponsors, officials said. But the rule was roundly criticized for being sexist, a hindrance to competition and offensive to Muslim women who compete in large numbers in Asian countries.

Nora Perry, a former world champion from England who represents women on the executive council of the badminton federation and who embraced the proposed rule, said in a statement Sunday that it would not be implemented until further studied.

“It is still our intention to focus on a better presentation of the game, but we will like to broaden the scope to include both men and women, and the feedback will also include views from various stakeholders such as the clothing manufacturers,” Perry said.

The athletes’ commission of the world federation, which gives voice to players’ concerns, had pushed to have the rule abolished. The rule would have allowed shorts or long pants but only if worn under skirts or dresses.

Kaveh Mehrabi, an Iranian who is chairman of the athletes’ commission and president of the Badminton Players Federation, told The New York Times in an interview last week, “We think the B.W.F. is doing the right thing to raise the profile of the sport, but we think female athletes should have the freedom of choice to compete in outfits they feel most comfortable in.”

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/30/sports/badminton-group-kills-controversial-dress-code-rule.html?_r=1

Badminton’s New Dress Code Is Being Criticized as Sexist

By Jeré Longman

Christophe Ena/Associated Press- The Badminton World Federation says women playing at the elite level must wear dresses or skirts to create a more “attractive presentation.”

In an attempt to revive flagging interest in women’s badminton as the 2012 London Olympics approach, officials governing the sport have decided that its female athletes need to appear more, how to put it, womanly.

To create a more “attractive presentation,” the Badminton World Federation has decreed that women must wear skirts or dresses to play at the elite level, beginning Wednesday. Many now compete in shorts or tracksuit pants. The dress code would make female players appear more feminine and appealing to fans and corporate sponsors, officials said.

The rule has been roundly criticized as sexist, a hindrance to performance and offensive to Muslim women who play the sport in large numbers in Asian countries. Implementation has already been delayed by a month. Athletes’ representatives said they would seek to have the dress code scrapped, possibly as early as Saturday at a meeting of the world’s badminton-playing nations in Qingdao, China.

“This is a blatant attempt to sexualize women,” said Janice Forsyth, director of the International Centre for Olympic Studies at the University of Western Ontario. “It is amazing. You’d think at some point, somebody would have said: ‘Wait a minute. What are we doing?’ ”

Women will still be allowed to wear shorts or long pants for cultural and religious reasons. But these garments must be worn beneath a dress or skirt, which could be cumbersome.

“You sweat a lot doing badminton at a really high level,” Forsyth said. “Sometimes clothing sticks to you. Adding another layer does not enhance performance. It detracts. It counters the basic argument that they’re trying to generate more interest in women.”

Women wear more revealing outfits than men in a number of Olympic sports like gymnastics, track and field, volleyball and beach volleyball. Even the bikinis in beach volleyball can be somewhat justified on grounds of functionality (it is easier to clear sand from a two-piece outfit than a one-piece).

Yet the badminton rule seems to have been devised strictly for reasons of appearance. It was formulated in consultation with Octagon, an international marketing firm, which did not respond to requests for comment.

“When you dictate apparel for reasons of sexuality, it should be offensive,” said Donna Lopiano, a former chief executive of the Women’s Sports Foundation.

Badminton’s world governing body now finds itself on the defensive, accused of trying to sell a sport by showing more leg and skin. Male players are required only to dress in “proper attire,” officials said.

Manan Vatsyayana/Agence France-Presse - Getty Images- The new badminton rule was formulated in consultation with Octagon, an international marketing firm.

“We’re not trying to use sex to promote the sport,” said Paisan Rangsikitpho, an American who is deputy president of the Badminton World Federation, which is based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. “We just want them to look feminine and have a nice presentation so women will be more popular.”

Interest is declining, Rangsikitpho said, adding that some women compete in oversize shorts and long pants and appear “baggy, almost like men.”

“Hardly anybody is watching,” he said. “TV ratings are down. We want to build them up to where they should be. They play quite well. We want them to look nicer on the court and have more marketing value for themselves. I’m surprised we got a lot of criticism.”

Some women have embraced the dress rule. Nora Perry, a former world doubles champion from England who is on the council of the world governing body, said in a statement, “We need to be able to differentiate the women’s game to create the attention the game deserves.”

Cee Ketpura, 17, a rising American star, said she always wore skirts in competition because “I think they look more professional.”

Yet many others have said that while they supported attempts to popularize women’s badminton, like offering equal prize money, they considered it an affront to be told to wear a dress or a skirt.

Mesinee Mangkalakiri, 28, who competed for the United States in the 2008 Beijing Olympics and is known as May, said that she preferred shorts. Skirts made her feel self-conscious earlier in her career, she said.

“It doesn’t matter what Kobe Bryant wears,” Mangkalakiri said, referring to the N.B.A. star. “People like his skills on the court. You’d hope they come to watch you because you are their favorite player and you have ability and style, not because you’re wearing someone’s favorite skirt.”

Kaveh Mehrabi, an Iranian who is president of the Badminton Players Federation, which gives voice to the concerns of athletes, said his group would seek to have the rule abolished.

“I believe the intention is good to raise the profile of the sport, but it takes freedom of choice away from female athletes,” Mehrabi said. “I think we should work on promoting personalities. When people watch tennis, they like the stories around the rivalries and personal lives. Whether you wear a dress or not doesn’t make much difference.”

Pakistan’s badminton federation said in April that its female players would not adhere to the new rule because “our religious beliefs and norms do not allow our lady players to wear skirts.” Presumably, Pakistani women would be permitted to wear skirts over long pants.

Some players have said the size of the skirts obstructed movement, while others have said that badminton fashion lags behind tennis apparel. Others find it unfair to have different rules for women and men.

“It is sexist to demand the women wear skirts while the men can wear short shorts, baggy shorts, whatever they want,” said Imogen Bankier, 23, a Scottish doubles player.

Writing in The Hindu, an English-language newspaper in India, the columnist Kalpana Sharma noted that while badminton took its cue from the glamour of tennis, female tennis players have greater input in the way their sport is operated.

“Thus what women wear is decided by women players and not imposed by a male club,” Sharma wrote. “If women tennis players choose to be seen as fashion statements, it is their choice.”

Others are struck by how outdated the dress rule seems. Hugh Robertson, the British sports minister, told The Evening Standard of London, “This is not a very 21st-century approach.”

Yet the badminton federation, like many international sports governing bodies, continues to be run largely by men. Of the 25 members of the federation’s council and executive board, only two are women.

Female athletes have long faced obstacles to competition. They were barred from some sports for decades; restricted from certain events because they supposedly lacked stamina or would become masculinized; subjected to gender testing; and had their athleticism suppressed in attempts to feminize them.

As recently as 2004, Sepp Blatter, the president of FIFA, soccer’s world governing body, suggested that women wear tighter shorts to promote “a more female aesthetic.” Only last month, women’s ski jumping was added to the Winter Olympics after concerns that female athletes lacked the strength to compete safely.

“As soon as women got involved in the Olympic Games, the focus for many decades was on beauty and femininity, and then athleticism,” Forsyth said. “What you are seeing in badminton is a modern, hyped-up version of that.”

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/27/sports/badminton-dress-code-for-women-criticized-as-sexist.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1

Skirts-for-women edict splits world of badminton

By Amelia HILL

Pi Hongyan of France wears a "skirt jersey" during the Sudirman Cup world mixed badminton team championship in Qingdao, China, on Friday. Arguments over women players' dress have divided the sport. Photograph: Liu Jin/AFP/Getty Images

An attempt by badminton's governing body to force professional female players to wear skirts or dresses has been condemned as "a regressive and damaging attempt to sex up the game" by Hugh Robertson, the minister for sport.

The Badminton World Federation says the dress code is necessary to make women athletes appear more feminine, thereby reviving flagging interest in the sport from fans and corporate sponsors.

Athletes' representatives have said they will seek to have the decision scrapped at a meeting of the world's badminton-playing nations in Qingdao, China, on Saturday.

If the motion is carried, Badminton England has said it will make a "strong protest". Robertson has said he will support any opponent of a dictate he has called "a bit silly [and] not terribly 21st-century".

"Within reasonable limits, the dress on courts should be a matter for the athletes," said Robertson. "To instruct people to wear unnecessarily short skirts is a regressive and damaging attempt to sex up the game. Sport should be judged on the merits of the contest and not on attempts to sex it up artificially."

The new dress code – formulated in consultation with Octagon, an international marketing firm – states that women can still wear shorts or long pants for cultural and religious reasons – as long as they are worn underneath a dress or skirt.

The code requires male players simply to dress in "proper attire".

Paisan Rangsikitpho, the US deputy president of the Badminton World Federation – which has only two female members on its 25-member board – denies the new ruling is "an attempt to use sex to promote the sport".

"We just want them to look feminine and have a nice presentation so women will be more popular," he said. "Interest is declining. Some women compete in oversize shorts and long pants and appear baggy, almost like men.

"Hardly anybody is watching [the sport]," he added. "TV ratings are down. We want to build them up to where they should be. They play quite well. We want them to look nicer on the court and have more marketing value for themselves. I'm surprised we got a lot of criticism."

But William Kings, spokesman for Badminton England, called the attempt "a bizarre move". "We're hoping it will turn out to be the result of something having been lost in translation," he said.

Kings said diagrams by the federation showing how Muslim women could wear skirts over long trousers were "very strange". "The drawings are embarrassingly laughable," he said. "We're rather hoping that at the meeting tomorrow, the federation will be given the opportunity to withdraw, review or have second thoughts about this statement that will lead to its abandonment. But if they don't drop it, we will be making a very strong protest."

He said, however, that UK badminton had a "dilemma" over the issue. He pointed to the support for the new dress code from Nora Perry, a former world doubles champion from England and member of the council of the world governing body.

Kings said of Perry that "the problem is that although she always used to play in a skirt, she was a very attractive woman player while lots of the opponents of this action come from those not quite as fortunate in the good-looks stakes".

Dr Janice Forsyth, director of the international centre for Olympic studiesat the University of Western Ontario, said the code was "a blatant attempt to sexualise women". "It is amazing," she said. "You'd think, at some point, somebody would have said, 'Wait a minute. What are we doing?' "

"When you dictate apparel for reasons of sexuality, it should be offensive," said Donna Lopiano, a former chief executive of the Women's Sports Foundation.

If passed, the ruling would have little impact in the UK. The only female British player not to wear skirts or dresses on court is Imogen Bankier, 23, a Scottish doubles player. Bankier said she would contest the ruling. "It is sexist to demand the women wear skirts while the men can wear short shorts, baggy shorts, whatever they want," she said.

Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/may/27/badminton-women-players-skirts-dresses

Female Badminton Players Forced to Wear Skirts

By Laura Gottesdiener

Badminton is soon to be the new women’s tennis -- at least according the Badminton World Federation, which took the first step toward raising its sport’s profile by requiring female players to wear skirts on the court.

The official outfit policy, which will take will take effect June 1 in time for this summer’s world championships, is "to ensure attractive presentation of badminton," according to a statement by the Badminton World Federation, the sport's international governing body.

But athletes and women’s rights organizations are outraged by the rule. Groups from across the globe have come out against mandating hiked hemlines.

"It’s outlandish that we’re having this conversation in 2011," said Sarah Murray, learn director of Women Win, an Amsterdam-based international women’s rights organization in a telephone interview with HuffPost. "It’s a horrendous policy in general. There’s no other way to look at it other than the sexualization of women athletes."

Opposition has come from all sides of the political and social spectrum, ranging from British Parliamentary leaders to the conservative Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party. The entire Badminton Asia Confederation has come out against the policy. In fact, the Badminton World Federation was so inundated with criticism earlier this spring that it pushed back the policy's initial start date by one month, and rumors now circulate that the rule could be ditched entirely.

For its part, the badminton agency has said it feels misunderstood, having merely tried to implement a dress code that would finally get its players attention from the finicky media.

"It has never been the intention of the BWF to portray women as sexual objects, and nor is that what we are doing," said Paisan Rangsikitpho, deputy president of the organization, in a statement on March 4.

Most sports have some form of mandatory dress codes, either for safety reasons, such as shin guards and helmets, or to protect against cheating, such as special suits in swimming. But critics say that this skirts-only policy has no relevance to the play of the game. Instead, they claim, it caters to a very particular western, heterosexual male audience that likes to see women’s long legs.

"I have no idea what they might have thought they were accomplishing except: lets just show more pretty girls," said Carole Oglesby, who served for 20 years on the International Committee for the Women’s Sports Foundation, the organization founded by Billie Jean King.

The role of sexuality is a constant debate in women’s sports, and athletes often have to walk a fine line between showing enough skin to attract sponsors but not becoming so scantily-clad that they lose respect as athletes (think Anna Kournikova).

It’s a delicate balancing act that some elite athletes, such as the Williams sisters, have championed, turning eye-catching outfits into profitable clothing lines. But others struggle in a system where underfunding and under-representing women's sports are the underlying forces at play.

"It is a conundrum because if female athletes can only pay the bills by modeling, then something’s wrong in the system," ESPN-W senior editor Kathryn Bertine told HuffPost.

The Badminton World Federation was ostensibly trying to walk this fine line with the skirts-only policy, but nearly every women’s advocacy group agrees that the agency fell off the tightrope.

"We’re appalled at the fact that at this time women are being used as sex objects to attract dollars," said Dr. Barbara Drinkwater, the vice president of WomenSport International.

The debate is further complicated by the fact that badminton is popular in countries with large Muslim populations, including India and Pakistan, where women athletes sometimes face a juggling act between their culture and their sport. Both countries have seen a large surge in women’s sports, including badminton, over the last decade, in part due to the influence of Indian tennis player Sania Mirza.

Some say that badminton's new policy could make it more difficult for women athletes in Muslim countries to reconcile religion, culture and sport.

"I am worried about the potential results [of this policy]," said Sertaç Sehlikoglu, a PhD candidate at the University of Cambridge and the author of the blog Muslim Women in Sports.

"Muslim women feel empowered, physically stronger and more successful when they participate into sports and they are trying to find ways not to cross the borders of their cultural/religious obligations. The governing bodies should be more supportive for Muslim women to find ways to be able to play sports in accordance with their religious sensitivities, rather than enforcing them to make a choice between the two."

Sehlikoglu expects that some Muslim players will defy the skirts-only policy, although she said that what she’d really wish to see are male players wearing skirts as a response to what she calls the "sexist regulations."

Some prominent players have already spoken out. India’s Saina Nehwal currently ranks fourth internationally in singles, a spot she attained while trouser-clad, and she’s said she’s not happy with the rule.

Similarly, Indian player Jwala Gutta, a gold medalist in the 2010 Commonwealth Games, has come out against the policy, even though she herself often plays in skirts.

In efforts to comply with cultural dress preferences, the Badminton World Foundation has said that the skirts don’t have to be short, although those against the police still bristle at any restriction that is not motivated by an obvious play-related reason.

"There could be incredible pride in a woman in full Hijab winning at the elite level in that outfit," said Murray. "And this policy strips that woman of that choice."

Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/05/18/female-badminton-players-skirts-only_n_863929.html
Special Thanks to Laura Gottesdiener for interviewing with Muslim Women in Sports

Selling bodies or selling sports?

BY KALPANA SHARMA

Give them the choice of dress: Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponappa in action. Photo: R. Ragu

When a 15-year-old girl from Nizamabad in Andhra Pradesh comes back with a gold medal for, of all sports, boxing, there must be reason to celebrate. In a week dominated with grim news from around the world, the success of young Nikhat Zareen in the Junior World Championships in Antalya, Turkey in the 50 kg category of boxing was like a welcome ray of sunshine.

Nikhat's story, like that of the other three women boxers from India who also won gold, is remarkable for a number of reasons. All of them — besides Nikhat there is Sarjubala Devi from Manipur, Lalenkawli from Mizoram and Minu Basmataray from Assam — have chosen to excel in a sport that is considered “unwomanly”. All of them come from modest backgrounds without the monetary backing to pursue an individual sport of any kind, leave alone boxing. Lalenkawli's parents, for instance, are farmers and she had to travel 300 km to the only training centre in Mizoram's capital, Aizawl. The others also have similar stories.

Relatively lucky

Nikhat is lucky in that her father, Jameel, is a former state-level football player and understands the pull of sports. Neither he, nor his wife Parveen, stood in Nikhat's way when, at the age of 12, she announced that she wanted to box. Her role models were two male cousins who were boxers. She was the only girl who wanted to pursue boxing. Luckily, her uncle, who was training his sons agreed to teach Nikhat. So Nikhat learned to box with the boys. On June 14 she turns 15. In the span of three short years, she has already made a name for herself.
“As a Muslim girl, it was a tough choice to make as everyone questioned what I was doing in the boxing ring,” Nikhat told a journalist. “There were almost no female boxers where I trained in Hyderabad, and I was often alienated.” But she got past this and now joins a remarkable group of Indian women boxers led by the redoubtable Mary Kom from Manipur.

Multiple obstacles

Nikhat's success throws light once again on the vexed issue of women and sports in India. It continues to be an arena of considerable neglect. Sportswomen in this country face an incredibly hard time getting past traditional prejudices about women playing sport. If they succeed, they enter a world dominated by games that men play. Women's sports receives little attention by the media or by the sports authorities compared to the money and time invested in the men. Things change if some women like Nikhat, or the women's hockey team, come back with medals from international fixtures. Fleetingly, they hog the media spotlight. But even before we get to know their names and faces, the focus turns back to the dominant sports. Between tournaments, the women go back to their jobs, usually in institutions like the Railways, and work away until the next big tournament.
Despite all this, it is remarkable that an increasing number of women are making a name for themselves in sports. Women like Saina Nehwal, who has become the face of women's badminton alongside the equally accomplished Jwala Gutta and Ashwini Ponappa. But Nikhat is more fortunate than these women in some ways. No one is telling her, yet, what she should wear when boxing. Women badminton players, on the hand, have been slapped with a “skirts only” rule by the men who head the Badminton World Federation (BWF). Why a compulsory dress code only for women players? The BWF, apparently, decided on this course following advice from the sports marketing giant, Octagon. They wanted to make the women's game more “attractive” and “marketable”.
In other words, the BWF wants women badminton players to look more attractive on court. This, they believe, will draw more eyeballs to the game. What about their skills as players? It would appear that does not matter as long as they catch the male gaze. It seems incredible that someone can seriously contemplate such a rule, and that too for these reasons.

Different reactions

Predictably, many women players have raised strong objections. As a result, the rule has been deferred by a month. Britain's leading mixed doubles player, Imogen Bankier has said, “I will fight to make sure this dated and simply sexist rule does not happen.” Several players from different countries have said that skirts will come in the way when they play and they prefer shorts. The Indian girls have not been so forthright. While Saina has said it was not an issue, Jwala has emphasised that they should be given the choice whether to wear skirts or not.
But what is really troubling about the decision is the blatant effort to use women's bodies to sell the game. And for this, the cue has been taken from women's tennis, where glamour has played a big role in drawing an audience. But there is a big difference. The Women's Tennis Association (WTA) is managed independently and women players have a say in its decisions. Thus, what women wear is decided by women players and not imposed by a male club. If women tennis players choose to be seen as fashion statements, it is their choice. But it has not diminished the power of their game. Maria Sharapova might look like a model but no one can question her skill as a player. Ditto Venus Williams. While those like Anna Kournikova, who drew attention only for their looks, have fallen by the wayside because their game was not up to the mark. People come to watch good tennis, not to gawk at women players who are fashion statements.
It is tragic that at a time when more opportunities are opening up for women, they are told they must “sell” themselves, make themselves “marketable” if they want to get financial backing for their chosen sport. Men too face the pressure of finding sponsors. But they are not asked to dress in a way that shows off their well-toned bodies and attracts female fans. While it is true that there are both men and women who go to watch football, cricket or tennis matches because they find the players good-looking, surely they will not persist unless they also enjoy the game.

As the lines between commerce, entertainment and sports disappear, young women wanting to make a career in sports face tough choices. If they don't have money, they can't train the way they need to succeed. But if they concentrate on looking presentable and finding endorsements, they are likely to be dismissed as being non-serious and in it only for the glamour. The bottom-line, however, is that those who manage a sport must respect sportswomen and give them the freedom to choose how much they bend to these commercial demands. It is unacceptable that a group of men decide how they should dress on court for no other reason than to make them “marketable”.

Email the writer: sharma.kalpana@yahoo.com. Source: http://www.thehindu.com/arts/magazine/article2018584.ece

Pakistan official lashes out at skirt rule

By Umar Farooq

New badminton ruling irks Pakistan.

LAHORE: 

Badminton Asia Confederation Vice-President Syed Naqi Mohsin lashed out at the sport’s governing body for introducing the rule forcing female players to wear skirts.

The Badminton World Federation (BWF), in a bid to raise the profile of women and the sport, has decided to make the skirt-rule compulsory for all female players from June 1.

However, the decision met with criticism from Muslim countries and Mohsin said that the rule is discriminatory.

“The BWF states that the new regulation will not discriminate against any religion or beliefs,” said Mohsin. “How can wearing skirts not clash with the religious beliefs of female Muslim players?”

The BWF, however, has defended its decision and said that female players can wear shorts ‘if they wish’ but also ‘wear a skirt over the shorts as is practiced already by some players’.

Mohsin, a Pakistan member in the Asian body, said that players have been wearing trousers for some time and that attire was approved.

“Pakistan players have been playing in international tournaments in trousers,” said Mohsin. “They even participated in the Asian Games in the same attire as they were exempted keeping in view their religion. The Iranians used to play in trousers with a head scarf as well and there was no issue then.

“We’ve not been sending our female players to big tournaments like the Super Series and the Grand Prix but they did participate in the Uber Cup, where this new dress regulation will apply now.”

He added that though some players might be willing to wear skirts, the rule should not be made compulsory since it clashes with religious beliefs of some players.  “I’m sure a lot of players will willingly adapt the new rule.  But quite a lot will not be comfortable so it should not be made compulsory.”

The BWF last month suspended the Pakistan’s Badminton Federation (PBF) over the controversy of parallel bodies running in the country. The world body demanded an election be held before Pakistan could become a member again and is therefore in no position to take up the matter of the new rule just yet. However, the Punjab Badminton Secretary Tayyab Sohail said the matter would be discussed as soon as Pakistan regains its status.

“We currently have no federation to represent us but within the next month, Pakistan will become a member and take up the matter,” said Sohail.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 26^th, 2011.

Source: http://tribune.com.pk/story/156475/pakistan-official-lashes-out-at-skirt-rule/