Virat Kohli Emphasizes the Importance of Women's Sports in India's Culture
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Synopsis
Virat Kohli highlights the critical role of women's sports in India's sporting culture during the RCB Innovation Lab Indian Sports Summit, emphasizing the need for more support and infrastructure development.
Key Takeaways
- Virat Kohli discusses the shift in perception of women's sports.
- Highlights successful athletes like P.V. Sindhu and Mirabai Chanu.
- Recognition of women's cricket after the 2017 ODI World Cup.
- Need for increased investment in women's sports.
- Support for further infrastructure development is essential.
New Delhi, March 15 (NationPress) Celebrated cricketer Virat Kohli shared his insights regarding the evolving perceptions towards women and girls in sports across India, highlighting that women’s sports play a crucial role in the country's overall sporting culture.
Over the past decade, athletes such as Manu Bhaker, P.V. Sindhu, Mirabai Chanu, and Lovlina Borgohain have brought home medals at the Olympics, significantly elevating the status of women’s sports in India. Notably, the Indian women’s cricket team’s journey to the 2017 ODI World Cup final in England marked a pivotal moment, shining a spotlight on women’s cricket. “They were their own catalysts and kind of put the attention onto them. I literally saw it happening in a time span of 6-7 years. The way they started playing, you could see that belief, and then people started engaging in that a lot,” he remarked.
“Eventually, it reached a point where commercials improved, investments began flowing into the women’s game, leading to the establishment of the WPL,” Kohli stated during the RCB Innovation Lab Indian Sports Summit on Saturday.
The expansion of women’s cricket in India has also been propelled by the U19 team's consecutive global championships and the launch of the Women’s Premier League (WPL), with the final scheduled between Mumbai Indians and Delhi Capitals at the Brabourne Stadium in Mumbai this Saturday.
Kohli further emphasized the necessity for enhanced support and infrastructure in women’s sports in India to ensure they remain on a progressive path.
“Improving sport in any country requires a collective effort. Sports culture encompasses everyone, and women’s sports are a significant component. We have abundant data regarding women’s sports, not just in cricket but in various fields,” he noted.
“We are establishing individual events throughout the year in tennis, badminton, wrestling, and boxing. It is undoubtedly moving in the right direction, but it calls for increased support and infrastructure development,” he concluded.
