Is Male Chauvinism Part of Indian Sports?

Bangalore: Is male chauvinism part of Indian sports? The recent incident with Sania Mirza’s accusation that All India Tennis Association’s handling of the Olympics selection reeked of male chauvinism has rekindled the debate of gender discrimination in sports. The number one tennis player said she had been offered as bait to pacify Paes and get him to give his nod for participation at the Games.

Sania Mirza finally broke her silence on the whole tennis row after she was awarded a wild card in the women's doubles event at the London Olympics.

In a press release, Sania criticized the All India Tennis Association (AITA), Leander Paes, his father Dr. Vece Paes and Mahesh Bhupathi for their roles in the tennis crisis. Sania lashed out at AITA for their choice to pair her with Leander Paes in the mixed doubles event to get the latter to agree to participate at the London Games, saying the decision reeked of 'male chauvinism'. 

She said “While I feel honored and privileged to have been chosen to partner Leander Paes, the manner and timing of the announcement wreaks of male chauvinism where a two time Grand Slam champion, who has been India's number 1 women's tennis player for almost a decade in singles and doubles is offered in compensation to partner one of the feuding champions purely in order to lure him into accepting to play with a men's player he does not wish to play with! This kind of blatant humiliation of Indian womanhood needs to be condemned even if it comes from the highest controlling body of tennis in our country,” as reported NDTV.