The Sports Cult

Mesinee Mangkalakiri

The World Badminton Federation may have suggested that women have a more “attractive presentation,” by wearing a skirt or dress as part of their uniform. Okay maybe it is more than just a suggestion. It is a new rule that has stirred uproar in the women’s badminton community, if such a community exists.

Mesinee “May” Mangkalakiri, a 2008 Olympian with the United States, was quoted as saying “It doesn’t matter what Kobe Bryant wears, 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.” Sorry May but I disagree.     

It would be nice if we lived in a perfect world where men and women were equal. A world where female athletes got as much media attention and fan support as the males. However this is not the case. Men prefer to watch other men play with toughness that most female athletes don’t have.

Even worse, women prefer to watch men play rather than support other women. I will proudly admit to my willingness to watch women play soccer and basketball but we’re talking about badminton here.  Professional leagues only survive as long as their marketing techniques sell tickets. I wouldn’t be surprised if the WBF came out and said their men had to play wearing speedos to promote the sport. For the record I won’t be watching that.

Can all the men reading this blog please raise their hand if they watch women play tennis or volleyball for reasons other than their talent? I will be the first to admit to watching women’s tennis and volleyball because of their attire. Today I respect these women as athletes but it was the sex appeal that initially caught my eye. I won’t make any promises, but if this rule takes effect I might find myself closely monitoring the badminton tournament at the 2012 Olympic Games.

Photo courtesy of badmintoncentral.com

Tags: 2012 Summer Olympics, Badminton, Kobe Bryant, Mesinee “May” Mangkalakiri, World Badminton Federation

This entry was posted on February 25, 2012 at 5:49 AM and is filed under Women's Sports. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.