For instance, badminton ace Puja Shrestha of Armed Police Force (APF) clinched the women´s singles title in Second Nepal Police Badminton Championship three weeks ago and bagged a cash prize of Rs 40,000. Meanwhile, Sajan Krishna Tamrakar (APF), who clinched the men´s singles title, had an upper hand. He was awarded Rs 50,000. [break]
Ironically, the organizer made no discrimination while charging the registration fees -- both were charged Rs 300.
Expressing displeasure at the discrimination, Shrestha said, “It is very sad to share this bitter reality. We are not weak in any aspect than males but I don´t understand why we are discriminated,” Shrestha said, adding, “Last year, the difference was even more. It was Rs 30,000 for female players and Rs 50,000 for the males.”
On the other hand Deputy Superintendent of Police Ashok Singh said there was no ill-intent behind the disparity in prize money. “It´s an international practice,” he said, adding, “Male competitors have to play more sets before clinching the title than women. We´ll try to address it in the upcoming tournament,” added Singh.
Senior sports analyst Ramesh Khanal says, “Most of the prize money comes from the sponsors and they believe that the female sports don´t have the glamour that male sports have. So they invest in male sports expecting to get good returns.”
“A male sports is highly competitive. The excitement, thrill, competitiveness can be seen in male sports more than female sports. And Nepali sports is also influences by this factor,” he added.
Despite such discrimination, Nepali sportsowmen have achieved international success. The U-19 women´s cricket team defended the ACC Women´s Championship title recently. Sangina Baidhya listed her name as the first athlete to qualify for Olympics through competition. Similarly, Sabita Rajbhandari, a taekwondo player, is the only Nepali player to win a silver medal in the Asian level.
The future of Nepali soprtswomen does not appear so bleak though. Athlete Krishneshwari Sintakala received the same amount that the male category winner Arjun Prasad Dhakal bagged. Both took away a purse of Rs 100,000 in the Fourth Real Kathmandu Marathon this year.
Likewise, National Sports Council has been giving equal prize money to the medalists without partiality. Continuation of the trend would indeed give the much needed boost to Nepali sportswomen who have suffered discrimination for so long.
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