Controversy over sexy sport attire

[hillary888]

Females have to tolerate unreasonable sexist rules coming from sporting bodies yet again. Are we there for the games or for guys to go ogle at!?

Netballers riled by sports-bra rule in beach tournament

BY DAWN TAY

SINGAPORE'S first beach netball tournament, the Contiki Beach Netball Festival, has been accused of being sexist and exploitative.

The reason? Its women participants must wear a sports bra for a top.

Male participants, on the other hand will wear tank-top T-shirts instead.

The rule has deterred some would-be participants - some of them former national players - from taking part.

Former national youth player Nur Liyana Noordin, who is giving the tournament a miss, said: 'It's sexist to want women to play sports in sexy attire.'

Netball coach Lin Shuangru, 24, feels 'uncomfortable and exposed' playing in a sports bra.

She said: 'Are they trying to popularise the sport by making use of women's sex appeal?

'It might affect the performances of those who feel forced to wear the attire, as they become more self-conscious.'

Another coach, Chen Shi Yun - who manages one of the participating teams - said that players were not given enough prior details of the attire rule.

She said: 'Upon registration, it was just stated that we had to wear the 'official top'. It was a rude surprise to some that the top was in fact a sports bra.'

Chen said that some of her players are trying to find creative ways to get around the ruling.

For example, they are thinking of wearing skins inside, or arriving late in the hope that crop-top sizes might run out. Sports executive Eric Lee commented that some of his female teammates are resorting to last-ditch attempts to tone their abdominal muscles.

Unhappy participants unanimously said that they should be allowed to wear what they wanted.

When contacted by my paper, event organiser Netball Singapore said they 'understood that not all players will be comfortable with this, and they should decide if they would play'.

I remember a few years ago, - Fifa president Sepp Blatter has urged women footballers to wear skimpier kits to increase the popularity of the women's game.

"Let the women play in more feminine clothes like they do in volleyball," said the Fifa chief.

"They could, for example, have tighter shorts."

 

[po2wq]

dat rule muz hv cum fr sg netbol association? ...

wen dey c dey r losing moni wen no 1 attend ze matches ... dey wil anyhow change rules 1 la ...


btw, dat chick in ur pig is hot! ...

 

[allanlee]

So prudish dun play lah...... in Ozzie and parts of Europe..... Beach Netball is played in bikinis !

 

[The_Latest_H]

Sports attire, sexy or otherwise, should be made voluntary. If one team wants to wear tank tops instead of other types, they should be allowed to do so.

After all, the tournment should go on, and the more teams participating, the better. The rule changing could have been a bit better if they engage everyone first before any change also.

 

[Sideswipe]

I will watch woman soccer only if they replace shorts with bloomers.

 

[scroobal]

Sports attire, sexy or otherwise, should be made voluntary. If one team wants to wear tank tops instead of other types, they should be allowed to do so.

After all, the tournment should go on, and the more teams participating, the better. The rule changing could have been a bit better if they engage everyone first before any change also.

The same issue cropped up nearly 10 years ago with beach volleyball where the International Association ruled that its a requirement that Sports Bra and Sport Panties (for want of a better word) must be used at sanctioned games. Broadcasting sponsors are demanding it.

The reality is that its a tits and bum show.

 

[The_Latest_H]

Oh, sexier bodies on show means higher ratings for TV networks. Its not a surprise.

I guess it has to be viewed in context- but for what is a volleyball, or netball tournament for casual/school/weekend netball players, I don't think there should be a binding rule for all teams.

Its better to let them choose which ever attire they feel most comfortable with. Its not like the Olympics, and even in the Olympics...if the participants have agreed to wear skimpy clothes, then its their prerogative.

Here, if they want the attire to be voluntary and not binding, then it should be so.