Cricketer Harleen Deol took 'Catch of the Year' but we only see her look

Ground Report | New Delhi: Cricketer Harleen Deol ; Indian women's cricketer Harleen Deol caught a brilliant catch at the boundary during the first England Women vs India Women's T20I on 10 July, pushing the ball mid-air before completing a diving catch.

Cricketer Harleen Deol took 'Catch of the Year

Deol, stationed at wide long-off, is called into action when Amy Jones hits a full delivery over cover to Shikha Pandey. In perfect position on the ropes, he first extended the full length to pull the ball overhead, but the momentum pushed him past the boundary line. Before she jumped to the other side, she tossed the ball into the air, took a step outside the boundary, and then turned to dive back and complete the effort.

Her spirited teammates were around him in no time, with reserve players and support staff also rushing in to congratulate her. Shortly after, the clip of Prayas went viral on social media.

Deol has played one ODI and 10 T20 Internationals for the women's cricket team. She is also known as the "Beauty Queen of Women's Cricket". Deol plays for Himachal Pradesh in domestic cricket and second famous cricketer to make it to the Indian cricket team for Chandigarh. Nevertheless, she is mostly known for her presence where people constantly note that she can compete with actresses in Bollywood.

Despite her amazing feats, the media has limited Deol's sportsmanship to his looks. One of the most important issues today is the sexualization of female athletes by the media. It reduces women to their looks instead of focusing on their craft.

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By sexually exploiting female athletes and encouraging them to prioritize sex appeal over strength, the media not only degrades athletes' achievements and self-esteem but also alienates audiences and disrupts the feminist movement.

Sport women receive 4% of media coverage

40% of all sports participants are women—yet somehow sports receive only 4% of media coverage. This has a detrimental ripple effect: without airtime, female athletes lose out to sponsors, fans, and coins.

The lack of coverage also leads to a lack of role models for girls in sports—and if you can't see it, you can't be it. According to the Women's Sports Foundation, girls drop out of sports twice as often as boys, but not because of a lack of passion or skill; Funding for women's and girls' sports programs is scarce and often poorly publicized.

To give more benefits to female athletes—and to give girls more role models in sports—a women-led team at Adidas launched a global initiative called She Breaks Barrier. The campaign aims to provide better access to sports for women and girls, remove gender stereotypes and create greater visibility for female athletes at all levels.

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Women dressed as second-class citizens

A study conducted a content analysis of two leading English-language newspapers in India indicates that findings suggest that women are dressed as second-class citizens, eligible for less coverage than their male counterparts, and when they are covered. If so, this kind of coverage often highlights them in the feminine, glamorous and off. As tough athletes rather than out-of-the-field avatars. The implications and scope of future studies are discussed.

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