Surprise! Suprise! Football is Sexist

Still all about James Rodriguez in El Espectador.

The sports industry is sexist. Everybody knows that. Football, basketball, American football, boxing...usually, we don't even consider the female versions of these - if they even exist.

The Womens' World Cup gets just a mention in El Tiempo.

That's particularly clear right now. The run-up to the Copa America, to be played in Chile, is receiving non-stop coverage in Colombian media: Who are the contenders? How's training going? How will Messi do? Who's twisted his ankle? And, for good measure, a feature on James Rodriguez's childhood. It's endless.

And Copa America hasn't even started yet.

Meanwhile, pushed into the corner of El Tiempo's sports page, is a small article about the women's side: Colombia managed to tie Mexico today, in the Women's World Cup tournament taking place in Canada.

Of course, a few women are featured by the sports journalists: A Colombian sports broadcast today dwelled endlessly, with generous videos, about a supposed plan by Venezuelan women to remove their clothing if their country's team does well in the Copa.

As for the Women's World Cup, which has has only existed since 1991, if Colombia wins, will anybody notice? Who knows, for example, who the reigning champion is? It's Japan, of all countries.

Also, in the women's cup's favor is the fact that, as far as I know, the FIFA corruption scandal hasn't touched the women's side. There's an easy explanation for that, of course - there's lots less money in it. Check out the FIFA women's sports page, which shows teams playing in fields resembling those of a mid.aized American high school.


By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours

Colombia Qualifies for the 'Other' World Cup

Colombia's Women's Team: On their way to the Olympics and the World Cup, in case you didn't notice. (Photo: El Tiempo)

Even as Colombia continues to feel the glow from its run in the football World Cup, and the country's self-esteem seems to be pegged to James Rodriguez's performance for Real Madrid, Colombia's qualifying for the Women's World Cup, to be held next year in Canada, received scant attention.

The women qualified by finishing second, after Brazil, in the Copa America, played in Ecuador. At the same time, they also qualified for the Olympics and Panamerican Games.

This is the second time the Colombia women have qualified, and in at least one sense it's a greater achievement than the men's qualifying, since there are places for far fewer teams (but fewer nations field women's teams). Colombia may stand a better chance at winning the women's cup, since the field appears more open than on the men's side, where a few elite teams dominate. In women's international soccer Brazil and Germany also do well, but Norway, Japan and the United States have all won women's cups, and even China and Canada have placed high.

A big boost for Colombian and Latin American women's soccer would be the creation of professional leagues. Women's leagues do exist in Europe, and one is struggling to survive in the U.S., but they receive minimal attention.

While a few Colombian women athletes have become heroines, it's perhaps a sad commentary that the greatest attention women athletes have received recently was for the supposedly suggestive colors of the women's cycling team's uniform.

By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours