Sport

Women’s interest in Games on the rise – research report

Published

3 years ago

July 14, 2021

Interest in the Olympic Games among women is rising, with nearly as many women as men now keen on the sports extravaganza due to begin in the Japanese capital at the end of next week, according to research released on Wednesday, Reuters reported.

Data analytics company Nielsen Sports said 45% of women in the world's largest economies have shown interest in the Games, which this year run from July 23 to Aug. 8, though with no spectators in venues due to coronavirus restrictions.

That figure is just three percentage points lower than the number of men who were interested in the event, which was postponed for a year due to the pandemic, when the survey was conducted in May.

"The Olympics provide a unifying moment with countries and athletes coming together to compete in what is the world’s largest sporting event," said Lynsey Douglas, who is head of brands at Nielsen Sports.

"Although this year's Olympics in Tokyo will be different from previous Games in many ways, the potential they bring to elevate gender equality in sport remains critical.

"With nearly equal medal opportunities for men and women, the Olympics provides the most gender balanced fan base among major events."

According to Nielsen's research, the Olympic Games is the world's most popular sporting event, with 47% of respondents in 13 of the 15 wealthiest nations interested or very interested in the Summer Games, Reuters reported.

That figure far surpasses the next most-popular non-Olympic event, the NBA, which sees 33% of people expressing an interest. But only 17% of women are interested in the U.S. basketball league.

The Tokyo Olympics will see an increase in medals awarded to women as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) edges closer to gender parity.

Women's events will account for 156 gold medals and 494 of the medals available in Tokyo while men's events will account for 165 gold out of a total of 530.

The IOC has also introduced additional mixed events in which more women could win medals.

Related Topics:featured Games interest Olympic research Women

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Afghanistan clinches ODI series victory against Zimbabwe

Published

1 day ago

December 21, 2024

Ariana News

Afghanistan's national cricket team triumphed over Zimbabwe by 8 wickets in the third and final One-Day International (ODI) to claim the series victory.

In a dominant bowling display, Afghanistan dismissed Zimbabwe for just 127 runs in 30.1 overs. The Afghan batsmen then chased down the target comfortably in 26.5 overs, losing only 2 wickets along the way.

The standout performer of the match was Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar, who took a remarkable 5 wickets, while Rashid Khan supported with 3 wickets. Azmatullah Omarzai and Farid Ahmad each claimed 1 wicket.

The first match of the series was abandoned due to rain, but Afghanistan bounced back strongly in the second match, securing a commanding 232-run victory.

This series win follows Afghanistan's earlier success in the T20I series against Zimbabwe, further cementing their dominance in international cricket.

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Bangla Tigers lift Lanka T10 Super League title

Player of the match and player of the series was Titan’s skipper Dasun Shanaka.

Published

3 days ago

December 19, 2024

Ariana News

Hambantota Bangla Tigers beat favorites Jaffna Titans by 26 runs in Thursday’s Lanka T10 Super League final at the Pallekele Stadium in Kandy.

The Tigers produced a fine all-round performance to beat the Titans, who had won all their matches in the lead up to the final.

Player of the match and player of the series was Titan’s skipper Dasun Shanaka.

Hambantota Bangla Tigers, put into bat first, posted 133 for seven from their allotted 10 overs through some useful contributions from their top order batsmen.

The openers Mohammad Shahzad and Kusal Perera added 35 runs from 2.4 overs before they suffered a middle order collapse and reached 59 for three at the halfway stage of the innings.

However, skipper Dasun Shanaka and Shevon Daniel revived the innings with a fourth-wicket partnership of 44 runs in three overs.

Shanaka made 21 with two sixes and two boundaries while Daniel struck 26 with one six and three boundaries before Kennar Lewis and Dhananjaya Lakshan added the finishing touches.

Chasing 133 runs for victory, Jaffna Titans lost wickets at regular intervals and they eventually finished at 107 for six despite a fighting unbeaten half century from middle order batsman Tom Abell.
Richard Gleeson wrecked the Hambantota Bangla Tigers’ innings with excellent figures of three wickets for 21 while Shanaka captured two wickets for four runs.