While Harry Kane could and should be forgiven for his faux pas of neglecting to recognise the achievements of his England female footballing counterparts, the recent slip-of-the-tongue should also serve as a reminder that women’s achievements in sports are still suffering from unconscious bias in 2024.
SW19 favourite Andy Murray cooked up somewhat of an internet storm (the lesser-spotted hurrah-for-common-sense kind) back in 2016 when he pointed out to interviewer John Inverdale at Rio that he was, in fact, not the first person to have won two Olympic tennis medals.
“I think Venus and Serena have won about four each,” Murray said matter-of-factly, if somewhat wearily.
And, just last week, in the throes of the excitement of the 2024 Euros, the same situation raised its questionable head in the wake of the England men’s football team’s dire game against Slovakia.
The Euros is any self-respecting gambler’s dream. With old and new betting sites offering punters a slew of offers such as huge bonuses and lightning-fast payouts according to Peter Addison, likely, no one would have placed a bet on what the team captain had to say when attempting to defend his team post-match.
England were 21/50 favourites for the game, but only just managed to claim victory after 90 minutes.
After the team’s heavy, if fair, criticism from pundits such as Gary Lineker, team captain Harry Kane said: “I always feel like they have a responsibility.
“I know they have got to be honest and give their opinion but also they have a responsibility of being an ex-England player that a lot of players look up to that people do listen to them and people do care what they say.
“The bottom line is we haven’t won anything as a nation for a long, long time and a lot of these players were part of that as well and they know how tough it is, so it is not digging anyone out.”
This slip of the tongue has had exactly the type of internet reaction you would expect, considering England’s Lionesses reached the World Cup final just last year.
Gambling sites that expected a win when they gave the team 5/2 odds.
Both of these incidents highlight a pervasive problem in sports commentary and fandom: unconscious bias.
This bias often manifests as a default assumption that men’s sports are the norm and women’s sports are the exception.
It’s not about malice, but rather a lack of awareness.
Commentators and fans may unintentionally overlook the achievements of female athletes or use language that reinforces gender stereotypes.
This can range from using different terms to describe the same action in men’s and women’s sports (“aggressive” vs. “emotional”) to simply failing to acknowledge the existence of women’s leagues and tournaments.
The consequences of unconscious bias are significant.
It can diminish the accomplishments of female athletes, limit media coverage of women’s sports, and discourage young girls from pursuing athletic careers.
It also perpetuates the idea that women’s sports are somehow less important or less exciting than men’s sports.
Yet, the good news is that there is a growing movement to challenge unconscious bias in sports.
Athletes like Andy Murray and leagues like the WNBA are using their platforms to advocate for greater representation and respect for women’s sports.
Journalists and commentators are becoming more aware of their own biases and working to use more inclusive language.
The incidents involving Murray and Kane are not isolated events.
They are symptoms of a larger problem that requires a collective effort to address.
We need to be more mindful of our language, celebrate the achievements of female athletes, and demand equal coverage of men’s and women’s sports.
By doing so, we can create a more inclusive and equitable sports culture that recognises the value and excitement of all athletes, regardless of gender.
Photo by Peter Glaser on Unsplash
