I would like to take this oppertunity to enter the fray about the Jamaican cricketer Chris Gayle’s recent flirtations with a female sports reporter in Australia.
After the match was completed in Australia, Gayle and his party were at the airport when he was accosted by a group of reporters, one of them a woman, who got his attention to answer some of her questions about the outcome of the competition which his team had just completed.
And during the exchange of question and answers, Gayle was being put on the spot in the usual way by reporters, and so in his effort to override the situation which he was in, after what must had been another disappointing result, gave a ‘smart’ response to the reporter.
That, in my view, when I first saw it, only struck me as being pleasantly amusing, and should be regarded as a healthy sportsman-like flirtation, which carried no sexism, harassment, nor embarrasment towards an adult member of the opposite sex in the public sphere.
I also see it as a kind of new way in which the friendly ‘rivalry’ between both genders can be ironed out, providing the female reporter can make the adjustment to respond in a way such as: “That would be cool, man, just call me up when you have made another great knock!” That would be simply the way of adding a light-hearted flavour to what may have been another round of disapointing competition.
I wish to suggest that the sanction taken to fine Gayle for this recent incident must be appealed by the West Indies Cricket Board. With such strong reasoning by Oral Tracy of TVJ Sports Commentary on the matter, they are bound to meet success.
I would also like to see what is the response from the Institute for Gender and Development Studies on this matter, and how willing they are prepared to chart a fair gender-equal course, whereby women who are now competing in every sphere of sporting activity, and are doing exceptionally well at their games, can now become more tolerant and reciprocal of the male’s admiration and flirtations without being offended.
Allan B L Martin
allanlbmartin@yahoo.com
After the match was completed in Australia, Gayle and his party were at the airport when he was accosted by a group of reporters, one of them a woman, who got his attention to answer some of her questions about the outcome of the competition which his team had just completed.
And during the exchange of question and answers, Gayle was being put on the spot in the usual way by reporters, and so in his effort to override the situation which he was in, after what must had been another disappointing result, gave a ‘smart’ response to the reporter.
That, in my view, when I first saw it, only struck me as being pleasantly amusing, and should be regarded as a healthy sportsman-like flirtation, which carried no sexism, harassment, nor embarrasment towards an adult member of the opposite sex in the public sphere.
I also see it as a kind of new way in which the friendly ‘rivalry’ between both genders can be ironed out, providing the female reporter can make the adjustment to respond in a way such as: “That would be cool, man, just call me up when you have made another great knock!” That would be simply the way of adding a light-hearted flavour to what may have been another round of disapointing competition.
I wish to suggest that the sanction taken to fine Gayle for this recent incident must be appealed by the West Indies Cricket Board. With such strong reasoning by Oral Tracy of TVJ Sports Commentary on the matter, they are bound to meet success.
I would also like to see what is the response from the Institute for Gender and Development Studies on this matter, and how willing they are prepared to chart a fair gender-equal course, whereby women who are now competing in every sphere of sporting activity, and are doing exceptionally well at their games, can now become more tolerant and reciprocal of the male’s admiration and flirtations without being offended.
Allan B L Martin
allanlbmartin@yahoo.com