NOV 21 -- She ran just as hard. Surely trained just as rigorously. Yet, when Kenyan female marathoner Naomi Wambui Muriuki, 28, won the gruelling 42.2km Penang Bridge marathon, her prize money was half of James C. Tallam, the winner in the men’s category.
The photo of their win tells a thousand words — one that female athletes all over the world continue to face in competitive sports. Tallam received RM15,000 for his effort, Naomi half of that.
The issue of equal prize money for amateur and professional female athletes continues to be debated, often punctuated by the argument that men watch more sports than women and that they attract more sponsorship deals.
Going by my instinct, I find that hard to believe. I may not be a sports buff (largely because of the dismal state of Malaysian sports) but I know women who are just as passionate about sports as men.
In fact, I wonder if women were pulled out of the attendance or viewership equation, would the purses still be as big — even for male athletes?
In all fairness though, over the last 10 years, there has been some improvement. In 1985 the world’s oldest marathon — the Boston Marathon — became the first marathon to offer equal prize pay-outs to men and women finishers.
Both male and female categories were allocated US$30,000 (RM95,400), with performance bonuses of US$5,000 (RM15,900) for men who broke two hours 10 minutes and for women who came inside 2:26. The prize money went deep and offered equal payoffs to both men and women.
Today, the top prize for this marathon is a hefty US$150,000 (RM477,000).
Nothing much seems to have happened for about 10 years until 2007 when Wimbledon announced for the first time that it would provide equal prize money to male and female athletes. All four Grand Slam events now offer equal prize money to the champions.
In December 2012, cycling’s governing body equalised the prize money for men and women at most world championship events, with the International Cycling Union (ICU) ruling that “no distinction should be made between the achievements of men and women.”
UCI president Pat McQuaid called it “a simple but very important step forward in our effort to guarantee a healthy and fair future for our sport.”
Unfortunately though, even in sports, sex appeal trounces pure talent. When it comes to sponsorship deals for female athletes, it is the sex appeal that determines the size of the deal.
Maria Sharapova, who ranks third in the World Tennis rankings, is the highest-paid female athlete in the world in the year ending last June according to the annual report published by Forbes. The magazine said Sharapova made US$5.1 million (RM16.2 million) in prize money between July 2011 and July 2012, and another US$22 million (RM70 million) from sponsors, exhibitions and appearance fees. Her endorsement partners include Evian, Head, Samsung and Tag Heuer, but her biggest pay-check comes courtesy of Nike.
Serena Williams may be the No 1-ranked player, but she cannot match the earning power of Sharapova or Anna Kournikova. Kournikova, who at her best was ranked No 8 has out-grossed both of them with a net worth of US$50 million (RM159.1 million). Her popularity peaked after she appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine in 2004 and 2005.
Compare to this. Lanky 2012 Olympic star Mo Farrah isn’t a sex symbol by any stretch of the imagination. Yet in 2012, Farrah signed lucrative deals with Virgin Media, Louis Vuitton and Hyundai estimated at up to £500,000 (RM2.5 million). If he were a girl, he’d probably have to take a day job to pay for his training.
As I write this I cannot help but wonder what the future holds for my 11-year-old niece Zulaikah. Last year, she was the Top Female Golfer (Under-10) in the country. She loves the sport, sacrificing weekends, video games and birthday parties for a rigorous training and competition schedule throughout the country. Yet sponsorship for her training is not existent, so her parents bear the often expensive green fees and golfing equipment. The last I heard, no golf club or golf equipment offered her a 50 per cent discount because she is a girl.
Maybe one day I will be able to tell her of the ridiculous time in 2013 when South Korean female golfer Inbee Park won the 2013 US Open title, earning her only US$585,000 (RM1.8 million) compared to the men’s winner, Justin Rose who pocketed US$1.4 million (RM4.5 million).
I bet she’ll ROFL (roll on the floor laughing)!
* Faridah Hameed is creator of the Language of Power training programme for women. Every Wednesday in November you can catch her at 11am on BFM89.9 with her new series: Women 40 and Beyond. Connect with her on Facebook, LinkedIn or her website www.faridahhameed.com
** This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malay Mail Online
