OPINION: Proteas might be given a golden chance to boost women’s sport

As a nation that is both generally progressive and loves sport, we really are dragging our feet in reaching gender equality on the field of play.

South Africa has made progress in recent years, with Banyana Banyana receiving increased support, Proteas women cricketers earning national contracts and Netball South Africa launching a semi-professional league.

In comparison to men’s sport, however, there is still a chasm that exists.

But that could all change next week if the national cricket team can achieve a historic title at the T20 Women’s World Cup in the UAE.

They must still qualify for the playoffs and will have to wait for the result of the match between England and West Indies on Tuesday, but they will be confident of their chances of progressing to the semifinals.

And if they are able to go one step further than they did last year, when they reached the T20 World Cup final in Cape Town, they will change the face of South African women’s sport.

Showered with praise

Should they lift the trophy in the UAE, they are likely to be showered with similar praise to that received by the world champion Springboks.

They will get global media coverage, they’ll have a nationwide parade when they return home, and it will go down in history as one of the most memorable performances by a national team.

We’ve waited a long time for the Proteas men to win a World Cup, but despite the squad always turning out as contenders, they have fallen short every time.

Though the men’s team have come close in recent years, the drought continues.

Two games away

Last year the Proteas women became the first SA senior cricket team to reach a World Cup final (which was emulated by the men later in the season) but they too stumbled at the final hurdle.

Faced with another opportunity to end the country’s drought, the national side are potentially just two games away from a historic title, and though the men should eventually win one too, it would be even more fitting if the women beat them to it.

If they lift the country’s first World Cup cricket trophy, it will be a huge relief for fans of the sport, and it will do even more to promote women’s sport.

There is no real reason that our elite women don’t get the same support as the men, and one big title will go a long way in balancing things out.