The Black Swan event of 2020 resulted in the Tokyo Olympics being postponed for a year. Therefore, the quadrennial event is now being held this year and is firing up from the 23rd of this month. The Tokyo Olympics has been doing the rounds on news platforms and social media for a plethora of reasons. Adding on to the list is, Tokyo Olympics, given the tag of “First gender-balanced Games in History.”
There was a time when during the decline of the 19th CE, women were deliberately excluded or barred from participating in the Olympics. A century down the line, on International Women’s Day, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) declared the 2021 Olympic games to be the first ‘gender-balanced games ever, with the representation of 49% women as compared to 51% men.
Holding true to the tag, five major countries participating in the Olympics are sending more women athletes than men to the majestic event, according to a Times of India report. The countries include the United States, Great Britain, China, Canada, and Australia. Talking numbers, the US will send 329 female athletes and 284 male athletes while Britain will send 201 female athletes and 175 male athletes. China tops the list of highest ratios, with the number of female athletes almost double the number of male athletes. The CCP-led nation is sending 298 female athletes and 133 male athletes. Canada and Australia are sending athletes in the ratio 225:145 and 252:219, respectively.
Russia also joined the club by sending 183 female and 146 male athletes under the ROC banner. Russian Olympic Committee will represent Russia after the country’s name, flag, and the national anthem was banned from the Tokyo Olympics. It was based on the accusation made by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) for Russia running a state-backed doping program. It is also why the representation of Russia in the Tokyo Olympics is comparatively low. India is sending 127 athletes, out of which 56 are females, and 71 are males.
Women representation given a boost promises a better and a more equal future. It is to be noted that women also have significant positions in the IOC. For example, 37.5 percent of IOC members are women, while the executive board holds a representation of 33.3 percent females. More than half, i.e., 53 percent of administrative employees in IOC, are females.
Read all the Latest News, Breaking News and Coronavirus News here