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GENDER BIAS!
Netball boss accuses sponsors of favouring male-dominated sportDANIA BOGLE, Observer staff reporter bogled@jamaicaobserver.com
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Bernard. and when we don't do good, them curse we
A clear gender bias in how local sport is being sponsored is having a negative impact on the country's netball, said Jamaica Netball Association president Marva Bernard.
"I don't care anymore... I have to say it," Bernard told the Observer shortly after a brunch the association hosted at Kingston's Alhambra Inn to thank the companies which have helped fund the organisation to find $5-million to send the 12-member senior team to the World Netball Championships in Auckland, New Zealand, from November 10-17.
"It is becoming more and more difficult and you knock on doors and some of the responses that you get you can only say to yourself, it's a gender thing."
To date, only three players and coach Connie Francis have received full backing in the association's Adopt-A-Player programme.
Team captain and 2007 Courtney Walsh Award for Excellence winner, Elaine Davis, vice-captain Simone Forbes and Sasher-Gaye Henry are the players who have been adopted by Guardian Life, NCB, and Jamaica National, while Seprod have taken on the $300,000 cost of sending coach Francis to the Southern Hemisphere.
Several other companies have made small donations, including RBTT, which has sponsored team manager Hyacinth Smith with one-third of the cost of the trip to New Zealand.
Bernard told the Observer that it was embarrassing to the association to have countries such as Australia, New Zealand, and England pay their own way to come to Jamaica for series or underwrite part of the cost to have the Sunshine Girls travel there for warm-up and test series because the association was so short of sponsorship.
"...And when we don't do good, them curse we," Bernard said. "Everybody complain... they are no good, them shame we, etc."
The local association boss noted that 31-year-old Davis, who has a Bachelor's degree in Accounting from the University of Technology, was unemployed and had been trying unsuccessfully for years to find a job in Clarendon to be close to her grandmother of whom she takes care.
Davis is given $2,800 per fortnight by the association to cover her expenses as a member of the senior squad, while the JNA also contributes to travelling expenses for team members to come to training three days per week.
Bernard pointed out that many times appeals for sponsorship fell on deaf ears while other times potential sponsors would ask her to send proposals and ask her to call back.
"And when I call back they don't answer the phone... they refuse to take my calls," she said.
"You are led to believe that you will get help and they don't give you and the next day you open the paper and you see huge sums going to other sports," she added.
Bernard, who is also Finance Director of netball's world governing body the International Federation of Netball Associations (IFNA), said despite the problems, though male-dominated sport seemed to get most of the backing, most of netball's funding comes from organisations run by men.
"Some of the women in this country are the worst," she said. "A lot of the support we get comes from the men."
Meanwhile, IFNA president Molly Rhone, told the Observer that Netball Australia and Netball New Zealand which are the governing bodies for the top two netball playing countries have also complained about struggling to find funding.
"People don't understand the other aspects involved," she said, pointing out that in addition to sending teams abroad, the JNA also needs to run its offices located at Independence Park and pay the staff.
The association also has to pay to rent the facilities it uses at the Leila Robinson Courts and the National Arena.
Bernard noted that the management of IPL allows them to use the facilities at concessionary rates.
Netball boss accuses sponsors of favouring male-dominated sportDANIA BOGLE, Observer staff reporter bogled@jamaicaobserver.com
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Bernard. and when we don't do good, them curse we
A clear gender bias in how local sport is being sponsored is having a negative impact on the country's netball, said Jamaica Netball Association president Marva Bernard.
"I don't care anymore... I have to say it," Bernard told the Observer shortly after a brunch the association hosted at Kingston's Alhambra Inn to thank the companies which have helped fund the organisation to find $5-million to send the 12-member senior team to the World Netball Championships in Auckland, New Zealand, from November 10-17.
"It is becoming more and more difficult and you knock on doors and some of the responses that you get you can only say to yourself, it's a gender thing."
To date, only three players and coach Connie Francis have received full backing in the association's Adopt-A-Player programme.
Team captain and 2007 Courtney Walsh Award for Excellence winner, Elaine Davis, vice-captain Simone Forbes and Sasher-Gaye Henry are the players who have been adopted by Guardian Life, NCB, and Jamaica National, while Seprod have taken on the $300,000 cost of sending coach Francis to the Southern Hemisphere.
Several other companies have made small donations, including RBTT, which has sponsored team manager Hyacinth Smith with one-third of the cost of the trip to New Zealand.
Bernard told the Observer that it was embarrassing to the association to have countries such as Australia, New Zealand, and England pay their own way to come to Jamaica for series or underwrite part of the cost to have the Sunshine Girls travel there for warm-up and test series because the association was so short of sponsorship.
"...And when we don't do good, them curse we," Bernard said. "Everybody complain... they are no good, them shame we, etc."
The local association boss noted that 31-year-old Davis, who has a Bachelor's degree in Accounting from the University of Technology, was unemployed and had been trying unsuccessfully for years to find a job in Clarendon to be close to her grandmother of whom she takes care.
Davis is given $2,800 per fortnight by the association to cover her expenses as a member of the senior squad, while the JNA also contributes to travelling expenses for team members to come to training three days per week.
Bernard pointed out that many times appeals for sponsorship fell on deaf ears while other times potential sponsors would ask her to send proposals and ask her to call back.
"And when I call back they don't answer the phone... they refuse to take my calls," she said.
"You are led to believe that you will get help and they don't give you and the next day you open the paper and you see huge sums going to other sports," she added.
Bernard, who is also Finance Director of netball's world governing body the International Federation of Netball Associations (IFNA), said despite the problems, though male-dominated sport seemed to get most of the backing, most of netball's funding comes from organisations run by men.
"Some of the women in this country are the worst," she said. "A lot of the support we get comes from the men."
Meanwhile, IFNA president Molly Rhone, told the Observer that Netball Australia and Netball New Zealand which are the governing bodies for the top two netball playing countries have also complained about struggling to find funding.
"People don't understand the other aspects involved," she said, pointing out that in addition to sending teams abroad, the JNA also needs to run its offices located at Independence Park and pay the staff.
The association also has to pay to rent the facilities it uses at the Leila Robinson Courts and the National Arena.
Bernard noted that the management of IPL allows them to use the facilities at concessionary rates.
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