Ex-Olympians slam sexualisation of female athletes

[superadmin]

PETALING JAYA: Former Olympians have lashed out at the persistent sexualisation of female athletes (over the years), which have intensified now by social media platforms that more freely allow derogatory comments to disseminate.

Just a few days ago, a local news outlet chose to pixelate the body of Rio 2016 silver medallist Cheong Jun Hoong when including her picture in a story.

This was followed by negative comments about gymnast Farah Ann Abdul Hadi’s attire which were shared in response to stories about her Olympic performances.

“Female athletes have long faced sexism, negative comments and gender inequality in sport,” former national swimmer Nurul Huda Abdullah told FMT.

Nurul, who competed in the 1988 Seoul Olympics, said this treatment was part of the reason she retired early from professional sport at the age of 18.



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