Need for policy to promote women sportspersons

A demand was raised in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday that the sports ministry should formulate a special policy to promote women sportspersons in the country as they are performing well and could win many Olympic medals.

Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Congress member Rajeev Shukla said Indian women are performing very well in sports and referred to the recent performance of the women cricket team which made it to World Cup finals.

He added that women players like Sania Mirza (tennis), Saina Nehwal and P V Sindhu (badminton), Mithali Raj and Harmanpreet Kaur (cricket), Phogat sisters (Geeta and Babita) (wrestling) and Mary Kom (boxing) have given excellent performances in sports.

While male sportspersons could not bring the laurels, women should be now given opportunity, said the former vice president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

“I am sure they will succeed," the Congress member said.

Dangal movie, made on Indian women wrestlers, was a hit on the box office, Shukla said.

"More and more efforts should be made to promote women in sports. I think they can bring all Olympic medals," he said.