Few walks of life provide a clearer example of gender disparity than sports, which is still seen in many corners of the world as the exclusive domain of men. Notwithstanding the steady popularity of women’s sports, as well as the emergence of generational female athletes, the odds remain firmly stacked against sportswomen, especially in team sports. Having said that, every year, there are numerous women who rise to the challenge and leave an indelible impression through their athletic prowess. And 2023 was no different, with a whole host of sportswomen enjoying breakthrough years to remember for a lifetime.
On International Women’s Day, My Kolkata celebrates six outstanding sportswomen of 2023, who proved why it is about time for sports to have a level playing field when it comes to gender equality.
Aitana Bonmati (football)
Aitana Bonmati was instrumental for Spain and Barcelona throughout 2023 Getty Images
Playing for Barcelona and Spain, 26-year-old Aitani Bonmati had to step up big time after her star teammate, Alexia Putellas, was sidelined due to a major injury for the better part of 2023. Winning La Liga, the UEFA Women’s Champions League and the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia, Bonmati did exactly that when she stepped into Putellas’s attacking midfield role for both club and country. Helping her teams win all the major trophies with poise and panache, Bonmati made 2023 her own, clinching The Best FIFA Women’s Player award as well as the Ballon d’Or. More than all the glittering silverware, what made Bonmati stand out was the ease with which she played football, making the beautiful game look deceptively simple.
Sheetal Devi (para archery)
Sheetal Devi won three medals at the Asian Games last year TT Archives
The 17-year-old became one of the youngest Arjuna Award winners when she was conferred the honour earlier this year. The recognition was just reward for a remarkable year for the girl from Kishtwar in Jammu and Kashmir. At her first World Para Archery Championships in Plzen, Czech Republic last year, Devi secured silver in compound archery. The next challenge was at the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, where she won two gold medals in the women’s individual compound open archery and the mixed doubles compound open archery. She was not done, though, adding silver in the women’s doubles compound archery category. Devi’s habit of hitting the bullseye secured her the number one ranking in women’s compound open para archery. For her outstanding year, Devi was named as the Best Youth Athlete for 2023 by the Asian Paralympics Committee as well as the Best Women’s Para Archer by World Archery.
Iga Swiatek (tennis)
Iga Swiatek clinched six different titles across 2023 Getty Images
At 22, Iga Swiatek already has four grand slam titles to her name. With the most recent one being the French Open in 2023, a year she ended as world number one. Apart from her crowning moment on Parisian clay, the Pole also secured victory at the year-ending WTA finals, taking her tally of titles in 2023 to six. In the process, she became the first player since Serena Williams in 2012 to win the tournament without dropping a set. It came as little surprise then that 2023 ended with Swiatek named as the WTA Player of the Year, a moniker which makes her the best among a crowded field of excellence in women’s tennis.
Ayhika Mukherjee (table tennis)
Ayhika Mukherjee rose to prominence at the 2023 Asian Games TT Archives
Regardless of opponent or competition, Ayhika Mukherjee and her fierce intensity made 2023 a defining year for the 26-year-old from Naihtai. Mukherjee partnered with childhood buddy Sutirtha Mukherjee to win India’s first ever women’s doubles medal at the Asian Games when the Mukherjees beat the Chinese champion pair of Chen Meng and Wang Yidi to win bronze in Hangzhou. Mukherjee, who also handed the number one ranked Sun Yingsha from China her first ever team defeat, was duly awarded the Arjuna Award at the start of 2024. Given her outstanding performances last year, it is a surprise that Mukherjee is yet to nail down her spot in the Indian contingent for the Paris Olympics, a competition where Bengal’s latest table tennis sensation has every chance to make the country prouder still.
Hayley Matthews (cricket)
Hayley Matthews was the best player in the inaugural season of the WPL Getty Images
With 271 runs and 16 wickets, Hayley Matthews was the star of the inaugural Women’s Premier League (WPL) season in 2023. The West Indian opening batter took to the Mumbai Indians (MI) side like a fish to water and provided a stunning display with the bat while also taking crucial wickets with her off spin and being an X-factor in the field. An indispensable cog in the title-winning MI team, Matthews took home the Purple Cap. At the international level, Matthews, who leads the Windies, was adjudged to be the ICC T20I Women’s Player of the Year. The 25-year-old’s 132 off just 64 balls against Australia last October was hailed as the T20I batting performance of 2023.
Parul Chaudhury (athletics)
Parul Chaudhury emerged as a record-breaker in Hangzhou last year TT Archives
Parul Chaudhury Jhajj won two medals in the space of just 24 hours time at the 2023 Asian Games and was deservedly recognised with the Arjuna Award. The 28-year-old DSP from the Uttar Pradesh Police came into the spotlight with her stunning runs in Hangzhou, winning silver in the 3,000m steeplechase and gold in the 5,000m steeplechase. Chaudhury’s run in the 3,000m at the Asian Games was a national record as she became the first Indian to finish the 3,000m steeplechase in under nine minutes. Having already qualified for the 2024 Olympics at the World Championship in Budapest, Chaudhury’s performance at the Asian Games was the perfect springboard towards even greater success in Paris this year.
